Obituary of Joseph P. Orosz

Joseph P. Orosz passed away on December 26, 2008, at Morristown Memorial Hospital. He was 62 years old. Born in Elizabeth, Joe grew up in Cranford. He was active in the Boy Scouts and earned the rank of Eagle Scout. It was during these years, as a boy and young man, when he found hobbies that would last throughout his life. He lived in Hackensack for two years following his marriage to Sharon (Willison) in 1978. They moved to Rockaway Township, NJ in 1980; and Catherine, their only child, was born in 1981. He received his Bachelor of Engineering Degree in 1968 and his Masters Degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1973, both from Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, NJ. He was licensed as a Professional Engineer by the State of New Jersey in 1975 and continued to hold the license. Joe worked at Picatinny Arsenal for thirty-eight years. When he retired in 2006, he was Branch Chief of the Lethal Mechanisms and Warheads Technology Branch in the Energetics and Warheads Division. His deep passion for minerals and his thirst for history led him to belong to the following museums, clubs, and societies: Founding Member - Sterling Hill Mining Museum Life Member and Curator of Science - Franklin Mineral Museum Life Member, Secretary, and Assistant Curator - New York Microscopical Society Member - Franklin-Ogdensburg Mineralogical Society Member - North Jersey Mineralogical Society Member - Fluorescent Mineral Society Member - American Museum of Natural History Member - National Canal Museum Member - Historical Society of the Rockaways Friend of the Rutgers University Geology Museum Joe enjoyed photography, fishing, hunting, and hiking. His father fostered his interest in cameras, photographing nature, and developing his own photos. He hunted with his uncles and friends. He would take his daughter fishing and hiking. Joe loved the outdoors. He walked on the beaches of Sanibel Island, Florida, and rock scrambled at Mohonk, in New Paltz, NY. He snorkeled at the Great Barrier Reef and walked on a glacier in Alaska. He made snowballs in the mountains of Colorado in July, and went into any mine that offered a tour. He fed kangaroos and wallabies, held a koala, observed whales bubble-net feeding, and watched the deer in his own yard. Joe was a collector, a teacher, and a continuous learner. While minerals were his passion, he also collected microscopes, shells, fossils, and miners' equipment. He always wanted to learn more. He read books, magazines, and journals to expand his knowledge; and he established friendships with so many people who taught him so much. His retirement toy was a saw for cutting thin sections of minerals to study under his microscopes. He loved to share his knowledge with his wife and daughter and anyone else eager to learn. In addition to his loving wife, Sharon, and his beloved daughter, Catherine, Joe is survived by his mother, Helen Orosz, of Cranford, NJ. He is also survived by his uncle, Joseph Angelo, of Linden, NJ, and several cousins. He leaves behind the family dog, a pug named Tiger, who provided endless comfort and companionship. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his memory to: Gagnon Cardiovascular Institute at Morristown Memorial Hospital 100 Madison Avenue Morristown, NJ 07962