Oriel J. Joseph

He was born to devoted parents, the late Desmond and Celestina Joseph on March 6, 1941 in Antigua/Barbuda, West Indies. Oriel and his six siblings were raised in a home with strong Christian values and they were taught to have a deep and abiding faith in God. As a child, he diligently served as an acolyte at St. Stephen's Anglican Church, Antigua. At the time of his passing he was a faithful member of Epiphany Community Church, San Antonio, Texas.

After completing high school in Antigua, Oriel moved to England and later relocated to Denmark. He subsequently came to San Antonio, Texas and met his wife, June Harrison. They were married on June 1, 1985 at St. Phillip's Episcopal Church. During their 26 years of marriage, Oriel and June had a wonderful life, traveling extensively and celebrating many special occasions with family and friends.

Oriel was employed in Security at USAA Savings Bank for 19 years. At USAA, he was highly respected and well-liked by his colleagues and managers. He was the recipient of several awards for his stellar job performance prior to retiring in February 2004.

A sports enthusiast, Oriel enjoyed all sports, but his two favorites were soccer and cricket. He had a vast knowledge of professional and college sports teams and was a dedicated San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Cowboys fan.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Desmond and Celestina Joseph and a brother-in-law, Nathaniel Bennett. His memory will be forever cherished by his wife, June; a son, Jesper Sorensen and two daughters, Krista and Anne Sorensen of Denmark; a step-son, Alvin Harrison of New York City; two granddaughters, Isabella Sorensen and Emma Thompson of Denmark; a brother, Leopold (Enid) Joseph of England; five sisters, Malvina Bennett, Bertine Parker, Everette (Gibbon) Ferguson, Emelda (Gerald) Jonas, and Janice (Willet) Coates of San Antonio; two aunts, Chessie Phillips of Cincinnati, Ohio and Sybil Thomas of Canada; a brother-in-law, Robert (Susie) Bennett of Leisure City, FL; two sisters-in-law, Rozenia (Maxie) Sutton of Key West, FL and Glenda (James) Simmons of Somerset, NJ; five nephews; nine nieces; numerous other family members and a host of devoted friends.

Visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Friday, February 3, 2012 at Sunset Northwest Funeral Home. Funeral Service will be conducted at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, February 4, 2012 at Covenant Presbyterian Church, 211 Roleto.