Joseph Lawrence Lemens II

WATERSMEET, Mich. — Joseph Lawrence Lemens II, 60, unexpectedly passed away of natural causes on Nov. 4, 2022, at his home in Watersmeet.

Joe was born March 29, 1962, in Green Bay, Wisconsin. He was the son of Mary Anne (Krumdick) Lemens and the late Joseph Laurence Lemens. Joe attended Preble High School and graduated in 1980. He later attended DeVry College in the Chicago area and received an associate degree in electrical engineering in 1983.

Serving in the U.S. Army Reserves, Joe met the love of his life, Kathryn Ann Dorpat, and on Nov. 30, 1985, they were married in Milwaukee. Joe was a husband, father, grandfather, and worked as an engineer for UPS for 36 years. Joe honorably served our nation and retired in April 2022 as a chief warrant officer 5 with 42 years of service in the U.S. Army National Guard, with much of his service as a helicopter pilot. Joe had four deployments to the Middle East. His military awards and decorations include the Combat Action Badge, Master Aviator Wings, Legion of Merit, and the Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters.

Joe was known for his handiness, his larger-than-life personality, his strong moral character and charitability, and for his infectious smile and laugh. He will be remembered as a man who made countless sacrifices in service of his country and who worked tirelessly to provide for his family and for being generous in his time to help countless family and friends. While he has left us far too soon, he lived life to its fullest. He loved boating, being on an ATV, and snowmobiling. He and his wife Kathy recently moved from their home of 32 years in Lombard, Illinois, to their retirement cabin on the lake in Watersmeet, where Joe was constantly making home improvements.

Joe is survived by his wife, Kathryn; his children, Jaime, Joseph III (Katelyn Lemens), and Jordan (Connor Gibbons); and his grandchildren, Isla and Joseph IV; and by his mother- and father-in-law, Dianne and Fred Dorpat. He was preceded in death by his father, Joseph Laurence Lemens and is survived by his mother, Mary Anne Lemens; and his siblings, Michelle Hokenson (Mike), Debbie Olson (Steve), Greg Lemens (Tonya), Jim Lemens (Jill), and Dan Lemens (Cortney); and many loving nieces and nephews.

Please join the Lemens family as they celebrate the life of Joe. The wake was held on Sunday, Nov. 13, at Brust Funeral Home, 135 S. Main St., in Lombard, Illinois, and is available for live streaming. A memorial service has taken place at Sacred Heart Catholic Parish, 114 S. Elizabeth St. in Lombard, on Monday, Nov. 14. Ultimately, Joe will be buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, our nation’s most hallowed ground.

Please omit flowers. In lieu of flowers, donations in Joe’s memory may be made to the Gary Sinise Foundation, P.O. Box 40726, Nashville, TN 37204; or to Fisher House, 652 Joel Drive, Fort Campbell, KY 42223.

For more information, visit brustfuneralhome.com.