Joseph Normand Robitaille

​Joe was a man who deeply loved his family, and one of his great passions in life was genealogy. If anyone ever wanted to know the history of the Robitaille, Criswell, Copeland or any other branch of the family tree, Joe had it recorded, printed, and organized in notebooks. He made sure the story of his family would never be forgotten.

Until Joe breathed his last in the early morning hours of March 6, 2026, he was blessed to see five generations of his family.

​

​Joe was part of the first generation with his siblings. He had one sister who survives him, Carol Lord. Two brothers preceded him in death, Henry and Paul.

The second generation was Joe’s children: Lionel Robitaille and June, Sylvianne Ritchie and her husband Burnie, and Danny Robitaille and his wife Tracie.

In 1986, Joe married Willie Mac. In just a few months they would have celebrated 40 years of marriage together. When Joe and Mac married, their families blended and grew. Joe welcomed Mac’s children into his life: Robert Copeland and his wife Renea, Cindy Coker and her husband Jason, and Jeff Copeland and his wife Monica.

The third generation was the grandchildren, and that is where the family tree began to blossom:

Tessa Reid and her husband Joey, Jesse Robitaille and his wife Megan, Amber Sims and her husband Tyler, Caitlin Henning and her husband Corey, Chris Copeland and his wife Maureen, Faith Neese and her husband Bradley, Brooke Ward and her husband Brandon, Lindsay Grissom and her husband Michael, Jared Coker, Anna Marie Copeland, Tyler Copeland and his wife Allison, and Alexis Copeland.

The fourth generation included the great-grandchildren:

Bradley Sims, Landon Sims, Alexa Reid, Ava Reid, Nolan Henning, Roxanne Henning, Mady Copeland, Connor Copeland, Bentley Skinner, Beckham Skinner, Olivia Neese, Owen Neese, Brenna Ward, Elena Copeland, and Brooks Grissom.

And Joe even had the joy of seeing the fifth generation of his family — his great-great-grandchild, Amelia Sims.

Joe’s life built a family tree that continued to grow and flourish, and he was an incredible blessing to every branch of that tree.

Joe raised his children while faithfully serving his country in the United States Air Force. He served for 27 years, eventually retiring as a Senior Master Sergeant. During those years, Joe and his family traveled throughout the world, experiencing different cultures and places while he served his nation. Joe had a remarkable gift for languages. He spoke three languages fluently and could get around in as many as five.

After retiring from the Air Force, Joe returned to Mobile, Alabama, where he began a second career working at JC Penney. It was there that he met the love of his life, Willie Mac. They married in the summer of 1986, and from that moment forward their lives and families were joined together.

Joe loved Mac deeply. He loved his children, his stepchildren, his grandchildren, and every generation that followed. He was present for birthdays, sporting events, celebrations, and everyday moments. He simply loved being with his family.

Joe had a wonderful personality. He never met a stranger. He loved to laugh, joke, and enjoy life.

Joe also had several passions. Genealogy was certainly one of them. But right alongside that passion was his love for music.

Joe loved music deeply. One of his favorite artists was James Last, and at one time Joe probably had one of the largest personal music collections anywhere in Mobile. Through the years he collected music in every format available — reel-to-reel tapes, vinyl records, cassette tapes, and later CDs. And just like his genealogy records, everything was carefully cataloged and organized.

Joe loved technology and learning how to use it. As computers became more common, he embraced them fully. He cataloged his music, his photographs, and his genealogy on his computer. He was always curious, always learning, always exploring the next new piece of technology.

Joe also loved photographs. He believed family moments should be captured and remembered. He documented events, built albums, and carefully preserved memories so that future generations would know the story of their family.

Joe had a real zest for life and an incredible inner strength. Over the last twenty years there were many times when doctors gave Joe very little chance of surviving, or said that even if he did live, his quality of life would be very limited. But every time Joe bounced back and kept going, determined to live life to the fullest. Even when it became difficult just to take a step, he would still get up and go.

We often joked that Joe didn’t just have nine lives — he had ninety times nine lives. Joe was a very strong man, right up to the very end.

Joe would do anything for his family. He made homemade cards or created them on the computer for special occasions. He would do late-night safety checks around the house. He gave rides, attended games, and showed up whenever he was needed.

Over time, he became known affectionately to all of us as Papa Joe — and he truly was a wonderful Papa Joe.

In retirement, Joe and Mac enjoyed life together. They traveled, ate out, attended family events, and made the most of their years together.

In the last few years of Joe’s life, as his health declined and it became harder for him to get around, Mac faithfully stood by his side. And in the last year of his life, when care became even more difficult, his daughter Sylvianne lovingly brought him into her home and cared for him with great devotion. She honored her father in a beautiful way, giving him dignity, love, and comfort in his final days.

In the hours before his passing into heaven, Joe was resting in Sylvianne’s home with Mac by his side. Throughout that day his family surrounded him with love and support, and in the early morning hours he peacefully left this world to be with Jesus.

Today, all the generations that have been named here are blessed because of Papa Joe — because of his love, his presence, and the life he built.

We remember him.

We celebrate him.

And we give thanks for him.

Joe lived nearly 93 years, and it was a good life — a full life, a joyful life, and an adventurous life. Joe made the most of the life he was given.

And because of Joe’s profession of faith in Jesus Christ and the finished work of Christ on the cross and His glorious resurrection, we can say today with confidence that Joe is now at home with the Lord.

He is at rest with those who have gone before him. And we who remain will remember, reflect, celebrate, and honor the life of Papa Joe.

A graveside service with military honors will be held at Pine Crest Cemetery West at 1599 Snow RD S Mobile, AL 36695 on Tuesday, March 10, at 2:00 p.m. Joe’s stepson, Pastor Jeff Copeland, will lead the service.

All are invited to join in the celebration of the life of Joseph Normand Robitaille. Condolences may be offered at www.radneyfuneralhome-mobile.com.