Joseph Alfred Procino

Born on November 30, 1928, the fourth child of parents Frank and Celie, Joseph, known to his family and friends as Joe, grew up in a predominantly Italian neighborhood in South Philadelphia. Growing up through the Great Depression left an indelible impact on Joseph’s life and character; he appreciated the little things in life and had great empathy for other people. Joseph graduated from South Philadelphia High School for Boys in 1946 and was recruited for the Chicago Cubs Major League Baseball Team. Joseph chose a different path, to pursue his education at Temple University, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Education and a minor in Social Studies. After graduation, Joseph taught in Philadelphia for a short time until he was drafted in the Army during the time of the Korean War where he served as a linguistics expert in Europe.

During Joseph’s time overseas, he corresponded with a girl in the neighborhood, Therese Oruska. When Joseph returned from the Korean War, he resumed his teaching career and asked Therese to marry him. They married on August 14, 1954 and moved into their home in South Philadelphia. These were very happy times for Joseph and Therese, as they welcomed their first child Janet Katherine and their second child, Lisa Gabrielle.

After teaching for several years at John Bartram High School in Philadelphia, an opportunity presented itself at the prestigious Abington High School in Abington, PA. While teaching and raising a family of three children (also welcomed David) in Northeast Philadelphia, Joseph continued his education part time by earning two Master’s degrees, one in Education and one in Spanish. Joseph subsequently became the Language Department chair at Abington High School North Campus, where he spent the better part of his career. An excellent teacher and easily likeable guy, Joseph had encounters with admiring former students on a consistent basis.

Joseph had a life-long love of baseball. He also loved to read, travel and was an avid gardener. Joseph loved all animals, especially his pet cats and was a wonderful storyteller.

Joseph was preceded in death by his parents (Frank and Celie), his brother Anthony and his sisters: Rose, Eleanor, Dorothy and Peggy.

Joseph is survived by Therese, his wife of 68 years and children: Janet, Lisa and David and his grandchildren: Kurt, Mike, Erik and Maura.

A funeral service, and interment will be held at Oakland Cemetery (Adams Ave & Ramona Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19124) on Tuesday, May 9, 2023 at 2:00pm.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the following:

Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) https://phillypaws.org/donate/

Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (TASK) https://task.charityproud.org/Donate/?cid=756.