Joseph John Dohopolski

JOSEPH “JOE” DOHOPOLSKI, 92, OF LAKEWOOD, CALIFORNIA PASSED AWAY PEACEFULLY AT HIS HOME ON JUNE 30, 2016 WITH HIS FAMILY BY HIS SIDE.

JOE WAS BORN NOVEMBER 29, 1923 IN WINNIPEG, MANITOBA CANADA TO JOHN AND THERESA DOHOPOLSKI. HE WAS ONE OF 13 SIBLINGS. THE DOHOPOLSKI FAMILY MIGRATED SOUTH IN 1924 AND SETTLED IN BUFFALO, NEW YORK. THE FAMILY FELL ON HARD TIMES DURING THE GREAT DEPRESSION AND IN 1936 FOUND THE YOUNGEST MEMBERS OF THE FAMILY FORCED INTO FOSTER HOMES. LIFE WAS NOT EASY, AND JOE WORKED MANY HOURS ON THE FARM THAT HE CALLED HOME, TENDING THE FIELDS AND TAKING CARE OF THE LIVESTOCK. HE STIL MANAGED TO CONTINUE HIS EDUCATION AND DID QUITE WELL IN SCHOOL DESPITE HIS WORK SCHEDULE AND MEAGER SURROUNDINGS. FINALLY, WHEN HE HAD ENOUGH AT 16, JOE TOOK HIS LIFE SAVINGS, ABOUT 13 DOLLARS, RAN AWAY, PURCHASED A BUS TICKET AND FOUND HIMSELF ON THE STREETS OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE TIRED AND HUNGRY. THERE A NEW CHAPTER OF HIS LIFE BEGAN.

JOE FOUND REFUGE AT A CATHOLIC CHURCH WHERE A PRIEST FED HIM AND DIRECTED HIM TO A NEARBY HOSPITAL FOR A JOB. A NUN WORKING THERE TOOK JOE IN, GAVE HIM A JOB AND PUT HIM BACK IN SCHOOL TO COMPLETE HIS HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION.

WHILE AT THE HOSPITAL, JOE MET A YOUNG NURSING STUDENT, VIRGINIA FELLHAUER, WHO WAS TO BECOME HIS WIFE AND INSEPARABLE PARTNER FOR OVER 70 YEARS.

WHEN WORLD WAR 2 CAME, JOE WAS COMPELLED TO SERVE HIS COUNTRY AND JOINED THE US MARINE CORPS WHERE HE SERVED HONORABLY IN THE PACIFIC THEATER FOR 11 MONTHS BEFORE CONTRACTING MALARIA AND BEING SENT HOME.

AFTER HIS DISCHARGE JOE AND VIRGINIA STARTED A FAMILY AND THEIR FIRST SON, JAMES, WAS BORN. JAMES REQUIRED SPECIAL CARE, SO THE YOUNG FAMILY MOVED TO CALIFORNIA IN THEIR OLD CHEVY WHERE JOE FOUND A JOB AND RESIDENCE IN ONE DAY. JOE WAS A RESOURCEFUL MAN.

JOE WAS AN EXTREMELY HARD WORKER AND FOUND HIS CALLING AS A MAINTENANCE SUPERVISOR AT A LARGE ALUMINUM FACTORY IN TORRANCE, CALIFORNIA WHERE HE THRIVED FOR OVER 35 YEARS.

IN 1954 AND 1961 THEY ADDED TWO MORE SONS TO THE BROOD, MIKE AND JOE. SADLY, IN 1962, THEIR FIRST BORN PASSED AWAY AFTER A LIFELONG STRUGGLE WITH CYSTIC FIBROSIS. UNDAUNTED THOUGH, JOE AND THE FAMILY FLOURISHED IN THE YEARS THAT FOLLOWED. AT 62 JOE FINALLY RETIRED AND STARTED A HANDYMAN CAREER. HE WAS ALWAYS THERE TO LEND A HELPING HAND, OFFER HIS OPINION ON HOW THE JOB SHOULD BE COMPLETED AND WORKED TIRELESSLY TO FINISH HIS OR ANYONE ELSE’S PROJECT.

JOE EVEN HAD TIME FOR A HOBBY. HE BECAME AN AVID GARDENER. HE WAS ALWAYS A GENEROUS SORT AND SHARED HIS FRUITS AND VEGETABLE WITH NEIGHBORS AND FAMILY. JOE ALWAYS PLANTED SWEET PEAS FOR VIRGINIA, HER FAVORITE FLOWER.

LATER IN LIFE JOE AND VIRGINIA DECIDED TO TRAVEL THE WORLD AND WENT ON SEVERAL CRUISES TO DISTANT LANDS AND HISTORIC PLACES. THEY VISITED ISRAEL, RUSSIA, CHINA AND ALL OF EUROPE. THEY EVEN SQUEEZED IN HAWAII AND ALASKA JUST FOR GOOD MEASURE.

SADLY IN 2013 THE LOVE OF HIS LIFE, HIS WIFE VIRGINIA, PASSED AFTER A SHORT ILLNESS AND JOE WAS NEVER THE SAME. JOE MISSED HER MORE THAN ANYBODY COULD POSSIBLY FATHOM. SO NOW THEY ARE TOGETHER AGAIN AND WILL NEVER BE SEPARATED. A HAPPY ENDING.

JOE IS SURVIVED BY HIS SISTER BETTY, BROTHER EDDIE (BEST PALS) AND SISTER HELEN, ALL STILL RESIDING IN BUFFALO, HIS ELDEST SON MICHAEL AND SPOUSE ALICIA (LONG BEACH, CA) , AND SON JOSEPH AND HIS SPOUSE JANET (PHOENIX, AZ). JOE ALSO HAS FIVE AMAZING GRANDCHILDREN, AMBER ASHLEY, MICHAEL, CHRIS AND JAMIE, ALL WHOM GRADUATED FROM MAJOR UNIVERSITIES. THAT MADE JOE VERY, VERY PROUD.

IN LIEU OF FLOWERS THE FAMILY ASKS THAT ONE DAY YOU FEED A HOMELESS PERSON AS A RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS BECAUSE JOE NEVER WANTED ANYBODY TO GO HUNGRY, AND HE NEVER DID. HE WAS THERE ONCE.

PS – JOE, CAN YOU ASK GOD FOR A GREAT NOTRE DAME SEASON…AT THE VERY LEAST, CRUSH USC.

Luyben Dilday Mortuary (562) 425-6401