Joe Boyle, beloved husband, father, brother, and grandfather, died suddenly at home in Bowling Green on Wednesday evening, October 24, 2018.
He was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1948 – probably not coincidentally, the last time his cherished Cleveland Indians won the World Series – to Thomas and Eleanor Boyle. Joe grew up in a large and loving family with five brothers and two sisters with whom he was incredibly close.
He was preceded in death by his parents, sisters-in-law Jane and Gina, and brother-in-law Jim Lamb.
Joe is survived by his wife, Mary Beth (“Betsy”); son, Joe Jr. (Katie), of Bowling Green; daughter Kathy (Aaron) Gray, of Hartville; and five grandchildren he loved a “hundred million bushels,” Ellie, Joey, Andy, Marybeth, and Mark; sisters Kathleen Lamb and Nora Lee Baerwalde, and brothers Tom, Tim, Dan, Bob, and Larry, and dozens of nieces and nephews.
As a freshman at Padua Franciscan High School in 1961, he got a job at a neighborhood pharmacy, and found his life’s vocation. He graduated from the University of Toledo in 1972, and began work as a neighborhood retail pharmacist. At UT, he fell in love with Betsy Keller, and a year after graduation, they married.
In 1975, he purchased Rapids Pharmacy, in Grand Rapids, Ohio, and a year later his family moved into the village. He joined the Grand Rapids Volunteer Fire Department a year later, and served as chaplain for some time, a position in the community of which he was extraordinarily proud. In 1988, he opened Village Hardware, and lived on his interactions with a community that became family to him. After selling his businesses, he worked as a neighborhood pharmacist in Delta, Wauseon, and Montpelier. In 2009, he began teaching pharmacy technician classes at Brown-Mackie College in Findlay, retiring in 2016.
Joe was involved in Grand Rapids village life through his church, Providence St. Patrick’s; the Lions’ Club, the JayCees, the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce, the Community Improvement Corporation, the U.S. 24 Safety Coalition, the Town Hall Players, and served as a river observer for the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration.
Visitation will be at Deck Hanneman Funeral Home, Bowling Green, from 1-5 p.m. on Sunday, October 28. Funeral Mass will be held at St. Aloysius Catholic Church at 11 a.m. on Monday, October 29. Family burial will be at St. Patrick’s Cemetery, Grand Rapids.
The family requests any memorial contributions be made to the Grand Rapids Volunteer Fire Department. They also suggest enjoying a sunset with someone you love, and taking a few pictures of it.
Hanneman Family Funeral Homes is honored to serve Joe’s family and encourage those to share a fond memory or condolence by visiting www.hannemfh.com.
