Obituary of Joseph Cordeiro

Joseph F. Cordeiro, Jr. passed away on April 18, 2014 at the age of 29. Joe was raised in Medford until the age of 15 and then he and his family moved to Burlington to live with his grandmother, Aunt and Uncle as his mother struggled with cancer. He was a construction worker often for his Uncle Joe and Walter. He loved music and was a great sketch artist. He often wrote his own songs, some about the loss of his mother “forever young”, and performed them on You Tube for others to appreciate (known as Joey Stacks). He also performed at local venues performing his music. He had a strong bond with his brothers and simply happy hanging around with them. He had a deep gratitude to his family who cared for him and his brothers after his mom’s passing. Joe is the loving brother of Robert, Nicholas, Christopher, Ryan and live-in cousin J.R. Currier all of Burlington. Raised by Lucille, Joseph and Dina Currier all of Burlington. Son of the late Theresa (Currier) and Joseph of Medford. He was the grandson of Lucille (DeVito) Currier of Burlington and the late Walter Currier. He was the nephew of Patricia & Jerry Dunbar of Billerica, Bob & Lisa Currier of N. Reading, Walter & Sheri Currier of Burlington, Joseph Currier of Burlington & his fiancé Kristin Murphy, Brenda Currier of Burlington & her companion Brian Banks, Dina Currier-Beaven & her husband Matt of Beverly, James and Karen Cordeiro of Clinton, Lee and Renee Cordeiro of Malden, and Barbie Cordeiro of Ashland ME. He was also survived by many other aunts, uncles, cousins, relatives, & friends. Funeral from the Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home, 43 Winn St., BURLINGTON (exit 34 off Rt. 128/95, Woburn side) on Wednesday, April 23 at 9 a.m. Followed by a Mass of Christian Burial in St. Margaret’s Church, 111 Winn St., Burlington at 10 a.m. Visiting hours Tuesday from 4-8 p.m. He will be buried alongside his mother at Pine Haven Cemetery, Burlington. In lieu of flowers, memorials in Joseph’s name may be made to the American Cancer Society, 30 Speen St., Framingham, MA 01701. For directions, obituary & online guestbook see www.sullivanfuneralhome.net or www.stmargaretburlington.org In Memory of Joseph Cordeiro, Jr. Written by Dina Currier-Beaven Good morning everyone. For those of you who may not know me, my name is Laurie Palmacci, or as the five boys have always known me: the babysitter. I have been asked to read a few words about Joe on behalf of the family. Funerals are times when we look back on a life-- look at its ups and downs— whether it was long enough, the potential not realized, the future so abruptly cut off. Joe was born in August of 1984, vibrant and full of life. Joe’s smile carried throughout and would always light up a room. If you attended the wake and had a chance to look at the collages, you could see that Joe always had a smile from when he was young and as he grew into a young man. Some of Joe’s favorite times were going to Nana’s and Pa’s, which was quite often as a little boy. The entire family enjoyed time by the pool and all family events were held at Nana and Pa’s house which allowed us to stay connected and where our love grew as a family. Joe also loved to eat and there was always plenty of food at Nana’s. His favorite meal was Pa’s hot spaghetti. Pa and the boys would sit in the basement with a huge bowl of hot spaghetti and eat out of that one bowl. Joe had many loves in his life. The first one being his mom, who also had her life cut short from a battle with cancer. His love and bond with his brothers Rob, Nick, Chris and Ryan only got stronger after this tragedy. Joe loved his family and friends with all his heart but it wasn’t until the night of the wake that I realized how much his family and friends loved HIM. He also adored the family dog, Amstel. His love for music and art was something that Joe took seriously. It was amazing to see him sit there hour after hour, day after day, writing a song. He loved showcasing his lyrics to the entire family as he progressed to a finished song. He recorded his songs and would perform at local venues. He would tell everyone about his new song on facebook and post them to “you tube”. Joe’s songs come from the heart and he put a lot of time and effort into what he loved to do. If you attended the wake and had a chance to watch the slideshow of pictures, there was a song called “forever young” playing, which Joe was singing and helped write. Joe has had his struggles in life which he has been battling with since his mother died. There is a poem I would like to share about a…. Young Life Cut Short Do not judge a song by its duration Nor by the number of its notes Judge it by the richness of its contents Sometimes those unfinished are among the most poignant… Do not judge a song by its duration Nor by the number of its notes Judge it by the way it touches and lifts the soul Sometimes those unfinished are among the most beautiful… And when something has enriched your life And when it’s melody lingers on in your heart. Is it unfinished? Or is it endless? Joe was many things…he was a son, a brother, a grandson, a nephew, a cousin and a friend. As I read this poem and I look back over the years, it made me think…we all have to listen to one another and help each other. Don't turn your backs on the troubled and never encourage or enable someone to do something that might hurt them. You need to care more, do more, and love more! Do this in Joe's honor and for your honor.