Joseph Alec Abel-Palmer, 27 years old, of Olde Orchard Lane in Shelburne, died unexpectedly of natural causes on January 14, 2024.
Joseph-or José or Joey or Joe-was born on October 14, 1996, in Burlington to Traci Ann Rock of Burlington VT and Rodolfo Garcia of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Joseph's early childhood was very difficult and he came into foster care as a toddler, and in June 1998 he came to live with Craig and Sam Abel-Palmer of Shelburne, VT. Sam and Craig adopted José in 2002. José attended the UVM Early Childhood Education Center, Shelburne Community School, and he graduated from Champlain Valley Union High School in 2014. He was devoted to his work at Market 32, which he started in 2017.
José loved all of his families. He enjoyed spending at-home time with his dads and brothers, Jacob and Charlie, and visiting with his Aunt Pammy. He also was a central part of his extended family in Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, and DC, and loved attending family events. José was an avid traveler, and made trips to Cape Cod, Maine, Puerto Rico, California, Mexico, and New Mexico, and many destinations on the east coast.
As he grew older, José felt a deep need to connect with his birth families. He was able to use social media to locate his birth father, Rodolfo Gabriel Garcia, in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. They communicated regularly and established a close bond. In 2015, Craig took José on a trip to meet Rudi, which José considered one of the highpoints of his life. José remained deeply interested in his Mexican heritage. José also established ties to the family of his birth mother, Traci Rock. He grew especially close with a birth sister, Shaylynne Davis, and they spoke by phone weekly.
José's interests were deep and varied. He loved to read and research about history, especially his Hispanic roots. In high school he participated in Unified Sports in bowling and bocce, and he enjoyed skiing with his family. He was a passionate gamer, and in recent years was especially devoted to Overwatch, eagerly awaiting each new release. His most passionate interest, though, was Japanese Anime, and he dreamed of working some day for a Japanese company to develop anime-related games.
José had a profound and vivid imagination. He spent time every week writing fantasy fiction in various formats, and he loved to spin complex narratives with wild plot lines. He had a particular fascination with fantasy creatures, especially dragons, and he identified closely with them. He typically remembered his dreams, and would love to recount them in detail to his family in the morning.
José is survived by his parents, Sam and Craig, his brothers Jacob and Charlie, his aunt Pamela Jacobs, and many other aunts, uncles and cousins. He was predeceased by his birth parents, Rudi Garcia and Traci Rock.
A memorial service and celebration of José's life will be held on Saturday, January 20 at 1:00 p.m. at College St. Congregational Church in Burlington, Vermont. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Howard Center. José was truly a light in this world, and we will deeply miss his love, imagination, humor and passion.
Joseph-or José or Joey or Joe-was born on October 14, 1996, in Burlington to Traci Ann Rock of Burlington VT and Rodolfo Garcia of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Joseph's early childhood was very difficult and he came into foster care as a toddler, and in June 1998 he came to live with Craig and Sam Abel-Palmer of Shelburne, VT. Sam and Craig adopted José in 2002. José attended the UVM Early Childhood Education Center, Shelburne Community School, and he graduated from Champlain Valley Union High School in 2014. He was devoted to his work at Market 32, which he started in 2017.
José loved all of his families. He enjoyed spending at-home time with his dads and brothers, Jacob and Charlie, and visiting with his Aunt Pammy. He also was a central part of his extended family in Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, and DC, and loved attending family events. José was an avid traveler, and made trips to Cape Cod, Maine, Puerto Rico, California, Mexico, and New Mexico, and many destinations on the east coast.
As he grew older, José felt a deep need to connect with his birth families. He was able to use social media to locate his birth father, Rodolfo Gabriel Garcia, in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. They communicated regularly and established a close bond. In 2015, Craig took José on a trip to meet Rudi, which José considered one of the highpoints of his life. José remained deeply interested in his Mexican heritage. José also established ties to the family of his birth mother, Traci Rock. He grew especially close with a birth sister, Shaylynne Davis, and they spoke by phone weekly.
José's interests were deep and varied. He loved to read and research about history, especially his Hispanic roots. In high school he participated in Unified Sports in bowling and bocce, and he enjoyed skiing with his family. He was a passionate gamer, and in recent years was especially devoted to Overwatch, eagerly awaiting each new release. His most passionate interest, though, was Japanese Anime, and he dreamed of working some day for a Japanese company to develop anime-related games.
José had a profound and vivid imagination. He spent time every week writing fantasy fiction in various formats, and he loved to spin complex narratives with wild plot lines. He had a particular fascination with fantasy creatures, especially dragons, and he identified closely with them. He typically remembered his dreams, and would love to recount them in detail to his family in the morning.
José is survived by his parents, Sam and Craig, his brothers Jacob and Charlie, his aunt Pamela Jacobs, and many other aunts, uncles and cousins. He was predeceased by his birth parents, Rudi Garcia and Traci Rock.
A memorial service and celebration of José's life will be held on Saturday, January 20 at 1:00 p.m. at College St. Congregational Church in Burlington, Vermont. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Howard Center. José was truly a light in this world, and we will deeply miss his love, imagination, humor and passion.
