Joseph Daniel Pace, Sr.
August 12, 2019
Joseph Daniel Pace Sr., 95, of Roanoke, Va., passed away on Monday, August 12, 2019, at Lewis Gale Medical Center. He is now reunited with his beloved wife, June, in Heaven.
He was born in North Carolina and his family then moved to Roanoke. His family and close friends came to call him “Buddy” and that nickname stuck through his entire life. Buddy attended Jefferson High School in Roanoke and was drafted into the United States Army early in 1943. At the indoctrination center, the sergeant asked if anyone wanted to volunteer for extra hazardous duty in a new unit called Airborne, dad ignored the offer until it was mentioned that he could earn an extra $50 per month jump pay, then he raised his hand. Buddy went to basic training at Fort Lee in Virginia, the Second Battalion, Headquarters Company of the 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment. His unit was shipped to the South Pacific and as part of General Douglas McArthur’s island-hopping campaign against the Japanese, he saw combat action in the jungles of the Dutch New Guinea Islands of Biak, Noemfor and Hollandia. Next came liberation of the Philippines with combat action on Mindoro, Leyte and Corregidor. It was on Corregidor (The Rock) as the troops called it, after his parachute landing, that he was severely wounded by Japanese gunfire and was shipped home for recovery. Buddy was awarded the Purple Heart and three Bronze Stars for his actions. During rehabilitation at Greenbrier in West Virginia, he had the opportunity to meet the great golfer, Sam Snead, who made frequent trips there to meet with the wounded troops and it was there that Buddy developed an interest in golf. Once he returned to Roanoke, Buddy landed a job as a payroll clerk at the Veterans Administration where he met his future wife, June. After a short stint at the Veterans Administration, Buddy changed to the Railroad Retirement Board as a Field Agent and Investigator, where he remained until retirement. The apple of his eye was always his granddaughter, Leigh Ann, who had the opportunity to spend a few hours each day with him after elementary and middle school until her parents could pick her up after work, she cherished that time with her grandpaw.
Buddy was predeceased by his father, Maudie David Pace; his mother, Geneva Strickland Pace; his beloved wife, June Keeney Pace; a brother, Jack Pace; and a sister, Eva Pace Meador.
He is survived by his sister, Dorothy (Dot) P. Sink; son, Joseph Daniel Pace Jr. and his wife, Page E. Pace; granddaughter, Leigh Ann Nabers and her husband, Jamie Nabers; great-granddaughter, Isabel Page Nabers; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.
Buddy was a Deacon Emeritus at Cave Spring Baptist Church and a member of the Masonic Lodge Lakeland 190. He could talk your ear off if he had the chance and maintained his independence until he was 91. Buddy was stubborn to a fault but never gave up. This was something he said that he learned from his time in combat during World War II. Buddy was a caring, loving father and grandfather and will be missed by all who knew him.
The family wishes to express their sincere appreciation to the staff at South Roanoke Nursing Home where Buddy spent two years and to the staff of 2 East at the Virginia Veterans Care Center where he spent the last year and one half.
The family will receive friends from 2 until 4 p.m. on Sunday, August 18, 2019, at Oakey’s South Chapel, 4257 Brambleton Ave., Roanoke. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the American Heart Association in his honor.
Source: Oakey’s Funeral Home Online
August 12, 2019
Joseph Daniel Pace Sr., 95, of Roanoke, Va., passed away on Monday, August 12, 2019, at Lewis Gale Medical Center. He is now reunited with his beloved wife, June, in Heaven.
