Joseph Diran Eknaian of Jacksonville, Florida, passed away on Sunday, February 6, 2022. He died peacefully at home with his family by his side.
Joseph ("Joe") was born in Boston Massachusetts on August 16, 1933. His parents, Kaloost Eknaian and Elizabeth Zorzopian, immigrated from Armenia in the midst of the Armenian Genocide and settled in Somerville Massachusetts where Joseph grew up along with his younger brother Leo.
Joe was the first in his family to attend college. He was a golf caddy growing up and earned a caddy scholarship to Tufts University. Joe graduated from Tufts University with a degree in Chemical Engineering. After graduation, he started a job in his chosen field and met and fell in love with Rosalie Tateosian. He then enlisted in the army and served as a chemical engineer in the Korean War, manufacturing atropine, an antidote for nerve agents.
After returning from the war, Joe married Rosalie. They settled in Newton, Massachusetts where they had two children, Carla and Sandra. His loving wife, Rosalie, passed away at an early age and after some time, Joe found love again when he met and married Zita Estrada. They had two children, Joseph Jr. and Bianca and raised them on a farm in Standish, Maine. Joe decided at the age of 49 to step away from his successful engineering career to spend more time with his family and to hone his self - taught farming skills.
Years later, Joe and his beloved wife Zita decided they wanted to live in a gentler climate and moved the family to Missouri where Joseph pastored a church. After experiencing the fields of the Midwest, they returned to Watertown Massachusetts while the children finished up middle school and then moved to Florida where they built a life in Miami and also Jacksonville. While in Florida, Joe became a realtor for a brief time and eventually devoted himself to the pleasures of gardening, reading, listening to music among many other hobbies and interests. Most recently, Joe and his wife returned to life on the farm in Homestead, Florida where they were able to spend time with their beautiful grandchildren.
Joseph was preceded in death by his parents, his brother, his sister, and his first wife, Rosalie. He is survived by his loving wife Zita Estrada Eknaian, his children Carla Dacey and her husband Mark, Sandra Eknaian, Joseph Eknaian Jr., Bianca Morales and her husband Ernesto, as well as by his grandchildren Gina Dacey, Mia Dacey, Bianca Sophia Morales, Ernesto Morales Jr. Kai Morales and Geraldine Morales, his brother's children Leo Eknaian Jr, George Eknaian, Elizabeth Najjarian, and many other loving nieces and nephews.
Joe is most remembered by those that met him and knew him for his warmth and generosity of spirit, his kindness, his infectious laugh, his zest for life and his faith in God. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, uncle and friend. He will be missed dearly but will live forever in our hearts.
Graveside prayer services will be held on Tuesday, February 15 at Newton Cemetery,791 Walnut Street, Newton, MA 02459 at 11:00 a.m. Please go directly to the cemetery on Tuesday morning and cars will assemble within the front gate at 10:45 and the Cemetery staff will take us to the gravesite.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Francis Ouimet Scholarship Fund www.ouimet.org Veteran U.S.Army, Korean Conflict.