Joseph "Joe" M. Strocen

Joseph Michael Strocen, age 83, passed away peacefully at home on May 1, 2026. He was a long-time resident of Jamison, Pennsylvania for 35 years. He previously resided in Levittown, PA for 22 years, three years in Horsham, PA, and 22 years in Philadelphia, PA.

Joe was born in Philadelphia, to parents, Francis and Elizabeth Strocen. He graduated from high school in 1960. After working in his older brother’s butcher shop, Joe went on to establish a career as a butcher, working for Pathmark for over 40 years. In addition, Joe was a member of the Local 56 Meat Union.

As a lifelong resident of Pennsylvania, he thoroughly enjoyed watching the Phillies since he was a kid, and he would listen to the games outside of Connie Mack Stadium. He would tell stories of collecting bottles and cans as a kid, walking along the train tracks collecting coal in a bucket for the household furnace. Joe used to make trips on Saturdays to help the next-door neighbor deliver dry cleaning. He spoke about working on his aunt and uncle's farm growing up. Joe grew up in Port Richmond. He loved his kielbasa, pierogies and golumpkies.

When he was 20 years old, he went on a blind date. He then went on to marry that blind date two years later and together they had two children. Joe remained married to Theresa for 61 years.

As he got older, Joe was an avid sportsman. He enjoyed hunting and fishing. “Have fishing pole will travel.” He enjoyed surf fishing and going out on fishing trips out of New Jersey and New York in search of Blue Fish and Flounder. He would take his girls crabbing down the shore. When it rained, he would hand his girls coffee cans to pick up worms outside to have bait for fishing, He was a big kid at heart and was always joking around. He would make his own homemade sausage and kielbasa. During deer season, he would share venison with family and friends. Then summer would roll around, and his garden would runneth over… Time to deliver tomatoes and zucchini to everyone.

As a grandfather he became a loyal football fan starting with Archbishop Wood Vikings, Penn State Nittany Lions, Philadelphia Eagles, Buffalo Bills, and the Chicago Bears. Joe loved making sports related scrapbooks. He loved playing board games and marathon rounds of Monopoly with the grandkids and more recently playing UNO. Joe was a long-time member of the Warwick Firehouse Auxiliary helping with Weddings, Beef & Beers, and Pancake Breakfasts.

Joe was a kind, loving husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend. He would give you the shirt off his back. Always there to lend a hand to anyone in need. “Charity begins at home. You always look out for each other.”

Joe was as strong as an ox. He fought long and hard - battling kidney cancer, lung cancer, and the one that he battled the hardest was metastatic brain cancer. The last two years were not easy, but we were blessed to have him as long as we did. Heaven just got a little brighter.

Joseph Michael Strocen was preceded in death by his father, Francis J. Strocen; his mother, Elizabeth Cook (née Klinger) Strocen; his brother, Francis Strocen; and his brother, Leon Strocen.

He leaves behind his wife, Theresa Anne Strocen (née Ford); his daughters, Theresa A. Strocen-Bates (Norm Bates, Jr.) and Michele Strocen Hertz (Keith); six grandchildren, Patrick Hastings, Sean Hastings (Lauren), Ryan Bates, Anna (née Bates) Maldonado (Ricardo), Kelly Hastings, and Evan Hastings; and one great grandchild Isabella Maldonado, his sister, Elizabeth (née Strocen) Romett. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend his visitation which will be held on Sunday, May 17, 2026, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at Wm. Rowen Grant Funeral Home, 659 Street Road, Southampton, PA 18966. A second visitation will be held on Monday, May 18, 2026, from 10:30 am to 11:00 am at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church, 611 Knowles Ave, Southampton, PA 18966. Followed by the funeral mass at 11:00 am. Burial will take place at 12:45 pm at Resurrection Cemetery, located at 5201 Hulmeville Rd, Bensalem, PA 19020.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the American Cancer Society at https://donate.cancer.org/