Joe L. Carney

Joseph Lloyd Carney, “Joe” was born on April 13, 1930 in Emmetsburg Iowa to Ramona (Younggreen) Carney and William Joseph Carney.

In his early years Joe grew up on his grandparents farm a few miles outside of town in rural Emmetsburg with his parents and younger brother Vincent. His grandparents were W.T. and Agnes Carney.

Joe was six years old when his father passed away suddenly from a heart attack at age 33. Afterward his mother and her boys moved into town and she supported them by working at a nearby Catholic church, cooking for the nuns while also relying on charity.

Joe was interested in music and science but was frustrated he could not study these subjects at the Catholic high school. Eventually his mother allowed him to attend the public high school and he played clarinet in the band.

From 1952 to 1954 Joe served in the Army as a chaplains assistant during the Korean War. Being a veteran brought him a great deal of pride. He also volunteered in the Army National Guard in Longmont.

Joe obtained a bachelors degree in teaching at the Iowa State Teachers College in 1954. While working as a mathematics and science teacher at Humboldt high school in Iowa, Joe met Rosemary “Rosie” Obermire at a new teachers get together where she taught physical education. They became friends and later married on June 4th 1958. Joe spent four consecutive summers obtaining a masters degree at Colorado State College in Greeley in 1959.

Joe and Rosie loved Colorado and chose to make a home in Longmont. Joe taught mathematics at Longmont high school on Main Street beginning in 1959, eventually becoming head counselor until his retirement in 1989 at the current Sunset street location. Joe and Rosie adopted and raised four children; Dennis, Alicia, Robert and Kathleen who all attended Longmont high school.

Joe was a very kind hearted, empathetic man and was beloved to many students and staff. Many former students recognized him in town and at reunions over the years. He very much enjoyed hearing their stories of how he had helped them begin their careers or paths in life and was so happy and proud to have helped thousands of young people.

Joe still liked working after retiring and had an assortment of jobs he enjoyed. He and Rosie had an Amway business among other odd jobs. He also worked as a model for JR images in Denver and had a few small roles as a featured model and/or extra on the sets of the Perry Mason Show and The Father Dowling Mysteries television series that were filmed in Denver.

Joe had wanted to be a pilot early in life but was told he could not due to needing corrective glasses. However he never lost the desire to fly and began taking flying lessons in his 70’s and learned to fly. He very much enjoyed his flying hobby.

He and Rosie loved traveling and took their family on month long driving trips most summers. They travelled almost the entire United States in a big light blue Plymouth Fury III station wagon named Bessie and a cab style motor home in later years. He also did a lot of camping, skiing and hiking in the mountains.

He and Rosie never stopped traveling and enjoyed dozens of cruises all over the world beginning with passage from England to New York on the Queen Elizabeth II ocean liner in the early 1980’s They graciously took their family along with them on cruises to the Caribbean and Alaska providing trips and memories to last a lifetime.

In later years Joe and Rosie sold the home they had built and lived in for over 55 years right near Longmont high school and Loomiller park. In 2017 they moved to Loveland until Rosie’s passing in 2022 after 64 years of marriage. Joe moved back to Longmont and lived in an independent senior apartment.

He is preceded in death by his mother Ramona and father William of Iowa, brother Vincent of Minnesota, wife Rosie of Longmont and his son Robert of Ft. Collins Colorado.

He is survived by his children son Dennis Carney and wife Veronique of Louisville CO, daughter Alicia Sempek and husband Jeff of Siloam Springs AK and daughter Kathleen McCall of Lyons CO. His grandchildren include David and Juliette Carney, Isaac Fults, Kayleigh Stahl and husband Aaron, Chaya Fults, Michal Fults and Shahnee Fults, Piper McCall and husband Kaelan Moistner, Brenna McCall and Ava McCall. He also had several great grandchildren.

Joe will be dearly missed by family and friends and the many lives he touched in the Longmont community.