Joseph S. Sobon passed away unexpectedly at the young age of 81. Preceded in death by his wife, Irene and son, Scott Joseph. Survived by sons, Mark and Jason, daughter Jennifer, 2 grandsons and one great-grandson.

Dad spent his life giving all to his family. He worked 3 jobs while putting himself through pharmacy school and taking care of his ailing wife and his infant son. Dad put mom and all three of us kids through college. He encouraged each of us to get an education and strive for a better life.

After 37 years of being a pharmacist, and with my encouragement, he finally retired. But dad didn’t stop being busy. He enjoyed reading, watching old movies, listening to old radio programs from when he was a kid, and going to plays at the local theaters. He loved spending time with his grandchildren. Dad and I took several adventures together as we geocached through many states in search of “treasure” and visiting as many different zoos as possible. As his legs and back started to get worse, our adventures lessened, but we still had fun. We took trips to St. Louis frequently and Albuquerque to enjoy the hot air balloon festivals… something he could enjoy from his wheelchair. Dad continued to put his mind to the test by working through calculus books, building a computer and solving puzzle caches so that I could go find them.

Dad didn’t always express his love for us in words, but rather in things he did. Every day he made my lunch for me. One of the last things he said to me, was that he had a dream that he was making my lunch for me to take to work and then asked if I had lunch that day. Dad was always thinking of others until his final moments.

His days at home were devoted to our beagle boys who miss him dearly and are still looking for their best buddy to come home.

Throughout life, dad always taught us that you can’t rely on anyone and if you don’t expect something you won’t be disappointed–something he learned growing up. A good lesson to learn, yet hard to put into practice. Dad you will always be loved and missed. But I will remember to “keep looking up” so that you can see me better that way. Take care of Mom and Scott until we meet again.