Joseph Vladimir Shumovich

Joseph Shumovich, or Joe by those who knew him, led a long and VERY full life. He was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the son of Polish Immigrants. He was raised in a decommissioned Convent his father had purchased with his life savings just before the Great Depression, which he converted so that the lower floors were used as the family home with a workshop. The upper floors were converted to rental apartments to provide income to the family. Along with his father and brothers, Joe helped build a row of stone garages down by the creek, which his father rented to local artists to use as studios. His mother Mary, a great cook, raised her five children on delicious Polish meals and raised chickens, a goat, and vegetables in a small garden farm in the backyard.

At the suggestion of his eldest brother Ed, Joe went to a vocational school out of high school and found he had a great talent and interest in all things mechanical and electrical, no doubt from working on projects around the house with his father. Joe decided to pursue a degree in electrical engineering at Carnegie Tech University.

After college, he met the love of his life - Irene Gallagher and they were wed in Maryland. He felt that opportunities were better in California, so they headed west to build their future in the San Fernando Valley. Joe found engineering jobs ranging from the Apollo Moon landings to commercial airliners, submarine sonar, anti-submarine aircraft and with the super-secret Lockheed Skunk Works who developed projects like the famous U2 spy plane and SR-71 Blackbird. During all of that, Joe and Irene started a family and raised five children.

The Holy Father, Pope Francis has proclaimed 2021 the “Year of Saint Joseph”. Pope Francis describes Saint Joseph as a “…beloved father, a tender and loving father, an obedient father, an accepting father; a father who is creatively courageous, a working father, a father in the shadows.” Joe Shumovich embodies the pure spirit of St. Joseph, his namesake. As a dedicated family man, he did everything to provide for his wife and children what they needed to be happy, successful and with a foundation of the Catholic faith. They bought the family home in Northridge in 1963 and became important founders and members of the new school and Parish of Our Lady of Lourdes. Their children were able to attend Our Lady of Lourdes Elementary, continue to Private Catholic High Schools and with their guidance and support graduate from various universities.

Joe, like St. Joseph the Worker, worked demanding full-time jobs then came home to fulfill another half a dozen full-time jobs. He did everything himself. He was the family electrician, painter, plumber, repair man, brick layer, gardener, and automobile mechanic. As youngsters, his kids kept bugging him for a “built-in pool”, so he borrowed a tractor from a neighbor who had rented it for a small job at their house and he and his children (and the dog) dug the pool themselves.

Joe loved road trips and took Irene on one each year adding each of the kids as the family grew. These were elaborate road trips on both coasts, hitting every point of interest along the way, booking hotels, and finding routes long before the internet or GPS navigation. He would gladly take anyone who visited on a three-hour whirlwind tour of Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Griffith Park, Beverly Hills, and Hollywood in a single evening so that they wouldn’t miss out on any of the sights. It was doubtful many of them knew what they were in for when they left the driveway. He also took Irene on several vacations to Europe and Hawaii and his children have fond memories of the beach houses he would rent during the summer with plenty of sand, fun and family time.

After retiring, Joe loved puttering around the house and around any of the kids houses looking for projects and things to fix. This love of fixing things expanded to neighbors and acquaintances. Joe was happy to use his talents and abilities to serve others in the community who needed help. He couldn’t help but fix or repair anything he came across that looked like it needed fixing or that he thought he could improve with a few changes. Joe wanted to make everything around him a little bit better, and he did. He was a very kind and peaceful soul. He loved his wife dearly and loved and sacrificed for his children without ever making a big deal out of it. He had so many accomplishments but was always humble and quiet about everything in his nearly 92 years on this planet. He will be missed by the great many lives he has touched, and he is now enjoying his well-deserved rest in heaven. Or he might be walking over with a can of WD-40 to fix that squeak he heard on that hinge of the pearly gates.