Joe Pelaez

[oaks1912]

I received a phone call today from Joe Pelaez' sister, informing me that Joe passed away in late April. Joe was an active collector for many years, and very passionate about the hobby. While controversial at times, Joe was never afraid to speak his mind about the darker sides of the hobby, in an attempt to alert others about some of these areas. There will be a memorial service at Arlington National Cemetery in early July. Once the family has additional information, I will post it on Net54 for those interested in attending. Rest in peace, Amigo..... Mark Macrae

[slidekellyslide]

RIP Joe. I'll bet he's stirring up Net54heaven.com right now.

[calvindog]

Joe P?

[autograf]

Rip....

[Leon]

This brings a tear to my eye. For all he was or wasn't I really liked him. Even with his short term suspension from the board he and I emailed often. We ALWAYS got along well. You could always count on Joe to speak his mind. I am very, very saddened.

edited as I would like to send my condolences to his family. I don't know why but this one really hit me.....RIP my friend...

[Robextend]

Seems like he was just posting yesterday....RIP Joe.

[bijoem]

sad news. RIP.

[calvindog]

My condolences to his family and loved ones.

[slidekellyslide]

Joe's last post to Net 54 was on April 25th. He let the whippersnapper from Chicago have it in Joe P style.

http://www.net54baseball.com/showpos...6&postcount=28

We're going to miss you Joe.

[barrysloate]

As many on the board know Joe and I simply did not get along. We were friends many years ago and then something just seemed to happen between us. That said, no disagreement is so important that it would overshadow this very sad moment. My condolences to his family and if Joe is somehow still watching over this board, there are no longer any hard feelings between us.

[Jewish-collector]

I'm so sorry to hear that. Joe was one of the first guys that I met when I started coordinating the Friday lunches before the Chantilly show. I always enjoyed seeing him in Chantilly.

Alan

[wonkaticket]

This is very sad I talked with Joe many times over the years he was quite a character and had some wonderful stories. I know he would butt heads with folks on here from time to time but on the phone he was quite a different person and fun person to chat with.

One of my most memorable talks with Joe was about the film/TV industry.

My thoughts go out to the family during this tough time.

Good Bye Joe, I will miss you.

John

Mark, please keep me posted as to the services I would like to attend if I can.

[slidekellyslide]

Originally Posted by wonkaticket

This is very sad I talked with Joe many times over the years he was quite a character and had some wonderful stories. I know he would butt heads with folks on here from time to time but on the phone he was quite a different person and fun person to chat with.

One of my most memorable talks with Joe was about the film/TV industry.

My thoughts go out to the family during this tough time.

Good Bye Joe, I will miss you.

John

Mark, please keep me posted as to the services I would like to attend if I can.

Joe and I used to email back and forth a bit when he was suspended from Net54...he loved to talk about his days in show business. He was always a bit gruff in here, but always very nice in emails.

[Jacklitsch]

Wow, this really is sad news. Joe was an alright guy, kind of crochety, but then at 78 or so he was entitled.

At this rate I may soon become the elder stateman on Net54.

Sorry to see you go Joe. RIP

[mzm55]

This is an utter shame; I knew Joe very well. We used to speak every few weeks on the phone for a few hours; his stories were always great and you could never get him off the phone! I feel bad, I was going to call him later this week since I'm now finished with school for the summer. The last time I talked with him he seemed like he was in really poor shape, heart pains and extreme difficulty in simply moving around.

Joe will be missed greatly.

[Jim VB]

Good bye Potomac Yank!

Joe was a little rough around the edges, but he was always entertaining. You never quite knew which way he would go on an issue, but he was never "leaning." Whichever way he went, he went all out.

He will be missed.

[Abravefan11]

I never met Joe but a little over a month ago he called me on the phone and I had the pleasure of listening to him talk for almost two hours about his life and the hobby. It was truly my pleasure.

[mark evans]

I knew Joe from the Chantilly shows. Although he had a tendency to dominate conversations and be argumentative at times, I think deep down he was a good-hearted person and he certainly loved the hobby. Like myself, I'm sure that the other Chantilly regulars will miss him.

