Anthony Charles ‘Tony’ Joseph died unexpectedly from a cerebral embolism on Thursday, October 26, 2017 at Cape Cod Hospital. He was the husband of Susan A. (Gilman) Joseph.
Anthony was born in Provincetown on May 19, 1952 in the Bradford Street home of his parents, Anthony E. Joseph and Alice O'Grady Joseph. He graduated from Provincetown High School and attended Massachusetts Maritime Academy where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Marine Navigation. Anthony's love of the sea was cultivated from a very early age. He often referred to himself as the son of a son of a son of a fisherman. The sea was in his veins as was his love for Provincetown. As a young boy he delivered the newspaper to Admiral Donald B. MacMillan at his Commercial Street home. On cold winter evenings the Admiral would invite young Anthony into his parlor where his wife Miriam would serve him hot cocoa and the Admiral would tell him tales of the far North and his adventures at sea. As a young man Anthony took much of this to heart and was determined to steer his own course on the open sea.
After graduation from Mass Maritime he sailed on a NOAA research vessel crossing the equator and exploring the Amazon River. On one of these voyages his vessel worked with Jacques Cousteau's team to make recordings and notes for his research. In the course of his maritime career Anthony circumnavigated the globe in both directions sailing east on one voyage and west around the world on another. He sailed as far North as Baffin Island where he towed ice bergs to clear shipping channels and south around South America towing a huge rig through the Strait of Magellan. Anthony served proudly as a Merchant Marine during Operation Desert Storm transporting ammunition and supplies throughout the Middle East. When he returned to Provincetown he sailed with the Dolphin Whale Watch fleet for many years.
The Joseph family keeps both a family Bible and a World Atlas. Here Anthony's Father has faithfully traced and labeled all of his son's voyages. Anthony enjoyed recounting his many sea stories to family and friends with his characteristic dry wit but his greatest joy came from mentoring his nephew Jeremy and many of the young men he came into contact with in the years when he was the instructor for water activities at the Steven L. French Youth Camp in Brewster. He dearly loved his Labradors Pamet, Hoss and Little Joe. Together they spent many happy hours enjoying and walking the dunes and the beaches. He was kind and loving...a man of God, Family and Faith.
In addition to his beloved wife Susan, he is survived by daughter Kim and granddaughter Tabitha; his father Anthony E. Joseph, his sisters Maureen Hurst and Kathleen Meads as well as many nieces, nephews and dear friends. He was predeceased by his mother Alice Joseph.
A Funeral Mass will be celebrated for Anthony at St. Peter the Apostle Church, 11 Prince St, Provincetown on Thursday, November 2nd at 11:00 a.m.
If desired, donations may be made in Anthony's name to any organization that will feed or house a needy child in the world.