Joseph E. Kielec

Joseph Eugene Kielec was born on October 6, 1942, to Joseph Walter Kielec and Anna (Piekunka) Kielec in Greenfield, MA. Joseph graduated from Northampton High School and attended the University of Massachusetts graduating in 1965 with a degree of Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering.

He joined the General Electric Company,Training Program, where he ultimately wound up in Philadelphia in manufacturing management. Fortuitously, his manager at the time took him aside and advised him to apply to the University of Pennsylvania which was down the street and wrote a terrific letter of recommendation.

On Valentine’s Day, Joseph met Carolyn Bridy, his soulmate and life-partner and they were married in August.

Joseph graduated from the Wharton Graduate Division of the University of Pennsylvania with a Masters Degree in Management Information and Finance in May 1972, he also served as a Wharton-White House Intern in Washington D.C. This was followed by an exciting and productive career with Johnson & Johnson in NJ, MN, and Switzerland, (where he served as President of the last of the twenty companies that he worked on founding).

Joseph was active in his community and served as a Cubmaster for the local Pack in New Jersey. He was also active in the church assisting with readings, serving as a eucharistic minister, and jumping in wherever needed.

Following his retirement, Joseph and Carolyn returned “home” to Western Massachusetts to help his parents and joined the Northampton Lions Club serving as project manager for each of the group’s fund-raising activities, as “King Lion” and earning the club’s Melvin Jones award for “Outstanding Community Service.”

Joseph also began researching his Polish family history and was able to trace his family roots in Poland to the late 18th century and build an extensive family tree. Having learned how to navigate the many tools available to genealogy researchers, he undertook reorganization of the Genealogy Research Room at the Polish Center of Discovery and Learning in Chicopee and organized a weekly “open house” to help people get started in searching for their Polish roots.

Joseph is survived by Carolyn, his wife of 54 years, his sons, Matthew (Stacey), Peter (Jamie), and Joseph (Kitty Wu) and his daughter Elizabeth (Doug) and their children Hannah, Emily, Samantha, and Phoebe. He was predeceased by his grandson, Ethan James Kielec and his sister Patricia Malatinsky.

His funeral will be held Friday, June 27, 2025, from the Waring-Sullivan Home at Birchcrest, 189 Gardners Neck Road, Swansea followed by a Funeral Mass at 11:00 AM at St. Francis of Assisi Church, Gardners Neck Road, Swansea. Relatives and friends are invited. His visitation will be held Friday from 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM, prior to Mass. Burial will be in Notre Dame Cemetery, Fall River.

In lieu of flowers, please consider sending a donation to St. Dominic’s Parish, PO Box 205, Swansea, MA 02777-4212 with a memo of “In memory of Joseph E. Kielec” or consider a donation to the local scouting unit, Narragansett Council, via their James E West Endowment as a tribute gift in memory of his grandson Ethan Kielec, https://donations.scouting.org/#/council/546/appeal/5853.