Joe Maurice Datin was born on February 10, 1921 in Chicago, Illinois, to Aaron and Marie Datin. An only child raised during the depression, he learned to make do, work hard and find creative ways to earn money.He scavenged iron to sell, one time "trading-up" for a wood stove that became his mother's new cookstove.He cut and sold firewood, delivered papers and helped his dad in the service station they lived above.During one very hard winter he played shepherd while his dad was away, cutting tree branches to feed a large flock when the sheep couldn't get to any food under the snow.At thirteen Joe bought his first car, which he knew how to drive it and fix.During Joe's teenage years his parents sold nearly all their possessions and, taking only what would fit in their car, moved to the Seattle area.They settled near Burien where Joe attended Highline High School.Upon graduation, while his parents moved to Vashon Island, he left for Fort Lewis and then WWII, serving in the South Pacific theatre, primarily New Guinea and Australia.He was in the motor pool and part of the medics.Joe's military service was very important to him.He valued his comrades to his final days, keeping in touch through reunions, Christmas cards and phone calls.

After discharge Joe went to Kansas to meet up with an army buddy and there met and married Helen Leonhardt.While living there he built roads and had two daughters, Josephine and Margaret.In 1950 Joe and Helen brought their family to Seattle, settling in the South End.They proceeded to have four sons, Jack, William, Joe and John.

Over the years Joe spent time as a mechanic, in road construction, as night watchman for K-2 on Vashon, fighting forest fires and searching for people lost in the mountains.However, for most of the rest of his life he worked as a construction laborer, building homes all over West Seattle as well as the family home in Top Hat and commercial buildings all over the Greater Seattle area.According to the last ambulance driver, his pride and joy was the round building on the corner of California and Fauntleroy that has served as home for low income and handicapped people for many years.He enjoyed pointing out the many homes and businesses he had helped to build.

When his wife Helen became ill with Alzheimer's, Joe became her care giver, not asking for help until she became too ill for him to handle alone.While she was at VCCC, he was there everyday feeding her, taking care of her needs, loving her.The day after her memorial service he was back at the care center feeding "old people" twice a day, which he continued until this last illness.It was "His Job" for fourteen years often leaving holiday celebrations to go do it.

Joe played the trumpet and the piccolo and sang old songs encouraging his children to love music.He was honest, had a strong spirit and taught his children to value learning. They learned to respect and enjoy nature, to hunt for mushrooms and other wild food and to always carry a jackknife.He had great strength of character.Through broken shoulders, wrists, hips and heart, through angioplasty, quadruple bypass, cataract surgery and skin cancer, Joe persevered and continually worked his way back to living life well.Even his ability to stop drinking cold turkey was a tribute to his strength of character. His sense of fun using nicknames for most people, loving his vicious geese as if they were his children, letting the chickens sit all over him as he petted them, harassing and teasing and having adventures, all served to make his life rich and entertaining.

We will miss his stories a" stories of WWII, of the depression, of his childhood, of the people he had met like Cole Porter, Jean Tierney and Oleg Cassini, of the people he had loved and of our family history.We will miss him.He was your friend and comrade.He was our Dad. A graveside service followed by a picnic at Dockton Park was held on July 12th.Details