Joseph Dale McElrath's Obituary
Joseph Dale McElrath, 66, died peacefully in his sleep at Levine and Dickson Hospice House in Huntersville, NC on February 7, 2016.
Joseph Dale McElrath was born in Birmingham Alabama on August 23, 1949 to the late Howard William McElrath and Florence Brantley McElrath. He was the fourth born of five children. At an early age, Joseph and his family moved to Detroit Michigan so his father could have better employment opportunities. Joseph was a very bright and curious young man. He looked up to his older brother Howard, who preceded him in death, for guidance and support. Upon graduating from Central High School, he was drafted into the U.S. Army where he served from 1967 to 1971. After basic training, he was stationed in Hawaii and worked in the auto mechanics field. Joseph received an Honorable Discharge, then returned to Detroit and began working for General Motors for several years. In 1973 he began working for IBM as a Field Engineer. This sparked his interest in the electronics and computer field which he enjoyed throughout his life.
Joseph worked in Tucson, Arizona for a while and eventually transferred to Dallas Texas, where he retired from IBM in 1993. He attended Mountain View College In Dallas, where he received in 1992 an Associates Degree in Applied Science. In 1994 he received a Computer Science and Engineering Degree at The University of Texas at Dallas. After retirement he continued to work in the Information Technology field doing part-time troubleshooting for businesses and friends, as well as, continued to study programming to sharpen his craft.
He met his wife Wanda in Dallas, then later moved to North Carolina and wed her in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 18, 2005. In North Carolina he began working for South Piedmont Community College in the IT department working with telecommunications and later advancing to being a Network Technician. He studied Cisco and received his certification as a Cisco Technician. He worked there until his second retirement 2014. Soon after retirement he became ill with cancer.
Joseph enjoyed the news and politics. He was active with the Democratic campaign and he supported political groups, as well as, Cancer Research and various charities in the community. He loved to travel, enjoyed car racing, riding motorcycles and working on cars. He also liked to read and research information on the internet. Joseph enjoyed communicating with friends through social media. Later in his illness, he lost his hearing which was troublesome for him since he was a very social person. Joseph had a big personality and a strong sense of self. He was a force to be reckoned with and he enjoyed being different. He had a big heart and a generous nature.
He leaves to mourn, his Wife, Wanda McElrath, of Charlotte, NC; son, Jeffrey McElrath and Wife Christie of Dallas Texas; Sisters, Carolyn Lewis of Detroit, Michigan and Rozalyne Reynolds and husband George Reynolds of Bloomfield Michigan; Grandson Jaylon McElrath of Phoenix, Arizona; Brother in-law Ronald Cox and wife Betsy of Elizabeth, Colorado; Sister-in-Law Brenda McElrath of Southfield, Michigan; father-in-law Junius Cox of Charlotte, NC and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins other family members and dear friends.
A funeral service will be held at 12:00 Saturday, February 13, 2016 at James Funeral Home with Rev. Rick Felts officiating. Viewing will be 11-12:00 prior. A reception will follow in the James Funeral Home Community Room.
James Funeral Home of Huntersville is serving the McElrath family and online condolences can be made at www.jamesfuneralhomeLKN.com
What’s your fondest memory of Joseph?
What’s a lesson you learned from Joseph?
Share a story where Joseph's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Joseph you’ll never forget.
How did Joseph make you smile?