Joseph James Healey

Born and raised in Reading, Massachusetts, Joe was the eldest of four children born to Louise Healey and the late Joe Healey. Growing up, he embraced the role as the eldest brother of his three siblings.

Joe’s life was deeply rooted in his Catholic faith and an unwavering commitment to family, starting when he met the love of his life, Kathy, while working together at Star Market. She was a senior in high school and he was a sophomore in college. After getting engaged, Joe moved to Hollywood, Florida, to begin what would become a distinguished 27-year career with the Hollywood Police Department. In May 1986, Joe and Kathy officially began their married life together when she joined him in Florida. Together, they built a beautiful life anchored by shared love and dedication, where he served the community faithfully until his police retirement in 2012.

Never one to sit still for long, Joe’s strong work ethic led him to embark on a second career after relocating to North Carolina. He joined the State of North Carolina in Human Resources for the Department of Juvenile Justice, continuing his lifelong commitment to public service and helping others. His love for helping others extended to his membership in the Knights of Columbus, where he served as the director of the LAMB Foundation. In this role, Joe was dedicated to serving special needs children and adults in his community.

Joe possessed a great sense of humor and a genuine love for talking to people. He was the kind of person who could strike up a conversation with anyone and leave them smiling. While Joe was dedicated to his work, his greatest joy was always his family. He was a passionate Boston sports fan, but nothing matched his pride in being a dad and “Papa”. He channeled his love for sports into his family, serving as a devoted baseball coach for his son, Danny, over many memorable seasons. His favorite times were those spent with his wife, sons, grandson, and entire family. Joe also had a lifelong love for dogs and had a special bond with his dog, Charlie.

Joe is survived by his beloved wife of 40 years, Kathy; his two sons, Joe and Danny, and their spouses, Venn and Haley; his grandson, Joey; his mother, Louise Healey; his brother, Gerald, and two sisters, Maureen and Paula, and their husbands, Bob and Mike; his nieces and nephews, Emma and her husband, Evan, Miranda and her husband, Vinny, Erin, Patrick, Matthew, Evan; his great nephew, Bennett; and a large network of friends, colleagues, and extended family members who will miss him deeply.

He was preceded in death by his father, Joe “Buddy” Healey.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Joe's name to The LAMB Foundation of NC, a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting those with intellectual disabilities at https://www.lambnc.org/donate/, or Peak Lab Rescue in Apex, NC where Joe and Kathy adopted Charlie at https://www.peaklabrescue.com/donate-now.

Memorial tributes and messages of sympathy can be left by clicking the "Add a Memory" box below. Brown Wynne of Cary is honored to serve the Healey family.