Joseph Powers Obituary

Thinking about Joe brought back many happy memories of raising our families on Home Avenue. Our condolences to the family.

My Uncle Joe was a compassionate, caring man with a wonderful sense of humour. He was a great listener and remembered everything.



On his frequent phone calls, he always asked about my husband and my boys. We all enjoyed his visits.



My boys remember his floppy hats, his smile and how much he liked to eat. He was a pleasure to cook for.



I will miss his visits and phone calls, where he always identified himself. First saying he was Joe Powers, then correcting himself, saying it was Uncle Joe. That always made me chuckle.



I will miss you, Uncle Joe. May God Bless your soul.

One of the most interesting and caring people I,ve ever met. How we will miss his passion for life and his sense of justice. A wonderful life. . .

Madison & Home, the spot where Joe died, is the place he picked 20 years ago as the weekly meeting spot for runs with friends. Those Saturday runs are still part of the Oak Park Runners Club routine--a legacy of Joe Powers. I'll think of him every time I do one of those Saturday runs. And I hear that someone has painted an inscription to Joe on the street at that spot.



Joe, we miss you.

Family's Eulogy for Joe Powers, Senior



Thank you all so much for coming. Tonight we celebrate the life of a warm,

compassionate, loving, and deeply principled man. Joe Powers was the guy with

the greatest laugh - and a smile that would melt your heart. He had the good

sense, and enough of a sense of humor, to know that no one owns the whole

truth - not even himself. Even though as we grew up, we occasionally felt that he

did. Our dad was as open-minded a man as there was, who willingly considered

all sides of a story (though he made it quite clear where he stood).



He never stood still for long though; he was always on the run, both figuratively

and literally. Running was something he took up 24 years ago when his tennis

game began to decline. His personal traits of focus, perseverance, and discipline

allowed him to excel, he quickly realized he was a natural at distance running.

You could easily measure his accomplishments by the shoebox full of medals he

amassed, his three National Distance Titles, his more than 30 marathons run, or

the army of Brooks Chariots he owned; but the most important part of his running

were the friends he made. Bob, Bud, Bob Bell, and Dan Danielson were just a

few of the many who shared the passion our dad had for running. Above that

though, they were his dearest friends.





Dad was passionate. You may have seen his fits of temper, a sharp dose of

anger that arose especially when he believed he saw someone getting a raw

deal or doing less than their best. But Dad's temper stemmed from his inability to

tell lies or to abide any kind of deceit in others, whether a casual aquaintence or

national leader. Regardless of how unpopular the opinion-- he was not afraid to

say The Emperor has No Clothes. Dad could not conceal his feelings - or at

least not for long. He could not even manage to tell the tiniest fib , to the

occasional regret of some of us here who wish he had had a little more tact. He

was, as one friend observed "pathologically honest". Yet this fiery honesty

meant that you always knew where you stood with Dad.



He could not bear bullies in any form, not in the streets, not in the offices nor in

the government. Dad had a couple of false teeth. The grandkids thought it was

just from growing older. But the truth is, when Dad was a young boy in Akron

Ohio he lost his teeth in a scuffle with a bully.





Dad left his family, his father Joe, his mother Marjorie, sisters Pat and Jean, and

brother Bob to enlist in the Army Air Corps. Dad was ready to be shipped

overseas just as World War II ended. He attended John Carroll University and

after graduation served as a social worker. Later, in need of slightly better

employment to support his family, Dad became the unlikeliest Internal Revenue

Service you could ever imagine. The government couldn't quite believe that Dad

was a Fed either. During the Civil Rights movement and Vietnam war in the

1960s and early 1970s a number of self-styled government patriots tried to rid

themselves of this highly professional IRS agent who also happened to be an outspoken citizen. Dad and mom went through very worrying times but they

persevered. Although he bore no grudges, we remember Dad taking special

interest and perhaps a lot of pleasure in watching the Watergate hearings.



