Donald David Joseph

Donald David Joseph was the youngest of the brothers yet the unequivocal leader of his generation. All things family flowed through him. In joy or in sorrow, he was the face you looked for. He brought strength to every situation. And he exampled such a welcoming personality, that you wanted to spend time with him. He was larger than life. Uncle Don married Marie Koury in 1952 and they were married for 55 years. Having seven children, the second most children among all of Doumit and Victoria's offspring, they couldn't eclipse the baby factory of George and Toni (11 kids). Aunt Marie was a teacher and always went out of her way to make you feel welcome in their home. They imparted strong family values in their "Magnificient Seven" children. A bond both Uncle Don and Aunt Marie can be proud of. In writing Uncle Don's eulogy, I penned this poem that, I believe, describes how my generation feels toward him. It's entitiled, simply, GIANT.

(for Uncle Don)

He was our Mount Everest

our Great Pyramid

our footprints on the moon.

All that he became -

all that he believed

are echoes of the ancestors

whose lives he treasured

whose spirit he imparted.

He was our Mount Olympus

our Cedars of Lebanon

our heredity earth.

All that he taught

all that he exampled

are reaffirmations of the lineage

whose blood he coursed

whose names he carried as a badge of honor.

He was our Atlantic and Pacific 

our Alpha and Omega

our deepest, sturdiest roots.

For more than half a century

he captained this family’s vessel -

Even thru raging storms 

he found us peaceful harbor.

All that he commanded

Yea…all that he breathed 

are reverberations 

of those 

whose lives he prized -

of those

whose lives he altered…

and in the end

we are never left to wonder where he stood

because - for each of us -

he always stood tall…