Joseph Thomas Kearns Iii

Joseph Thomas Kearns, III age 76, passed away on Thursday,
November 2, 2023. Born November 8, 1946, Joe was the son of the late
Joseph Thomas Kearns, Jr., and Katherine (O’Donnell) Kearns.
Joe attended St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia PA, graduating with
his Bachelors of Science in food marketing in 1968. He then joined the
US Army as a commissioned officer serving from 1968 to 1971 and was
a combat veteran in Vietnam, leading a Mobile Advisory Team as a First
Lieutenant. He delighted in telling stories of his military experience from
the Fort Benning School for Boys and his transformative experiences in
what he, in characteristic Kearnsian humor, called the Great Patriotic
War in Southeast Asia. Joe then had a successful career working in
Human Resources for the federal government (OPM) and after
retirement with colleagues at the Eastern Management Development
Center teaching about leadership skills and development.
Joe was funny, brilliant, generous, curious, and had an insatiable thirst
for knowledge. He was a bibliophile: a lover of reading, collecting, and
sharing books. He cared about civic service and was a devotee of public
libraries. Joe developed an early love of baseball, pitching in primary
school outside Harrisburg, and cultivated a deep (if battle-hardened)
fandom of the Philadelphia Phillies with his family and friends. He
enjoyed fishing, gardening, golf, movies, and music, especially jazz and
blues. Joe was fond of traveling and most loved the beaches of the
Outer Banks, NC or Stone Harbor, NJ.
Joe, or “Joe Cool” as he was affectionately known, was a loving father,
grandfather, and friend, and was very loved. He will be missed terribly.
Joe is survived by his daughter, Catherine (Katie) Kearns and husband
Alexandre Lovallo of Chicago, IL; son Brian Kearns of Omaha, NE;
granddaughter, Francesca Kerry Lovallo. Frannie’s middle name honors
Joe’s childhood nickname, which came from his family’s roots in County
Kerry, Ireland.
A commemorative gathering for Joe will be held on December 9th, 12
pm, at the Garryowen Pub, in Gettysburg PA (126 Chambersburg Street,
Gettysburg, PA, 17325). We hope to share, over a Kilkenny, Smithwicks,
or other potions and lunch, some tales and memories of Joe and to try to
live up to his unique and one-of-a-kind skill at storytelling.

To keep updated and to share memories and pictures, please visit
joekearnsmemorial.com