‘Fireman Joe’ always looked on the bright side of life
Published January 2, 2020
VALRICO, Fla. — Joseph Pothier Jr., 64, often known as “Fireman Joe,” passed away at his home in Valrico, Florida, while surrounded by loved ones on December 19, 2019.
Joe was born March 1, 1955 in North Reading, Massachusetts, where he grew up one of eight siblings. Joe moved to Florida in 1994 and continued serving as a Firefighter/EMT/Engineer for a combined 37 years (North Reading Fire Department, Fort Devens Air Force Base, Homestead Air Force Base, and MacDill Air Force Base).
Joe, a hero in both his professional and personal life, always reminded others to “look on the bright side of life.” Joe is survived by his wife of 37 years, Dale, his son Justin, his daughter Hannah and son-in-law Samuel, and six siblings: Francis, Linda, Charles, Patricia, Elizabeth and James. Joe was preceded in death by his parents, Joseph and Gertrude, and his sister, Joyce.
A celebration of his life will be scheduled at a future date. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to pancreatic cancer research (https://secure.pancan.org/).
