Joseph F. Petrie

Joseph F. Petrie
May 12, 1939 - January 4, 2025

On Saturday morning, January 4, 2025, Joe Petrie let go of the life he loved so much. Ellen, Joe’s loving wife of sixty-two years, sat by his side, holding his hand, recounting all the wonderful memories they made as he traveled to the pearly gates. Beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, uncle, godfather, professor, teacher, colleague, genealogist, and friend to countless people across the United States and Canada, Joe led a full life. Education, hard work and family were all so important to him.

Joe graduated from St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Jamaica Plain in 1957, where he met Ellen at a school dance. He then attended Saint Anselm’s College in Manchester, New Hampshire, often hitchhiking home on weekends to see Ellen. At Saint Anselm’s, he founded the King Edward Society, which is a college-recognized community service organization that continues to this day. After graduating in 1961, he continued his studies at Boston College, completing all of the coursework for a PhD in economics. The demands of his growing family derailed his work on his dissertation. In his retirement, he finally became a college professor, teaching computer science at Mass Bay Community College.

Joe worked many jobs in his life, starting out with helping his father, Leo, at Zeigler’s Market in East Dedham Square. He was an altar boy, a cashier at a racetrack, a starter at a golf course, and a worker bee at a candy factory. He joined the federal government early in the information age, where his keen sense of detail helped him oversee the development of the computer databases used to keep commuter rail systems and air travel safer. He retired from the Department of Transportation with thirty-five years of service under his belt, numerous awards on his mantle, and countless friendships that he would maintain for the rest of his life.

Family was important to Joe starting at an early age. He grew up in the Oakdale neighborhood of Dedham, Massachusetts, where his mother, Ethel, kept the door to their house on Fairview Street open to family from far and wide. Joe was the youngest of four children. Joe regularly recounted his older brother Leo’s and Chuck’s escapades around town (their brother Edward died in infancy). The family regularly traveled to visit both his parents’ families in Nova Scotia, Canada, and those families were regular visitors to Dedham. Joe maintained the Massachusetts/Nova Scotia exchange, taking numerous trips and hosting many visitors over the years. In his later life, he became a genealogist, tracing his family roots from his beloved Cape Breton through Newfoundland to France in the 1400s. He taught genealogy at local libraries and the Irish Cultural Center in Canton, Massachusetts.

Joe was incredibly proud of each of his adult children in his life. If Jay, Chris, or David was with him when he came across an old or new friend, Joe would immediately and wholeheartedly introduce the person to “my son” before listing off any number of that offspring’s recent accomplishments. And while he only had sons, that made the women his sons brought into the family that much more special, and he especially loved them for the grandchildren they gave him. This includes Sue and her children Lisa and Amy; Christine and her children Sara and Lindsey; Lauren and her children Noa, Jonah, Eliya, and Bobby; and Julia and her son Hugo. Joe’s granddaughter Noa blessed him with two great grandchildren, Elizabeth and Tom.

Ellen was the most important thing in Joe’s world. He doted on Ellen over the course of their sixty-two-year marriage, carefully picking out flowers, jewelry, and cards for birthdays, anniversaries, and other life events. His cards always included a heartfelt, romantic note. After raising their children, Joe and Ellen travelled the world together. While his children poked fun at the detailed itineraries Joe would send before each trip, the emails chronicled travels to magical national parks, distant Canadian provinces, and far-away countries that Joe and Ellen had only dreamed of ever visiting.

Joe and Ellen deeply loved each other and were best friends and the best companions, especially as health issues and the pandemic limited their adventures. A week before Joe died, he asked Ellen if she would marry him again, and she said yes. Ellen will miss Joe dearly for the rest of her life.

Joe is survived by his wife, Ellen, his brother, Charles (Chuck), his sons Joseph Jr. (Jay), Chris, Brian, and David, fourteen grandchildren, two great grandchildren, nine nieces and nephews, and countless cousins, most of whom Joe knew by first name. Jill Petrovick, daughter of Joe and Ellen’s closest friends, was like a daughter to Joe and Ellen and provided constant support through these past years.

Following Joe’s strong belief in his Catholic faith, a funeral Mass will be held at 10:30am on Thursday, January 16 at Saint Mary’s Catholic Church in East Walpole, Massachusetts. A luncheon will follow at the Old Colonial Cafe in Norwood Center.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Saint Anselm’s College at www.anselm.edu/donate where gifts can be designated for the King Edward Society.