September 18 2024 - 2:00 pm Temple Sinai Memorial Park
7740 Saltsburg Road, Plum Boro PA, 15239
On September 15, 2024, at the age of 101, of Penn Hills and Monroeville. Devoted husband of the late Margit Seidel and father of Mim (David Blaushild) Seidel of Pittsburgh, Deborah (Iliff McMahan) Seidel of Nashville and Elizabeth Shiller of Philadelphia. Loving grandfather of Naomi (Michael Czajkowski) Blaushild, Daniel Blaushild, Sarah Karpeles, Arden and Makenzie Shiller. Joseph was also a loving uncle and great-uncle. Joseph was born on March 13, 1923 in Baltimore, MD. At the age of 7 he and his father and grandmother moved to Jerusalem. At the age of 14 he joined the Jr. Haganah, a Jewish Defense Force of Palestine. In 1940, he returned to the US alone to complete his last year of high school in Philadelphia. This was a harrowing 75 day bus, train, and boat journey 'around the world' as it was impossible to cross the Atlantic given the German U-boats that lay in wait for ships. Joseph was interested in mechanical engineering and worked in a machine shop. In 1942, he enlisted in the US Armed Forces, serving for four years in the 69th Infantry Division and saw active combat in Belgium and Germany. Joseph trained gunners and carried a 42 pound mortar on his back. After his honorable discharge in 1946, he attended Alfred University on the GI Bill and graduated in 1950 with a degree in Ceramic Engineering. Joseph spent the next 2 years as a ceramic specialist for the State of Israel. Joseph met Margit in Los Angeles on a blind date set up by Joseph's mother. They married six months later, in 1954, and moved to Lancaster for his job with RCA. By 1958, they were happily living on Princeton Drive in the Eastmont section of Penn Hills, where they made many dear friends. Joseph and Margit raised their three daughters and welcomed five grandchildren to this home of 60 years. Joseph worked for Westinghouse in Churchill for 29 years and received 16 US patents. They were longtime members of Temple David in Monroeville where they again made good friends. We especially want to acknowledge Marsha and Randy Boswell, wonderful friends who played Scrabble with both Margit and Joseph and then Joseph alone on a weekly basis. Their last scrabble game was August 28. We also want to acknowledge and thank Kelly and Bob Rizzo who supported Joseph over the years in many ways - on Princeton Drive and then in his senior living space. A 2PM graveside service will be held on September 18, 2024 at Temple Sinai Memorial Park in Plum. Contributions in Joseph's memory can be made by planting a tree in Israel through the Jewish National Fund (jnf.org) or to a charity of the donor's choice. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. www.Schugar.com
