Joe is a reader—of a whole lot of books. Like a hundred a year. He devours mysteries, histories and other books that call to him as he searches the shelves of the new arrivals in the Schlessman Library. But there’s more to this active Lowryite than books. And bikes. And beer.
He’s a Pennsylvania native and a son of an FBI agent who learned not to talk too much to his six children about work. “He was pretty tight lipped with us,” Joe remembers. Mom was a nurse and kept the family of six kids patched up with band aids when needed. And they were needed. Joe was always good at school, “and I did well in high school, and I was interested in different areas – but I liked math.” At La Salle College he started in math but switched to psychology. Education at La Salle was a journey taking the whole person through education. Both areas of studies – math and psychology spoke to him, he liked figuring stuff out.
His focus for years was in a variety of non-profit and state jobs where he could help others who needed assistance “figuring out their vocational direction.” A desire to explore the outdoors brought him to Boulder in 1982, working at a non-profit center for people with disabilities. Working one-on-one with people, he could help them work out their plans for jobs and life. He moved to Denver in 1984, continuing the very satisfying work in non-profit and state human resources settings until his retirement in 2018. But that didn’t mean he stopped all work and sat in a chair reading another dozen books. Not our Joe. He recently acted as a liaison with the Lowry United Neighborhoods and the Denver Public Library Friends Foundation to see what could be done to help the Schlessman Branch Library raise needed funds to support its renovation project.
Joe married his wife Clare in 1989 and they purchased an older home in Congress Park, where they lived for 26 years. Clare worked at Community College of Denver and the Colorado Attorney General’s Office; she has been busy with pet sitting and dog walking since her retirement. Having worked on older homes, they decided they would like a new home, and in 2015 they discovered Lowry. They moved out to Lowry to a newer home where everything works and has access to great bike and walking paths. Together, they’ve provided a home for a succession of pets, and they currently spend time spoiling their two dogs, Wilson and Astro.
When not reading, Joe spends his time biking, hiking, snowshoeing, walking the dogs, sampling Denver’s craft brew scene, and watching the Denver Nuggets. Joe was on the City Park Jazz Board of Directors from 1995 to 2012, and he still enjoys listening to jazz, live or recorded. Not surprisingly, Joe is in a book club that – weather permitting – meets at the Denver Beer Company in Lowry. While they miss the Tavern, Joe and Clare enjoy dining at North County, Walter’s, the Lowry Beer Garden and Woodgrain Bagels.
Close to 90% of the books that Joe reads are borrowed from our local library, so he enthusiastically supports its fundraising effort. You’ll probably see him now biking around Lowry or walking into the library. Do ask for a recommendation on books because he has a list more than 900 that he’s read and is happy to pass along the good ones. And maybe there’ll be a beer behind one of them. Thanks, Joe, for your support of Lowry and the Schlessman Library. And of our local beer.
Meet Your Lowry Neighbors is a monthly feature written by our intrepid reporter Sally Kurtzman, who knows everyone in our community. If you have a suggestion for a Meet Your Lowry Neighbor, please send us an email to connect@lowryunitedneighborhoods.org.