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Joachim 'Joe' Dreifuss Ocean, NJ QCWA # 24170 Chapter 138 |
Joachim Joe Dreifuss, age 86, passed away on Wednesday, September 22, 2021 at Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, after residing in Ocean Township for the last 43 years.
Born in Karlsruhe, Germany, Joe was a Holocaust survivor. In 1939, at the age of 4 1/2, he was part of the Kindertransport, separating from his parents and escaping with his sister, Marion, on the SS Manhattan from Germany to England. Upon arrival, he was then separated from his sister, being assigned different foster parents. During his time in England, Joe went through multiple foster care places, but always managed to visit with his beloved sister. He also served as a message runner for the air raid wardens during the Blitz. In 1946, after the end of WWII, they finally boarded the MS Gripsholm to the US, reuniting with their parents, and settling in New York.
Joe proudly served in the US Army for over 25 years, including a combat tour in the Vietnam War. During a deployment to France, he met the love of his life, Francoise Daubigny and in spite of an initial language barrier, they married in 1957. During his service with the US Army Signal Corps, he traveled the world installing communications systems for US allies during deployments to Korea, France, Germany, Spain, Africa and others. He also supported communications with the Apollo Moon missions. He retired from the military as a Sergeant Major in 1979.
After his military retirement, Joe managed production and was VP of sales as well as consultant for telecommunications companies. In later years, he worked in multiple Real Estate groups, and property management companies. He has worked his entire life and enjoyed every bit of it largely due to the people he met along the way.
Joe accomplished so much and had made many lifelong friendships all across the globe. He was a member of many different military and ham radio clubs (ARRL, AMSAT, Garden State ARC, Neptune ARC, QCWA, REF, & MARS). He loved meeting people and hanging out with his friends, helping people and volunteering during floods, hurricanes, and charity events with FEMA and Red Cross.
Always in motion until the end, he always craved to experience something new and exciting, kept up with the current news, and embraced technology because he felt it was important to keep up with the times! Joe loved constantly networking face to face with the locals, communicating using smartphones, emails, social media, & ham radios with his contacts across the US, foreign countries, and even space via amateur radio satellites & space stations! The ham radio call signs he used were: F7GX (France): (Merite du REF 1965), HL9KQ (South Korea), DL4MZ & DA2DR (Germany), F0F0 & PX1GX (France), Operator at ET2USA/ET3USA (Africa), 8P9KP (Barbados), as well as WA2GSY, W2KQ, & operator of K2USA (USA). He liked helping others realize their dreams and pushed them to reach their greatest potential.
His greatest joy in life was spending time and celebrating with his loving family. Surviving are his beloved wife of 64 years, Francoise Dreifuss; his loving daughters, Marion Estes and Cathy Grindell and their husbands; his loving niece, Susan Grant and her family; his three grandchildren, Sean, Jenny, and John; and four great-grandchildren, Emma, Molly, Karly, and Logan.
Predeceased are his beloved sister, Marion Kempler and parents, Adolf and Alice Dreifuss.
Internment will be private.
In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758516, Topeka, Kansas 66675-8516 or at https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/donate