He was born in North Carolina and his family then moved to Roanoke. His family and close friends came to call him “Buddy” and that nickname stuck through his entire life. Buddy attended Jefferson High School in Roanoke and was drafted into the United States Army early in 1943. At the indoctrination center, the sergeant asked if anyone wanted to volunteer for extra hazardous duty in a new unit called Airborne, dad ignored the offer until it was mentioned that he could earn an extra $50 per month jump pay, then he raised his hand. Buddy went to basic training at Fort Lee in Virginia, the Second Battalion, Headquarters Company of the 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment. His unit was shipped to the South Pacific and as part of General Douglas McArthur’s island-hopping campaign against the Japanese, he saw combat action in the jungles of the Dutch New Guinea Islands of Biak, Noemfor and Hollandia. Next came liberation of the Philippines with combat action on Mindoro, Leyte and Corregidor. It was on Corregidor (The Rock) as the troops called it, after his parachute landing, that he was severely wounded by Japanese gunfire and was shipped home for recovery. Buddy was awarded the Purple Heart and three Bronze Stars for his actions. During rehabilitation at Greenbrier in West Virginia, he had the opportunity to meet the great golfer, Sam Snead, who made frequent trips there to meet with the wounded troops and it was there that Buddy developed an interest in golf. Once he returned to Roanoke, Buddy landed a job as a payroll clerk at the Veterans Administration where he met his future wife, June. After a short stint at the Veterans Administration, Buddy changed to the Railroad Retirement Board as a Field Agent and Investigator, where he remained until retirement. The apple of his eye was always his granddaughter, Leigh Ann, who had the opportunity to spend a few hours each day with him after elementary and middle school until her parents could pick her up after work, she cherished that time with her grandpaw.
Buddy was predeceased by his father, Maudie David Pace; his mother, Geneva Strickland Pace; his beloved wife, June Keeney Pace; a brother, Jack Pace; and a sister, Eva Pace Meador.
He is survived by his sister, Dorothy (Dot) P. Sink; son, Joseph Daniel Pace Jr. and his wife, Page E. Pace; granddaughter, Leigh Ann Nabers and her husband, Jamie Nabers; great-granddaughter, Isabel Page Nabers; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.
Buddy was a Deacon Emeritus at Cave Spring Baptist Church and a member of the Masonic Lodge Lakeland 190. He could talk your ear off if he had the chance and maintained his independence until he was 91. Buddy was stubborn to a fault but never gave up. This was something he said that he learned from his time in combat during World War II. Buddy was a caring, loving father and grandfather and will be missed by all who knew him.
The family wishes to express their sincere appreciation to the staff at South Roanoke Nursing Home where Buddy spent two years and to the staff of 2 East at the Virginia Veterans Care Center where he spent the last year and one half.
The family will receive friends from 2 until 4 p.m. on Sunday, August 18, 2019, at Oakey’s South Chapel, 4257 Brambleton Ave., Roanoke. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the American Heart Association in his honor.
Source: Oakey’s Funeral Home Online
Joseph Daniel Pace, Sr.
August 12, 2019
Joseph Daniel Pace Sr., 95, of Roanoke, Va., passed away on Monday, August 12, 2019, at Lewis Gale Medical Center. He is now reunited with his beloved wife, June, in Heaven.
He was born in North Carolina and his family then moved to Roanoke. His family and close friends came to call him “Buddy” and that nickname stuck through his entire life. Buddy attended Jefferson High School in Roanoke and was drafted into the United States Army early in 1943. At the indoctrination center, the sergeant asked if anyone wanted to volunteer for extra hazardous duty in a new unit called Airborne, dad ignored the offer until it was mentioned that he could earn an extra $50 per month jump pay, then he raised his hand. Buddy went to basic training at Fort Lee in Virginia, the Second Battalion, Headquarters Company of the 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment. His unit was shipped to the South Pacific and as part of General Douglas McArthur’s island-hopping campaign against the Japanese, he saw combat action in the jungles of the Dutch New Guinea Islands of Biak, Noemfor and Hollandia. Next came liberation of the Philippines with combat action on Mindoro, Leyte and Corregidor. It was on Corregidor (The Rock) as the troops called it, after his parachute landing, that he was severely wounded by Japanese gunfire and was shipped home for recovery. Buddy was awarded the Purple Heart and three Bronze Stars for his actions. During rehabilitation at Greenbrier in West Virginia, he had the opportunity to meet the great golfer, Sam Snead, who made frequent trips there to meet with the wounded troops and it was there that Buddy developed an interest in golf. Once he returned to Roanoke, Buddy landed a job as a payroll clerk at the Veterans Administration where he met his future wife, June. After a short stint at the Veterans Administration, Buddy changed to the Railroad Retirement Board as a Field Agent and Investigator, where he remained until retirement. The apple of his eye was always his granddaughter, Leigh Ann, who had the opportunity to spend a few hours each day with him after elementary and middle school until her parents could pick her up after work, she cherished that time with her grandpaw.
Buddy was predeceased by his father, Maudie David Pace; his mother, Geneva Strickland Pace; his beloved wife, June Keeney Pace; a brother, Jack Pace; and a sister, Eva Pace Meador.