Dad and mom provided us with a loving home. There weren't many luxuries on

Home Avenue, but they gave us what they could. Dad taught us that we could

take hard knocks and persevere and eventually succeed. He taught us to be

accountable for our actions. He taught us to care for people beyond ourselves

and our immediate families. (Mealtime grace always ended with "Lord help us to

provide for the needs of others") Dad shared with friends and neighbors how

very proud he was of the children. His mantle was overflowing with family

photos.





Dad retired from the IRS and filled his days with volunteering at The Field

Museum and Brookfield Zoo. With his dear friend Mary, he participated in book

clubs including a reading group of the Ernest Hemingway Foundation, attended Opera, theater, and concerts. He loved swing and jazz music, and contributed to dozens of causes ranging from the Central American Action Coalition to ACLU. He helped his neighbors, both near and far. Dad was satisfied with behind the scenes jobs like stuffing envelopes for Veterans for Peace but also wasn't afraid of putting himself in the middle of conflict. This Friday he was planning on going to Georgia to Protest at the School of the Americas. It isn't clear if he had made up his mind to get arrested there.



His family were nearby and he absolutely adored being a Grandfather. He just

reveled in being " Gran Joe". He became astonishingly indulgent and lit up

around the grandkids. He never missed a family gathering and brought the

Waldorf Salad on Thanksgiving. He was a rock. A man who carried through on

any promise he made. You could rely on him.



He also enjoyed the chance to work fulltime at all his causes and research

projects that meant so much to him. With his friend Mark Rogovin he coauthored

a short book on the Haymarket Martyrs and completed a volume on the singer,

athlete and activist Paul Robeson. A man Dad had much in common with. Dad

regularly visited the Haymarket Martyrs graves in Forest Home Cemetery. On a

run through Forest Home, he pointed out a certain spot that he thought looked

beautiful and mentioned it to Bob Hakes. And that will be where we place his

remains. Dad would like that.



Dad simply didn't care much about material things. It was the kind of person you

were that mattered to Dad. Dad worked for a better world here and now and

didn't worry much about the hereafter. He left us suddenly on a sunny Saturday

morning on a routine run in Oak Park. As hard as it is for us to see it that way,

he no doubt left us in a way he would have chosen and on his own terms. We appreciate you coming here tonight. We all will be sad but we all can be grateful for our time with Dad. It was a passionate life and he was a compassionate man.



We love you Dad and Miss you

I remember my Uncle Joe as a thoughtful,independent,caring and passionate man. He had a wonderful sense of humor and was very much his own man. I did not get to see him much as the years passed but kept up with his life adventures thru my mom, his sister. I was touched that he made a trip out to CA to attend my wedding reception and the weddings of my siblings. I remember a driving trip I made with him, Louise and Aunt Louise from Akron,OH to Oak Park . It was a wonderful chance for me to get to know Joe as an adult and I came to appreciate who he was even more. I will miss him.

Goodbye Joe! I know you are taking that long celestial run, now in the marathon that will never end. You will always be my guru. I ran my first ever twenty mile run with you in 1991, along the Desplaines River trail-- one of your favorite places, where the Pottawaname Indians had roamed. The first time I ran over ten miles was with you at Morton Arb. I never knew I could become a marathon runner. You knew that I could. I heard of your death on Saturday. Sunday when I was in Vancouver, BC I had a long run with you in Stanley Park. This run's for you, Joe I called out to the seagulls. They squawked their approval. You will always be an inspiration to us all. We are far richer having known you. And we are very sad that you are gone. Rest in peace old friend. Don't worry, we will keep the cause alive.



Your friend and running buddy, Buck.

Goodbye to a fellow runner.

Monday morning volunteer Guest Guides at Brookfield Zoo will truly miss Joe. He loved to walk the Northwest area of the Zoo. At our morning meetings he would talk about his running and the Chicago baseball games he would attend. His parting words on the last day of our summer volunteering were, "see you next year." We know Joe will be with us next year in spirit. May you rest in peace.

My time with Joe was limited probably to four-five visits when he stayed with my family and me, along with Bob and my cousin Dan, for Bix 7 race weekend . I traveled to Chicago today from Iowa to pay tribute to an execptional man... a gentleman. Joe Powers.

