Joseph B. Phelan

Joseph Bernard Phelan, 88, of Southold NY, Boynton Beach FL, and most recently, Mountainside NJ passed away peacefully on May 23, 2019. He was surrounded by his loving family.
Joseph is survived by his five children, Stephen Phelan (Diane), Siobhan Atkinson (Thomas), Kieran Phelan, Kara O’Keefe (Stephen) and Deirdre Mulvihill (James), and also his sister, Mary Roche.
He was the proud and cherished PopPops to Sinead, Ryan, Christine, Mairead, Brendan, Eamon, Aidan and Aislinn. He was pre-deceased by his beloved wife of 62 years, Patricia, his brother William and his sister Evelyn.
Joseph was born in NYC and raised in the Bronx, Rockaway and Ireland. He attended Samuel Gompers High School for one year and then transferred to Aviation High School to pursue his dream of becoming an aeronautical engineer. In early 1947, circumstances brought his parents back to County Kildare, Ireland, where Joe and his three siblings spent the next two and a half years.
In 1949, at the age of 19, he returned to New York where he worked at various jobs such as delivering ice, a shoe salesman in the Empire State Building and an elevator operator in the Channing Building – he always joked that this particular job “had its ups and downs.”
A family friend suggested that he apply for a position as a hospital orderly, at Manhattan State Hospital at which time he decided to pursue a nursing degree.
Joe met his future wife, Patricia, a fellow nursing student, and they fell in love.
Joe and Pat were married in 1954, and shortly thereafter, Joe was drafted into the U.S. Army, serving 16 months as a Clinical Specialist RN at the famous 121st Evacuation Hospital in Seoul, South Korea. He received an honorable discharge in 1956, and remained in the Army Reserve, for the next seven years.
Joseph continued his Nursing career and, in 1959, he enrolled in night school at Hunter College, NY where he went on to earn his Bachelor’s degree in Nursing.
His nursing career spanned three decades with NYC Health & Hospitals Corporation, working in various supervisory capacities at Coler Memorial Hospital and Goldwater Memorial Hospital on Roosevelt Island. He concluded his long career as the Associate Director of Nursing, at Sea View Hospital Rehabilitation Center & Home, located in Staten Island, NY.
One of his many accomplishments at Sea View was training a large group of nurses recruited from overseas during the nursing shortage in the late 1970’s. Some of those nurses continue to work at Sea View today as head nurses and supervisors, and one became Director of Nursing, of Sea View. They were always grateful for the kindness, education and support that “Mister Phelan” provided them.
Joseph and Patricia raised five children with much love and instilled a good work ethic in all.
He was a devoted PopPops to 8 grandchildren and taught them about birds, wildlife and the sea. Taking them on trips to the beaches in Southold and Florida was one of his favorite things to do.
Joe and Pat enjoyed their snowbird lives with winters in Boynton Beach FL. For many years, Joe was active in softball and bowling leagues. But most of all, he loved spending time at the Shamrock Club of the Palm Beaches where he served as President for several years. They enjoyed their Irish heritage at the Club with live music and dancing, sharing good times with friends and family.
Summers in Southold, NY meant spending lots of time with the kids and grandkids: swimming, clamming, boating and sailing. Joe always loved to work on home projects, both big and small, and taught us how to use every type of tool imaginable. He could fix anything. He could build anything and could grow anything. He was the “Energizer Bunny” to us, always on the move, always ready for the next project.
At the end of the day, he enjoyed sitting on the deck in Southold, or in his chair in the garage in Boynton Beach, working on crossword puzzles and watching the world go by. He was an avid fan of “Wheel of Fortune” and “Jeopardy”.
He was a loving husband, father, PopPops and friend who will be truly missed by all.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the following:
Mountainside Rescue Squad- Mountainside NJ 07092
The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research,
or the charity of your choice.