He is survived by his sister, Dorothy (Dot) P. Sink; son, Joseph Daniel Pace Jr. and his wife, Page E. Pace; granddaughter, Leigh Ann Nabers and her husband, Jamie Nabers; great-granddaughter, Isabel Page Nabers; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.
Buddy was a Deacon Emeritus at Cave Spring Baptist Church and a member of the Masonic Lodge Lakeland 190. He could talk your ear off if he had the chance and maintained his independence until he was 91. Buddy was stubborn to a fault but never gave up. This was something he said that he learned from his time in combat during World War II. Buddy was a caring, loving father and grandfather and will be missed by all who knew him.
The family wishes to express their sincere appreciation to the staff at South Roanoke Nursing Home where Buddy spent two years and to the staff of 2 East at the Virginia Veterans Care Center where he spent the last year and one half.
The family will receive friends from 2 until 4 p.m. on Sunday, August 18, 2019, at Oakey’s South Chapel, 4257 Brambleton Ave., Roanoke. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the American Heart Association in his honor.
Source: Oakey’s Funeral Home Online
August 12, 2019
Joseph Daniel Pace Sr., 95, of Roanoke, Va., passed away on Monday, August 12, 2019, at Lewis Gale Medical Center. He is now reunited with his beloved wife, June, in Heaven.
He was born in North Carolina and his family then moved to Roanoke. His family and close friends came to call him “Buddy” and that nickname stuck through his entire life. Buddy attended Jefferson High School in Roanoke and was drafted into the United States Army early in 1943. At the indoctrination center, the sergeant asked if anyone wanted to volunteer for extra hazardous duty in a new unit called Airborne, dad ignored the offer until it was mentioned that he could earn an extra $50 per month jump pay, then he raised his hand. Buddy went to basic training at Fort Lee in Virginia, the Second Battalion, Headquarters Company of the 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment. His unit was shipped to the South Pacific and as part of General Douglas McArthur’s island-hopping campaign against the Japanese, he saw combat action in the jungles of the Dutch New Guinea Islands of Biak, Noemfor and Hollandia. Next came liberation of the Philippines with combat action on Mindoro, Leyte and Corregidor. It was on Corregidor (The Rock) as the troops called it, after his parachute landing, that he was severely wounded by Japanese gunfire and was shipped home for recovery. Buddy was awarded the Purple Heart and three Bronze Stars for his actions. During rehabilitation at Greenbrier in West Virginia, he had the opportunity to meet the great golfer, Sam Snead, who made frequent trips there to meet with the wounded troops and it was there that Buddy developed an interest in golf. Once he returned to Roanoke, Buddy landed a job as a payroll clerk at the Veterans Administration where he met his future wife, June. After a short stint at the Veterans Administration, Buddy changed to the Railroad Retirement Board as a Field Agent and Investigator, where he remained until retirement. The apple of his eye was always his granddaughter, Leigh Ann, who had the opportunity to spend a few hours each day with him after elementary and middle school until her parents could pick her up after work, she cherished that time with her grandpaw.
Buddy was predeceased by his father, Maudie David Pace; his mother, Geneva Strickland Pace; his beloved wife, June Keeney Pace; a brother, Jack Pace; and a sister, Eva Pace Meador.
He is survived by his sister, Dorothy (Dot) P. Sink; son, Joseph Daniel Pace Jr. and his wife, Page E. Pace; granddaughter, Leigh Ann Nabers and her husband, Jamie Nabers; great-granddaughter, Isabel Page Nabers; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.
Buddy was a Deacon Emeritus at Cave Spring Baptist Church and a member of the Masonic Lodge Lakeland 190. He could talk your ear off if he had the chance and maintained his independence until he was 91. Buddy was stubborn to a fault but never gave up. This was something he said that he learned from his time in combat during World War II. Buddy was a caring, loving father and grandfather and will be missed by all who knew him.
The family wishes to express their sincere appreciation to the staff at South Roanoke Nursing Home where Buddy spent two years and to the staff of 2 East at the Virginia Veterans Care Center where he spent the last year and one half.
The family will receive friends from 2 until 4 p.m. on Sunday, August 18, 2019, at Oakey’s South Chapel, 4257 Brambleton Ave., Roanoke. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the American Heart Association in his honor.
Source: Oakey’s Funeral Home Online
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