Joe Powers was my much beloved uncle, and a man I was most proud to know, and even more proud to have in my family. He was a man of strong conviction and dedication, and a man of gentleness and grace. Joe worked very hard to make this world a better place to live in, and he was and forever will be an inspiration to all of his family and friends. We love you, Uncle Joe! Godspeed........

I will always remember Joe as an encouraging gifted athlete to all his running friends and acquaintenances. He was a role model especially to the running community.

All of us at Chicago DSA will miss Joe. He was a great guy and a dedicated activist for peace and justice.

I have volunteered with Joe for the last 7 1/2 years at the Field Museum, on Mondays. We started there together when we began our training. Joe had just returned to the museum on 11/5, from his summer volunteering at Brookfield Zoo. We were all saddened to hear of his death,including those who volunteered in other areas, but were a part of our Monday "lunch crowd".

My husband Richard, had also met him at Field activities. We both wish to express our condolences to his family and friends.

Joe was a wonderful and delightful man. He was very dedicated to Brookfield Zoo and we will miss seeing his wonderful smile every Monday morning. He was a wonderful role model as a great environmental citizen as he rode his bike to the zoo from Oak Park on his volunteer days. We regret being unable to attend his visitation due to volunteer training program commitments. Please know our thoughts are with you. Joe will truly be missed.



Ms. Regi Mezydlo

Volunteer Manager

Brookfield Zoo

Joe was a straight arrow, a man with ideals and follow through. Whether it was a peace march or a marathon race, he was ready to put his body on the line.

I learned a lot about integrity from Joe in the 35-year span that I knew him, and I'll remember him and our many good times together, from opera to baseball to a walk in the park and back again, with great fondness. I'll sure miss him.



Mary Schmuttenmaer

Joe Powers was my uncle and even though we lived far away from him and his family, he always kept in touch, came to all of our weddings and made a point to call me when my daughter arrived from India. He had a great sense of humor and I admired his enthusiasm for life. We will miss him, but can strive to life to the fullest and give of ourselves as he did.

I have known Joe for many years. His smile and his generous attitude towards everyone made the world a more pleasant place. Like many of you, I will miss Joe Powers. But his legacy will live on as long as we share our stories and pass his name on to future generations.

The Oak Park Runners Club has lost a good friend and running brother. Our sport of running has brought together people of different backgrounds, cultures and traditions to create a great circle of friendship. Running is what brought us all together and it is running that our brother Joe Powers loved.



As a runner, we all know how it hurts when we try to run with a injury. We try to run, but it's painful. And so we stop and rest. We all now share the same hurt that comes from losing a good buddy.



But as with any injury, we rest, we recover and we come back stronger than ever. And we run again to enjoy the sport that Joe loved. Joe Powers loved running and we loved Joe.

Joe, was a dear friend a fellow runner and a longtime member of the Oak Park Runners Club. Iremember first meeting Joe at a club meeting, but we really got to know each other well on road trip with Bob Hakes to the Grandma's Marathon in 1991. I was coming off a great marathon at Toledo, OH and Bob and Joe invited me to come along with them to Grandma's. what an experience it was and how we got to know each other over the long weekend driving up to Duluth, MN and back. It was a great weekend and a friendship that would last a lifetime. Joe, always had a good word even when it was a long hard run. His jovial smile will remain in my heart forever... Thanks, Joe for all the encouragement and wisdom in life and running...

Joe still cared about causes that some of the rest of us had gotten too old or too rich to be concerned with. He had a sweetness and a sense of humor. I'll miss him.

Joe was a genuinely kind and amiable man. Though I only had the occasion to visit with him a few times, I found him to be interesting, earnest, and inspirational. My condolences to his family and friends.

Joe was a wonderful man, very kind and sincere. He will be missed by the actors and artists at A Red Orchid Theatre where he attended several plays.

Joe was a dear friend of mine (through Mary Schmuttenmaer) and I have enjoyed his companionship on many occasions of all sorts--from Paul Robeson events, Hemingway seminars and celebrations, Court Theatre, Shaw Chicago, Grant Park Concerts, museum events--you get the idea. He'll not be forgotten.