John A. “JJ” Joseph

Rochester: July 7, 2026. John is survived by his parents, Bart & Becky (Payne) Joseph; sisters, Angela (Rupesh Das) Joseph & Melissa Joseph; nephew, Desmond Joseph Das; he is also survived by, aunts, uncles, cousins, fellow firefighters, & friends. John was predeceased by his beloved cat Otto.

John’s life story will be shared during his visitation at the funeral home, 1411 Vintage Lane, (Between 390 & Long Pond Rd.), Tuesday, July 14th, 12-3 PM & 5-8 PM. His funeral service will be celebrated at the Blue Cross Arena, 1 War Memorial Square, Wednesday, July 15th, 11AM. Immediately following, John will be laid to rest alongside his fellow fire fighters in Mt. Hope Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to a charity of your choice in John’s memory.

Remembering John~

Lieutenant John Alfred Joseph arrived in his beloved city of Rochester, NY on September 8, 1988, the youngest child of Bart and Becky Joseph. He lived a life of service to others, following in his father’s footsteps. He first donned the uniform many years before this, though it was a homemade uniform sewn by his mother using one of his father’s old uniforms. John graduated from the Rochester Fire Academy in 2008 at the age of only 19, just two years after his graduation from Kendall Jr./Sr. High School.

John drew from a seemingly boundless well of energy, pursuing a multitude of hobbies in his spare time, including gracefully floating down from the sky in one of his colorful wingsuits or shepherding a novice skydiver in a tandem harness, swooshing down the slopes on skis, climbing the Adirondack peaks, playing ice hockey and kickball, riding his bicycle down the snowy streets of Rochester, sailing, kayaking, scuba diving, and amassing an encyclopedia’s worth of esoteric historical facts.

John loved cats from an early age and found great joy in caring for his own cats and strays alike. His beloved Bengal, Otto, was his constant companion and joined John on many of his adventures.

John Alfred Joseph, known for his generous heart, adventurous spirit, and unique sense of humor passed from this life surrounded by his loved ones on July 7, 2026.