Necrology

Robert Anthony Joseph '63

Nov. 13, 1941-Jul. 20, 2024

Robert Anthony Joseph ’63, P’94 died in Indian Land, S.C., on Sept. 20, 2024. He was born in Cortland, N.Y., on Oct. 13, 1941, raised in Utica, and came to Hamilton from the Utica Free Academy. On the Hill, he was a member of Psi Upsilon fraternity and majored in economics. He also played on the College’s baseball team as a junior.

Having initially toyed with the idea of becoming either an engineer or a teacher, Bob chose to pursue the latter career. In the fall of 1963, he began teaching at Point Elementary School in Utica, while also taking courses at Syracuse University necessary for teacher certification. In November of that year, he enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve. 

He later transferred to Brandegee Elementary School, also in Utica, where he met Jennie Cerminaro, a faculty colleague. A relationship developed, and they were married on June 21, 1970. They had a daughter and a son.

In 1971, Bob altered course and began what would prove to be a 20-year career at the New York State School for the Deaf (NYSSD) in Rome, where he taught English to elementary school students using American Sign Language (ASL). In childhood, he and his siblings learned ASL from Ida Kennedy, his maternal aunt, who had lost her hearing in her early years after contracting scarlet fever. She had become concerned about the quality of instruction at NYSSD and persuaded Bob to visit the school to form his own impression. He too saw the need for improvement, took courses to become more fluent in ASL, and was hired to teach there.

At times he found the work challenging. In his 25th reunion yearbook, he noted: “I have a real understanding of the problems my students have with the English language, since it is as much a mystery to them now as it was to me 25 years ago at Hamilton.”

Over time, he moved from the classroom to administration, serving for several years as principal of NYSSD’s elementary grades. He also worked as an interpreter on various public occasions, including visits to the Utica area by Jimmy Carter, Hillary Clinton, and Billy Graham. When called to do so, he provided translation assistance in other settings, including hospitals and police stations. He taught courses in ASL as an adjunct professor at Utica College (now Utica University), Mohawk Valley Community College, and SUNY Morrisville. 

Bob had a profound sense of public duty, serving as a volunteer or leader for numerous organizations including the Kennedy-Greene Foundation, founded by his aunt, uncle, and a close friend to provide assistance to the deaf, and Camp Mark 7 in Old Forge, N.Y., serving deaf children and the children of deaf adults. He also volunteered with the Boy Scouts of America, the Oneida County Democratic Party, the Elks Club, and, over time, various youth baseball and football leagues. A Maronite Catholic, he was on the parish council of St. Louis of Gonzaga Church and volunteered with the Maronite Youth Organization.

Bob and Jennie retired in 1990 due largely to Bob’s having developed a heart condition. They purchased a second home in Jekyll Island, Ga., but later moved to Fort Mill, S.C, spending winters there while continuing to reside in Utica for the rest of the year. In Fort Mill, they were close to their grandchildren. Bob continued to volunteer as an interpreter for the deaf, at one point assisting both a college student and a second grader. He also liked to hunt, teach gun safety classes, kayak, play golf, and ride his bicycle.

A regular donor to the Hamilton Fund, Bob served on his reunion and class committees. At different times, he directed his gifts to support the men’s baseball team, the first-year mentoring fund, and the Career Center, among other College initiatives.

Among the faculty he admired were Sidney Wertimer, with whom he studied economics, and John Crossett, who taught freshman composition. In addition, he wrote in his 50th reunion yearbook: “Winton Tolles’s quiet encouragement helped a rather apprehensive freshman make some decisions that still affect his life.”

In the same publication, Bob wrote: “Hamilton taught me to clearly read and write the English language. More importantly, I learned to speak the English language so that I am fluent speaking East Utica English on Bleeker Street, speaking academic English at a college seminar, or interpreting political English to deaf students attending a speech by Jimmy Carter or Hillary Clinton.”

Predeceased by his wife, Robert A. Joseph is survived by his daughter Helene J. Laurenti ’94, his son, and two grandchildren.

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