Joseph Pollak, Jr.

Joseph Pollak, Jr., 76, of Toms River, passed away peacefully on August 4, 2023 at the Jersey Shore Medical Center in Neptune. He was the devoted husband to the late Karen Jane (Schiess) Pollak. Joe was born in Passaic on February 15, 1947, the son of the late Joseph Pollak, Sr. and the late Emily Lillian (Fletcher) Pollak. He spent his childhood growing up in Wallington, where he played football and was co-captain of the Wallington High School football team. He graduated in 1966, never losing contact with his childhood friends who would become his lifelong friends, and who gave him the nickname "Joe Ear". After graduating high school, Joe joined the United States Navy where he proudly served during the Vietnam War era. He was stationed at Midway Island and worked on aircraft carriers servicing the Navy airplanes. Upon returning from military service, Joe returned to his hometown of Wallington and became a volunteer fireman for the Wallington Fire Department Station #1, where he was a member from 1971 to 1978. He soon met the love of his life, Karen, and they married in 1973. They lived in a small apartment in Wallington for several years before finding Karen's dream home in Toms River near the water where they could raise their family at the shore. They moved to Toms River in 1976 and spent the rest of their lives together in their home. He took the skills he learned in the Navy and spent his career working as an aircraft technician, working for Butler Aviation, then FedEx at Newark Airport, where he retired in 2016. Joe enjoyed all the things that came with life at the shore - boating, fishing, clamming, crabbing, water skiing, his jet ski, and the beach. He also loved his vegetable garden, sharing his tomatoes with everyone and making a great clam sauce over linguini. His favorite memories were trips to Europe and Hawaii with Karen, his fishing trips to Rhode Island and his biggest fishing trip, to Alaska. His favorite place in the world was Hawaii. In addition to his late wife Karen and his late parents, he was the brother of the late Judy Dawson and Lorraine Gruca and her husband Michael Gruca. He was the father of Craig Pollak, Scott Pollak and his wife Lora Pollak, Jana Oberlin and her husband, the late Kevin Oberlin, and Suzanne Pollak. He was the grandfather of Eva Pollak, Mya Pollak and Olivia Oberlin. A visitation is scheduled at Silverton Memorial Funeral Home, Toms River for Tuesday August 15 from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM. A second visitation is scheduled at Kamienski Funeral Home, Wallington for Wednesday August 16 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM. This will immediately be followed by a funeral service at 12:00 PM and burial at St. Michael's Cemetery, South Hackensack. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Joe's name to the Wounded Warriors Project at .

Joseph Pollak, Jr.

February 15, 1947 - August 4, 2023