John Joseph, 97
September 1, 1923 - September 01, 2020
John Joseph passed away on September first, his 97th birthday. He was born in Iraq, and was convinced as a young man that he wouldn’t make it beyond the age of 45, as so many people he knew in that time and place were taken by tuberculosis.
As a boy, he crossed the Tigris River every day to attend the American School for Boys, founded in Baghdad by a couple from Pennsylvania. In 1946, following in the footsteps of his headmaster, he landed at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster.
John started as a chemistry major, but since he was so often asked questions about his homeland and his Assyrian heritage that he couldn’t answer, he became interested in Middle Eastern history and eventually wrote three well-received books on the subject. After earning his doctorate at Princeton University, he taught in the F&M History Department for 27 years. One of John’s former students felt so grateful for his guidance and encouragement that he donated significant funds to have a building named after his favorite professor. The Joseph International Center is at 701 College Avenue and houses programs and activities with a global focus.
John’s wife Betty, children Paul, Larry, and Deena, along with their immediate and extended families, lovingly remember him as an easy-going gentle man with a great sense of humor and a positive attitude. They are grateful to Oak Leaf Manor North and to Grane Hospice for their recent care.
The celebration of life will be just for immediate family. In lieu of flowers, donations to the American Macular Degeneration Foundation at www.macular.org, or the American Civil Liberties Union at www.aclupa.org, would be appreciated.
September 1, 1923 - September 01, 2020
John Joseph passed away on September first, his 97th birthday. He was born in Iraq, and was convinced as a young man that he wouldn’t make it beyond the age of 45, as so many people he knew in that time and place were taken by tuberculosis.
As a boy, he crossed the Tigris River every day to attend the American School for Boys, founded in Baghdad by a couple from Pennsylvania. In 1946, following in the footsteps of his headmaster, he landed at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster.
John started as a chemistry major, but since he was so often asked questions about his homeland and his Assyrian heritage that he couldn’t answer, he became interested in Middle Eastern history and eventually wrote three well-received books on the subject. After earning his doctorate at Princeton University, he taught in the F&M History Department for 27 years. One of John’s former students felt so grateful for his guidance and encouragement that he donated significant funds to have a building named after his favorite professor. The Joseph International Center is at 701 College Avenue and houses programs and activities with a global focus.
John’s wife Betty, children Paul, Larry, and Deena, along with their immediate and extended families, lovingly remember him as an easy-going gentle man with a great sense of humor and a positive attitude. They are grateful to Oak Leaf Manor North and to Grane Hospice for their recent care.
The celebration of life will be just for immediate family. In lieu of flowers, donations to the American Macular Degeneration Foundation at www.macular.org, or the American Civil Liberties Union at www.aclupa.org, would be appreciated.
John Joseph, 97
September 1, 1923 - September 01, 2020
John Joseph passed away on September first, his 97th birthday. He was born in Iraq, and was convinced as a young man that he wouldn’t make it beyond the age of 45, as so many people he knew in that time and place were taken by tuberculosis.
As a boy, he crossed the Tigris River every day to attend the American School for Boys, founded in Baghdad by a couple from Pennsylvania. In 1946, following in the footsteps of his headmaster, he landed at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster.
John started as a chemistry major, but since he was so often asked questions about his homeland and his Assyrian heritage that he couldn’t answer, he became interested in Middle Eastern history and eventually wrote three well-received books on the subject. After earning his doctorate at Princeton University, he taught in the F&M History Department for 27 years. One of John’s former students felt so grateful for his guidance and encouragement that he donated significant funds to have a building named after his favorite professor. The Joseph International Center is at 701 College Avenue and houses programs and activities with a global focus.
John’s wife Betty, children Paul, Larry, and Deena, along with their immediate and extended families, lovingly remember him as an easy-going gentle man with a great sense of humor and a positive attitude. They are grateful to Oak Leaf Manor North and to Grane Hospice for their recent care.
The celebration of life will be just for immediate family. In lieu of flowers, donations to the American Macular Degeneration Foundation at www.macular.org, or the American Civil Liberties Union at www.aclupa.org, would be appreciated.
September 1, 1923 - September 01, 2020
John Joseph passed away on September first, his 97th birthday. He was born in Iraq, and was convinced as a young man that he wouldn’t make it beyond the age of 45, as so many people he knew in that time and place were taken by tuberculosis.
As a boy, he crossed the Tigris River every day to attend the American School for Boys, founded in Baghdad by a couple from Pennsylvania. In 1946, following in the footsteps of his headmaster, he landed at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster.
John started as a chemistry major, but since he was so often asked questions about his homeland and his Assyrian heritage that he couldn’t answer, he became interested in Middle Eastern history and eventually wrote three well-received books on the subject. After earning his doctorate at Princeton University, he taught in the F&M History Department for 27 years. One of John’s former students felt so grateful for his guidance and encouragement that he donated significant funds to have a building named after his favorite professor. The Joseph International Center is at 701 College Avenue and houses programs and activities with a global focus.
John’s wife Betty, children Paul, Larry, and Deena, along with their immediate and extended families, lovingly remember him as an easy-going gentle man with a great sense of humor and a positive attitude. They are grateful to Oak Leaf Manor North and to Grane Hospice for their recent care.
The celebration of life will be just for immediate family. In lieu of flowers, donations to the American Macular Degeneration Foundation at www.macular.org, or the American Civil Liberties Union at www.aclupa.org, would be appreciated.
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