[4815162342]

May God comfort the loved ones he left behind. 2 Corinthians 5:8

[ottosue]

Joe Pelaez passed away at the end of April.
Don Otto Ortolani
email ottosue@aol.com

[scgaynor]

I am very sorry to hear that. He and I had several great conversations over dinner after the Chantilly shows back in the late 1990's. He was a really fun guy to talk to and had a very interesting life as well as a really nice collection of cards.

Scott

[oldjudge]

I never met Joe in person (though I hoped to at this year's National), but I feel like I have just lost a relative. What a shock. I talked to him on the phone several times and emailed with him quite a bit. In all honesty, most the emails were humorous stories that Joe would send out. He was an old time dedicated collector who loved his cards and loved finsihing sets. He never mentioned what a card was worth, but was only concerned with whether he needed it or not. Maybe he was a little rough around the edges with some, but Joe, and people like him, are the real backbone of the hobby and he will be sorely missed. God bless Joe.

[Brian Weisner]

Zach summed it up quite well for me.... I was afraid something might be wrong when he disappeared from the board a few weeks ago.... Joe and I didn't always agree, but we both enjoyed talking cards and swapping "war stories". Rest in peace Brian


PS I regret not taking the time to drive up one weekend and hookup Joe's scanner.... He had some amazing cards and really wanted to share them with others, as many from the show circuit will attest. The "Ole Man" with the binder from Spanish Harlem....

[mrvster]

Sorry to hear of this. My condolences to his family...

Johnny

[cfc1909]

Joe-rest in peace buddy

Scott B, Dan M. me and Joe P had a great time at the last Chantily show. Classic old time collector-I am so glad I got to meet him

[toppcat]

Sorry to hear this-never met him but generally enjoyed his posts. RIP

[forazzurri2axz]

I will give a thought to our many emails/conversations, and with my left fist clenched in the air, I'll cast a vote for me and you together my friend

El pueblo unido jamas sera vencido!!!

[jp1216]

RIP Joe - his posts were always read and respected. His last post was one to re-read. Well done Joe.

[t213]

I first met Joe in the late 90s at one of the early Chantilly shows and he carried around a backpack in which he had his T217 and T209 near sets in binders and he showed them to me. I also used to see him at Potomac Nationals (single A) games near our homes. Great guy.
RIP
Andy

[Tcards-Please]

RIP ole friend.

Although we didn't always see eye to eye (especially when it came to politics), he was truly a wonderful guy. I plan on attending.

Here is the funeral information from: http://www.loudounfuneralchapel.com/

Name:
Joseph M. Pelaez

Date:
May 2nd, 1931 - May 3rd, 2010

Obituary:
Graveside services will be held at 10:00 on Wednesday, July 7th 2010 in Arlington National Cemetery.

Obituary Pending


Cemetery:
Arlington National Cemetery
Fort Myer, VA 22211 (map/driving directions)

[brickyardkennedy]

Agree or disagree with his posts, He was always fun to read and I am truly saddened to hear of Joe's passing. Rest well, Joe.

[teetwoohsix]

This is very sad.I had also noticed that he suddenly stopped posting,but didn't imagine it was because of this.My condolences also go out to his family.Rest In Peace Joe P.

Sincerely,Clayton

[Brian Weisner]

Hi Frank,
Thanks for the info.... I won't make the service, but will visit his grave in August when I head to Arlington to honor my uncle....
Be well Brian

[Jason Carota]

Very sad to hear the news. I never met Joe in person, but we exchanged quite a few emails in the past dealing with the T210 set, and other aspects of the hobby. The education I received is priceless.

RIP, Joe.

[iggyman]

My sincere condolences to the family.

Wow! For purely selfish reasons, this board will now always seem a bit empty without Joe.

RIP......

[rhettyeakley]

I never met the guy in person and like many he did get under my skin on occassion BUT he was truly passionate about this hobby and the hobby is worse off without him. From what he said his collection was truly outstanding and he dedicated more time than most to contibuting to the betterment of our community. He is probably dominating discussions as we speak with the ballplayers he collected for the past 70 years, RIP my friend!

