In his youth, Joe participated in a gymnast program organized at the University Settlement House, and became a member of a group know as the "Olympiads" which performed in gymnastics at the 1939 World's Fair in NY. The leader of this group, Charles Cook , introduced Joe to his congressman in Joe's quest for an appointment to the US Military Academy. Upon graduation from Stuyvesant High School in June '45, Joe served as an enlisted man in the Army for eighteen months. For a brief period he attended Brooklyn College, prior to entering the Academy in July 1947.

Quick to make friends, intelligent and athletic, Joe immersed himself in a variety of activities -- the gymnastics team, plebe lacrosse, the Duty Committee, Ski Club, Radio Club, Model Railroad Club, Sailing Club and the Spanish Club. As a member of the Jewish Chapel Choir, Joe stepped forward to become its leader in his first class year.

During one of his extracurricular trips, he met Eleanor Marcus of Poughkeepsie, his bride-to-be. Joe and Ellie were married on 10 June 1951, five days after graduation. Their first post was Fort Monmouth, NJ where Joe attended the Signal School. He later served in the Signal Group of the 8226th Army Unit in Korea, spending many of his off-duty hours teaching English to Korean children. When regular Army officers were invited to retire after the Korean war, Joe left the service, and in 1954 joined Poughkeepsie Iron and Metal co., Inc. a structural steel firm founded by George Marcus, Ellie's father. Their relationship was uniquely bonded in love and respect. Joe earned a P.E.from NYU in '65. Joe's leadership and ability brought him increasingly greater responsibility at his company. he became the architect of the business's significant growth and expansion. With its reputation of esteem, Poughkeepsie Iron and Metal was awarded many prestigious structural steel jobs, including work at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City for the erection of the ancient Egyptian Temple of Dendur. Joe held directorships on the board of Bankers Trust and later on the board of Barclay Bank in New York City.

In addition to playing squash, tennis and skiing, Joe learned to fly and variously piloted or co-piloted his own plane. He and Ellie traveled the world-and in a sense twice. The first trip would be Joe's visualized plan and every detail taken into account. And then came the actual trip with Joe having full knowledge of every apect of the itinerary.

Although Joe physically left his family and friends, Ellie continuously feels his presence as do sons, Peter and David.