The Reverend Joseph Andrew DiRaddo died peacefully on October 6th, 2017 after a brief battle with cancer. He resided at Bishop Gadsden Episcopal Retirement Community in Charleston, SC.
Joseph is survived by his wife of 63 years, Mary Goode Geer "Goodie" DiRaddo; his brother The Reverend Dr. James Di Raddo of Reisterstown, Maryland; Children Andrew Williams DiRaddo and Mary Kendall Tamlyn of Houston, TX; Joseph Geer DiRaddo of Albuquerque, NM; Christopher Nicholas Anthony DiRaddo of Austin, TX and Margaret Goode Dethero of Florence, AL, all of their spouses and numerous grand and great-grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his parents, Florence Grant and Nicholas Anthony DiRaddo.
Joseph was born on September 11, 1929 in Camden, NJ. He was graduated from the University of Pennsylvania. After receiving a call to ministry, he attended General Theological Seminary in NYC where he received a Master of Divinity degree. Joseph was ordained priest in November 1954 and married Goodie, of Charleston, SC in July of that same year.
Joseph's clerical life included St. Andrew's, Lincoln Park, NJ; All Saints' Florence, SC; Trinity Cathedral, Columbia, SC; Church of the Resurrection and St. James, Austin, TX; St. Paul's, Orange, TX; Church of the Epiphany, Houston, TX; and 'retired' from St. Luke's, San Antonio where the church school building was named in his honor. Additionally, Joseph was interim at several west Texas churches, including Church of the Messiah, Gonzales, TX.
Joseph and Goodie moved to Bishop Gadsden in 1999 where he spent time as the assistant chaplain, participating in weekly services and pastoral duties. He also served the Diocese of South Carolina as interim at several churches including Church of the Good Shepherd, Charleston, SC.
Father Joe impacted so many people's lives both in times of need and in times of celebration. From his early years, he was a champion of the ordination of women in the Episcopal Church.
A Memorial Service is scheduled for November 4, 2017, at 1:30 PM at The Bishop Gadsden Chapel, Charleston, SC, with a reception to follow. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Joseph's life. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Bishop Gadsden Episcopal Retirement Community Charitable Fund.
The family would like to thank the entire Bishop Gadsden community who surrounded and cared for Joseph at the end of his life.