Joseph F. "Joe" Kocian

Joe had the heart of an adventurer and the soul of a storyteller. A voracious reader, he said a book he devoured in the fourth grade sparked his wanderlust and love of learning about history and cultures across the globe. His journey through life was defined by his curiosity, openness and sense of humor.

He was born on March 9, 1938, in Komensky, Texas, to parents Bessie Morkovsky and George J. Kocian, both of Czech descent. His parents trained as teachers, and his father worked as a teacher and principal his entire career. Joe was proud of his heritage and spoke often of his maternal grandfather who, stricken by poverty and the death of his mother, came over on a ship from Moravia, in what is now the Czech Republic, at the age of 12, with an uncle. He took deep pride in his grandfather’s grit and perseverance, the way he taught himself English by lamplight and became a pioneer schoolteacher in Lavaca County, Texas.

Joe’s childhood was spent in Panna Maria, Texas, where he entertained himself by searching for Native American arrowheads, playing pranks on friends and relatives, and generally bucking convention and looking for mischief. His mother used to tell him his behavior would make her “go climb a tree.”

Joe graduated from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio in 1960 and worked as a high school teacher of history and government for a few years. In 1961, he was called up to active duty in the Air Force and trained as a medic, after which he served for six years as a reservist.

Although he never lost his teaching spirit, he built his career at insurance company State Farm, where he spent more than 30 years. A practical decision rather than a passion, his job nevertheless allowed him to forge wonderful friendships and showcased how he excelled in crisis, managing multiple South Texas hurricane cleanups.

He valued learning and openness to new ideas, which he passed on to his children. For 12 years, he was a single father to his two biological children, but by the end of his life, he counted six children as his own.

In 1990, he married Carole (Christman) Kocian and the couple spent much of their 32 years together traveling the world, his lifelong dream. They visited the castles of Europe, saw the glaciers of Antarctica and drove the length of Mexico many times. He was a foodie to his core, sampling roasted chestnuts in Lisbon, goulash in Prague, and street food everywhere he went. In Patzcuaro, Mexico, a favorite place they visited many times because it was off the beaten path, Joe surprised a local woman with his excitement to sample the street fare she sold. “White people don’t eat this stuff,” she told him, which Joe wore as a badge of honor. Together, the couple also saw the ruins of Pompeii, listened to monks singing Gregorian chants in Oaxaca, and marveled at grizzly bears catching salmon from a river in Alaska. With homes in Palencia, Belize, and near Combermere, Ontario, they never seemed to be in one place for long.

When he was home in San Antonio, Joe spent much of his time reading, collecting old maps and globes, and planning his next trip.

He raised his children to be brave. His mantras were “Don’t do anything stupid,” which was meant to be self-explanatory and to cover everything, and “This too shall pass.” He was adamant about going after dreams, teaching his children to always believe they could do anything they set their minds to.

He was preceded in death by, his parents Bessie and George Kocian; his sister, Mary Lou Netardus; and his daughter, Terral Lehman. Joe is survived by his wife, Carole Kocian; his sons, Joseph “Joey” Kocian II, and Ryan Breed; his daughters, Lisa Kocian (James Swift), Deborah McQueen (Aubrey Ward), and Linda Breed (Dirk Mueller); his brother, George Kocian; and grandchildren, David Lehman, Jack Joseph Swift, Danny Breed, Helena Mueller and Ellen Breed.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made via https://donate.wck.org/fundraiser/4391684.