Joseph Alec Abel-Palmer, 27 years old, of Olde Orchard Lane in Shelburne, died unexpectedly of natural causes on January 14, 2024.
Joseph-or José or Joey or Joe-was born on October 14, 1996, in Burlington to Traci Ann Rock of Burlington VT and Rodolfo Garcia of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Joseph's early childhood was very difficult and he came into foster care as a toddler, and in June 1998 he came to live with Craig and Sam Abel-Palmer of Shelburne, VT. Sam and Craig adopted José in 2002. José attended the UVM Early Childhood Education Center, Shelburne Community School, and he graduated from Champlain Valley Union High School in 2014. He was devoted to his work at Market 32, which he started in 2017.
José loved all of his families. He enjoyed spending at-home time with his dads and brothers, Jacob and Charlie, and visiting with his Aunt Pammy. He also was a central part of his extended family in Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, and DC, and loved attending family events. José was an avid traveler, and made trips to Cape Cod, Maine, Puerto Rico, California, Mexico, and New Mexico, and many destinations on the east coast.
As he grew older, José felt a deep need to connect with his birth families. He was able to use social media to locate his birth father, Rodolfo Gabriel Garcia, in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. They communicated regularly and established a close bond. In 2015, Craig took José on a trip to meet Rudi, which José considered one of the highpoints of his life. José remained deeply interested in his Mexican heritage. José also established ties to the family of his birth mother, Traci Rock. He grew especially close with a birth sister, Shaylynne Davis, and they spoke by phone weekly.
José's interests were deep and varied. He loved to read and research about history, especially his Hispanic roots. In high school he participated in Unified Sports in bowling and bocce, and he enjoyed skiing with his family. He was a passionate gamer, and in recent years was especially devoted to Overwatch, eagerly awaiting each new release. His most passionate interest, though, was Japanese Anime, and he dreamed of working some day for a Japanese company to develop anime-related games.
José had a profound and vivid imagination. He spent time every week writing fantasy fiction in various formats, and he loved to spin complex narratives with wild plot lines. He had a particular fascination with fantasy creatures, especially dragons, and he identified closely with them. He typically remembered his dreams, and would love to recount them in detail to his family in the morning.
José is survived by his parents, Sam and Craig, his brothers Jacob and Charlie, his aunt Pamela Jacobs, and many other aunts, uncles and cousins. He was predeceased by his birth parents, Rudi Garcia and Traci Rock.
A memorial service and celebration of José's life will be held on Saturday, January 20 at 1:00 p.m. at College St. Congregational Church in Burlington, Vermont. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Howard Center. José was truly a light in this world, and we will deeply miss his love, imagination, humor and passion.
Joseph-or José or Joey or Joe-was born on October 14, 1996, in Burlington to Traci Ann Rock of Burlington VT and Rodolfo Garcia of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Joseph's early childhood was very difficult and he came into foster care as a toddler, and in June 1998 he came to live with Craig and Sam Abel-Palmer of Shelburne, VT. Sam and Craig adopted José in 2002. José attended the UVM Early Childhood Education Center, Shelburne Community School, and he graduated from Champlain Valley Union High School in 2014. He was devoted to his work at Market 32, which he started in 2017.
José loved all of his families. He enjoyed spending at-home time with his dads and brothers, Jacob and Charlie, and visiting with his Aunt Pammy. He also was a central part of his extended family in Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, and DC, and loved attending family events. José was an avid traveler, and made trips to Cape Cod, Maine, Puerto Rico, California, Mexico, and New Mexico, and many destinations on the east coast.
As he grew older, José felt a deep need to connect with his birth families. He was able to use social media to locate his birth father, Rodolfo Gabriel Garcia, in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. They communicated regularly and established a close bond. In 2015, Craig took José on a trip to meet Rudi, which José considered one of the highpoints of his life. José remained deeply interested in his Mexican heritage. José also established ties to the family of his birth mother, Traci Rock. He grew especially close with a birth sister, Shaylynne Davis, and they spoke by phone weekly.
José's interests were deep and varied. He loved to read and research about history, especially his Hispanic roots. In high school he participated in Unified Sports in bowling and bocce, and he enjoyed skiing with his family. He was a passionate gamer, and in recent years was especially devoted to Overwatch, eagerly awaiting each new release. His most passionate interest, though, was Japanese Anime, and he dreamed of working some day for a Japanese company to develop anime-related games.
José had a profound and vivid imagination. He spent time every week writing fantasy fiction in various formats, and he loved to spin complex narratives with wild plot lines. He had a particular fascination with fantasy creatures, especially dragons, and he identified closely with them. He typically remembered his dreams, and would love to recount them in detail to his family in the morning.
José is survived by his parents, Sam and Craig, his brothers Jacob and Charlie, his aunt Pamela Jacobs, and many other aunts, uncles and cousins. He was predeceased by his birth parents, Rudi Garcia and Traci Rock.
A memorial service and celebration of José's life will be held on Saturday, January 20 at 1:00 p.m. at College St. Congregational Church in Burlington, Vermont. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Howard Center. José was truly a light in this world, and we will deeply miss his love, imagination, humor and passion.
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