Joseph Pierre Roche, 61, of Burlington, died Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023, at the Southeast Iowa Regional Hospice House in West Burlington.
Born Sept. 25, 1961, in Burlington, he was the son of Pierre and Betty Roche. He was a 1981 graduate of Burlington High School.
He married Nancy Gilbertson, they later divorced but remained close friends.
Joe worked for Pepsi, Aldi Warehouse, and more recently co-managed Taco Johns along with Nancy.
He attended the Salvation Army and was very close to Ali and Nathan Welch and their son. He loved attending services, and lunches and spending time with his friends there.
He was a kind, loving soul who had very little but had the world. He was deeply and greatly loved by all who knew him. He was a true dog lover, enjoyed the river, and was known to be quite a bargain hunter. Along with his “thrifting”, he was also very generous and donated items to many area drop-off locations. Joe was an avid Iowa Hawkeye fan and loved watching football.
He is survived by his dog, Buddy; two stepchildren, David Gilbertson of Burlington and Jessica Dalton of Mediapolis; three sisters, Diane (Joe) Poisel, DeLaine (Jay) Duke, and Dana (Mike) Malloy, all of Burlington; and six nieces and nephews, Emily Underwood, Natalie Vahle, Austin Duke, Trevor Duke, Brandon Malloy and Bryanna Hulett. He was preceded in death by his parents.
A celebration of life will be held at 2 p.m. Oct. 21 at the Burlington Gym. A memorial has been established for P.A.W.S. of Fort Madison.
According to his wishes, cremation has been accorded and entrusted to the care of Lunning Chapel.