Elias Francis Joseph

The Mass of Christian Burial for Elias Francis Joseph, 88, of Tyler, will be held Friday, August 14, 2015, at 10:00 AM at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Tyler with Monsignor Milam J. Joseph officiating. Interment will follow at Rose Hill Cemetery under the direction of Stewart Family Funeral Home. Elias Francis Joseph died on August 6, 2015. He was born in 1927 in Drumright, OK, the proud son of Lebanese immigrants, Nora & Henry Joseph and the seventh of eight children. He was orphaned at the age of 9 and was raised by his older brother and sisters. Their family survived the Depression era by faith, family & hard work. After graduating as Salutatorian from high school he was drafted into the U.S. Army and was sent to White Sands Proving Grounds, New Mexico. He was assigned to the First Anti Aircraft Artillery Guided Missile Battalion in connection with Aberdeen Proving Grounds Mission to White Sands where he worked on ballistic research of liquid fueled V-2 rockets, America’s first large rockets. The rockets carried tracking cameras, and were known as “Little Bright Eyes”. While there, he was associated with Dr. Werner Von Braun. Elias graduated from Oklahoma A&M College, now Oklahoma State University, with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and a minor in Chemistry. He was hired, before graduation, by Union Carbide Chemical Company to work at Oak Ridge National Laboratory for the Atomic Energy Commission. He was assigned to Y-12, and worked on the Research & Development of Isotope Separation Systems, separating the isotopes of Hydrogen, Lithium, Boron, Nitrogen & Oxygen. This process produced materials for the development of the Hydrogen Bomb. Elias met his future wife, Marnie Sedberry, at a Catholic state conference in Gatlinburg, TN in 1953. They became engaged, broke up, became engaged again and were finally married in 1956 in Nashville, TN! In 1958, they moved to Tyler, TX to work for J.B. Sedberry Manufacturing where he developed one of the first paper disintegrators, known as shredders today. Followed by the invention of the very first currency destructor, which was initially installed in the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas followed by installations in other U.S. Federal Reserve Banks and foreign central banks in South America, Europe, Asia & Africa. At the age of 50, he retired from the manufacturing business and after enjoying retirement for 2 years founded Josephs Catering with his wife and daughter, Byars. Thanks to their creativity, talent and hard work, Josephs’ Catering grew into a large and profitable business that properly served and deliciously fed U.S. Presidents & politicians, celebrated weddings and honored accomplishments of friends and family for over 26 years! During his life, Elias was of constant service to his community. He actively volunteered and served on various boards for the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Saint Gregory Cathedral School, Bishop Thomas K. Gorman Catholic School; Knights of Columbus, Andrews Center, March of Dimes; Smith County Association for Retarded Children; Opportunities of Tyler Workshop; Cedars of Lebanon and the Smith County Democrats. The world is a better place because of him. Elias will be remembered as a devoted husband, proud father, loyal friend and a faithful servant of God. He was a man of integrity, faith and honor and believed in justice for all, especially those who suffered discrimination of any kind. He is survived by his wife, Marnie; his children and their families, Bernadine & Bob Daniell, Byars & David McCall, Henriette & Greg Doke, and Christopher Joseph; and his grandchildren Emily Daniell Brooks, Will Daniell & Bliss Joseph. He is also survived by sisters, Adele Salem and Elizabeth Naifeh both of Drumright, OK, and a multitude of nephews, nieces and friends. He is preceded in death by his son, Elias Francis Joseph, Jr., his parents, brothers, Fred and George Joseph, and sisters, Nellie Slyman, Alice Nesser, and Marie Joseph. Pallbearers will be Austin Brooks, Robert Daniell, William Daniell, Greg Doke, David McCall and Matthew Oxler. Visitation is scheduled on Thursday, August 13, 2015, from 5:00 - 7:00 PM, followed by the Rosary at 7:00 PM at the Stewart Family Funeral Home, 7525 Old Jacksonville Hwy., in Tyler. Memorial gifts may be made to the Elias F. Joseph and Family Scholarship Fund at The Tyler Catholic School Foundation, P.O. Box 131175, Tyler, TX 75713 or to the Hospice of East Texas Foundation, 4111 University Blvd., Tyler, TX 75701. “Well done, good and faithful servant…Enter into the joy of your master.” Matt. 25:23

Elias Francis Joseph

May 1, 1927 - August 6, 2015