Obituary of Joseph Madden

Joseph M. Madden passed away at the Lahey Clinic Medical Center on Sunday, November 23, 2008. The husband of Helen J. (Haugh) he was 79 years old. Joe was born in Kemmerer Wyoming. He was the beloved son of the late Edward C. and Geneive H. Madden. He was raised and educated in Brighton. Joe was a Veteran of World War II serving his country in the United States Army. He served in the prestigious Glider Infantry, which rode the gliders into combat. He had over 12 jumps with the infantry. Joe served overseas in Japan for 2 years. He was the recipient of the World War II Victory Medal and the Army Occupational Medal in Japan. He loved to be part of the 11th Army Airborne. Joe and his wife Helen lived in Burlington for 35 years and had lived in Rochester New Hampshire for the past five years. Joe had a passion for golf and was an avid golfer. His family owned Madden’s Driving Range in Woburn. He shared his passion for golf by teaching young children. Joe participated in numerous golf tournaments and won many of them. He was a member of the Sandy Burr Country Club in Wayland as well as the VFW. Joe is the beloved husband of Helen J. (Haugh). He was the beloved son of the late Edward C. and Geneive H. Madden He was the loving father of Joseph Madden & his wife Emily of Billerica, Joan Leone & her husband Joseph of Billerica, and Jean Paton & her husband Mel of Burlington. He was the brother of Francis “Frank” Madden of Daytona Beach, FL, Daniel Madden of Burlington, Michele Delaney of Sunrise, SC and the late Edward “Jiggs” Madden and John “Dini” Madden. He is the grandfather of Joseph, Michael & Daniel Leone, Sarah & Diana Madden and great grandfather of Michael T. Leone. Funeral from the Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home, 43 Winn St., BURLINGTON (Exit 34 off Rt. 128, Woburn side) on Wednesday, Nov. 26 at 10:30 a.m. Followed by A Mass of Christian Burial in St. Margaret’s Church, 111 Winn St., Burlington at 11:30 a.m. Visiting hours Tuesday 6-9 p.m. Interment in V. A. National Cemetery of Massachusetts at 2:30 p.m. Memorial in Joe’s name may be made to the American Heart Association, 20 Speen St., Framingham, MA 01701. JOE'S TRIBUTE - NOVEMBER 26, 2008 WE ARE HERE TODAY TO REMEMBER THE LIFE OF JOE MADDEN. I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE SOME OF THOSE MEMORIES WITH YOU NOW. JOE'S DOB: - MAY 9, 1929 IN WYOMING JOE'S PASSED - NOVEMBER 23, 2008 HE WAS MARRIED: TO HELEN JOSEPHINE -HAUGH FOR 57 YEARS . JOE AND HELEN RAISED THREE CHILDREN, JOSEPH MICHAEL MADDEN, JOAN MARIE MADDEN, JEAN ANN MADDEN. AS MOST OF YOU KNOW, JOE WAS A PARATROOPER IN THE ARMY'S TH AIRBORNE DURING WORLD WAR II AND THAT HE SERVED IN SAPPORO JAPAN AS WELL. WHEN HE RETURNED FROM THE SERVICE, HE WORKED IN THE PAVING INDUSTRY WITH HIS BROTHERS. JOE HAD A GREAT WORK ETHIC. HE HATED IT WHEN IT GOT DARK, ESPECIALLY IF HE HAD MORE MIX TO PUT DOWN. HE WOULD REMEDY THIS BY TURNING ALL OF THE TRUCKS HEADLIGHTS ON UNTIL THE JOB WAS DONE. ACCORDING TO JOE, WHILE IN THE PAVING INDUSTRY, HE WAS RUN OVER BY ALL OF HIS BROTHERS AT LEAST ONCE IN HIS LIFE, BUT HE ALWAYS GOT RIGHT BACK UP AGAIN. JOE’S WORK WAS NOT OVER WHEN THE PAVING SEASON ENDED. WITH WINTER BEGINNING, HE PLOWED SNOW AROUND THE CLOCK. DURING THE BLIZZARD OF ‘78 WITH A STATE OF EMERGENCY IN EFFECT, JOE CAME ACROSS A CAR THAT WOULDN’T GET OUT OF HIS WAY WHILE HE WAS TRYING TO PLOW, SO.......................JOE DEPOSITED THE CAR ON TOP OF A 20 FOOT SNOW BANK. JOE WAS A GREAT GOLFER AND HE LOVED THE GAME. HE MANAGED TO GET 18 HOLES IN AFTER WORKING 100 HOURS A WEEK. IF HE WASN’T WATCHING OR PLAYING GOLF, HE ALSO LOVED THE RED SOX AND THE PATRIOTS. JOE WAS ALSO A GREAT POOL PLAYER AS HIS SON-IN-LAW, JOE LEONE CAN ATTEST TO. WE ALL KNOW THAT JOE HAD A HISTORY OF HEART PROCEDURES AND OTHER MEDICAL PROBLEMS. BUT FOR A GUY WITH THESE PROBLEMS, HE HAD A GREAT APPETITE. HE ESPECIALLY LIKED SPAGHETTI. IF HE COULD HAVE EATEN SPAGHETTI 3 TIME A DAY, HE WOULD HAVE. JOE WAS A GREAT GUY, ALL HIS NIECES AND NEPHEWS KNEW THAT AS WELL. WHEN THEIR FATHER’S PASSED, THEY OFTEN LOOKED UP TO JOE AS A FATHER FIGURE. JOE’S BROTHER DANNY SAID “JOE NEVER SAW A GREY HORSE THAT HE DIDN’T LIKE OR FELT WAS UNLUCKY”. WE ALWAYS TALKED ABOUT JOE'S LUCK AS HAVING 9 LIVES, AS HE GOT SICKER; WE ALWAYS PRAYED TO GOD THAT HE COULD HAVE 10. JOE WENT TO CHURCH EVERY SATURDAY; HE KNEW THE BEST BET WAS TO GET ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF GOD. TODAY, HE IS WITH GOD, MAY GOD BLESS JOE TODAY. JOE, WE WILL ALWAYS MISS YOU AND LOVE YOU AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU. AND THANK YOU JOE AND HELEN FOR GIVING ME THE GREATEST GIFT OF MY LIFE............. MY WIFE.........JEAN JOE, YOU ARE THE ANGEL THAT WILL ALWAYS BE ON OUR SHOULDER. PLEASE WATCH OVER US.