Joe, you will be in my prayers!

[Orioles1954]

I always got along with Joe...I guess that's because we're both opinionated....for better or worse. RIP.

[ghostmarcelle]

I am very sorry to hear of Joe's passing. He had a great passion and sense of humor about our hobby, and will be missed.

I loved his Luque story!

Although I did not know Joe well he always seemed to have something positive to say to me even in the midst of all the crap. I am very saddened to hear of this. May you be well and my deepest condolense to your family Joe.

[Ladder7]

Life screams by...

Thanks for serving Joe.

[botn]

Wow, what a bummer. I got into a few times with Joe many years ago. After one of our message board battles he picked up the telephone to speak with me. We became friends by the end of that conversation and never looked back. To know him was to love him. His presence will surely be missed.

[sb1]

As Jim stated a few pages earlier, he, Dan and I along with long time collector Ashby M. sat down with Joe for well nearly 2 hours at the last Chantilly show. And yes, Joe had his binder with T217's, T210's and T209's, and he also had his 3 key T206's with him(highlited by a magificent Doyle). None of these cards carried "value" to Joe, each had it's own story and special place in his collection.

Joe and I had emailed back and forth for nearly a decade, he even had an old email from me in his binder! Joe explained to me he had been ill and was on the mend, but getting around for a long period on his feet was quite a task. He was very concerned about being able to get to Baltimore and if so if he would have the stamina to make the walking of the aisles of such a huge venue.

Unfortunately many people will now not get to meet Joe in person and get to experience first hand his enthusiasm for collecting.

Good bye Joe, it was an honor to get to know you!

Scott

[jimthorpe]

Joe was a good guy and loved the Mono issue.

Does anyone know if he ever completed that set?

Deepest sympathy to him and his family.

Mike McKee

[FrankWakefield]

I enjoyed his posts here, agreed with most of them. I'll miss those, and his emails. He'd email whenever you guys got him stirred up, or when I was stirred...

Joe knew quite a bit about ball, and ball cards, especially the old stuff and the old ways. I liked that. His presence here was good for us, I don't doubt he was a noticeable presence in his family. I'm sure his family will miss him, as we will. I recall him mentioning his service to me, seems fitting he'll rest at Arlington.

FW

[Al C.risafulli]

Warm regards and condolences to his family.

-Al

[Kawika]

At first I didn't "get" Joe; thought he was a bit of a berserker the way he went after Barry. Gradually I got used to the obtuse nature of his posts and, being a bit obtuse myself, came to appreciate him for the way he rolled. His irascible ways were tempered with much aloha and came with the territory of being 79 years old. We should all live so long and become so curmudgeonly. I think of what those eyes saw, a Cuban boy in New York City in the Depression, the Polo Grounds in Play Ball days, the lay of hostile land as a Marine in Korea, and I say to myself, that was an all-American life, a good American has left us.
I regret that I never got to meet Joe in person but was the recipient of occasional e-mails from him. The last one, dated April 5, was pure Joe and read in part:

David, you're one of my favorites . . .
. . . Hang tough, and enjoy your cardoholic illness.
Joe

Thanks for the kind sentiments, Joe. You're going to be missed. May you rest in peace, compadre.

[barrysloate]

David- I know not everybody can like someone, and not everybody likes me, but I never understood the fierce animosity Joe had towards me. I guess I will never find out.

[19cbb]

My condolences to the family.

Rest In Peace.

[3-2-count]

Very sad indeed. My thoughts and prayers go out to Joe's family.
Rest In Peace Joe............

[nolemmings]

I'm going to miss Joe, whose posts I always enjoyed. Unlike many of you, I never got to speak with him, either in person or on the phone, and I now wish I had known he was so communicative-- I always like to chat cards. Anyway, he and I exchanged a few emails over the past couple of years, and really hit it off, mostly because he was a veteran of the war in which my father fought, and because he and I shared much of the same social and political philosophy.

I too was hoping to spend some time with him at the National. My sincere condolences and warmest regards to his family and friends.