Joseph Mathew Quigley

Our beloved Commander Joseph Mathew Quigley, born Dec. 30, 1936, to Lillian Trautwein and Joseph Patrick Quigley in Hempstead, NY, passed away on Dec. 21, 2019. A man of great loyalty, strength, and affection, it is hard to describe how much we will miss him. Joe grew up in Lindenhurst, NY, with much of his childhood spent in his family’s delicatessens that were a hub of the community. He graduated from Lindenhurst High School in 1954 where he excelled at wrestling, winning the state championship in 1953. He went on to graduate from Hofstra College in 1958 with a B.B.A. and the rank of 2nd Lieutenant from the NROTC program. Upon graduation, Joe dedicated his life to serving his country and community. He began his military career in the U.S. Marine Corps, completing flight training in Pensacola, FL. He then transitioned to the U.S. Navy where he had a distinguished 26-year career as a decorated Naval officer. The Navy is where his passion for the sea and education flourished. With his home port in Newport, RI, Joe was Academic Director of the Naval Officer Candidate School and completed several tours of duty, including: the USS Calcaterra, a radar picket ship in the North Atlantic; Operations Officer of Guantanamo Bay during the Cuban Missile Crisis; service in San Diego; sea service during the Vietnam War on several Gearing-class destroyers, including the USS Glennon (DD-840), the USS Forest Sherman (DD-931), and the USS Lloyd Thomas (DD-764). The tour of duty he remembers most was serving as Executive Officer of the William R. Rush (DD-714) during a diplomatic tour, circumnavigating the globe. He was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal for exemplary leadership for this tour. His last sea service tour was on the USS Mount Whitney (LCC-20). Joe then turned his focus to academia, joining the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD, as Chairman of the Seamanship and Tactics Department and sailing coach. While there, he was an integral part of the team that created the specifications for the Yard Patrol vessels for training midshipmen. He also earned a M.Ed. to advance his interest in teaching. For his final tour of duty, he served as a Professor of Naval Science and Executive Officer of the NROTC unit at Cornell University. While at Cornell, Joe created the nation’s first sail training program for NROTC midshipmen. He procured different sailing vessels for the program—many may remember the China Doll on Cayuga Lake—and he led training voyages in the Finger Lakes, Great Lakes, the Atlantic, and the Marion-Bermuda race. On completion of his Naval career, Joe earned a M.H.A. from the Cornell Hotel School and retired in Ithaca where he began a career in real estate and property development with the Southwoods neighborhood project. He served on the Board of the Salvation Army and as president of both the Ithaca Realtors Association and the Ithaca Rotary Club. Joe and his wife Tanny greatly enjoyed being part of the Ithaca community and their companionship with friends of more than 40 years. In retirement, they also set sail on their boat, forging new friendships and experiencing adventures in the Bahamas, Florida, and on the Chesapeake Bay. These concluded with the onset of Parkinson’s disease, a condition Joe managed and fought for many years. His courage and his abiding love during this period—and throughout his life—were ever-present, and his fighting spirit for the things he believed in never waned. We will miss him so much. Joe is survived by his wife Ann “Tanny” Quigley. He was predeceased by his wife Barbara Anne Quigley of 34 years in 1991. Together, Joe and Barbara instilled a commitment to family that defines the extended Quigley clan to this day. He is survived by daughters Joanne Quigley Mitchell (Walter), Maureen Quigley (Scott Liles) and son Joseph Quigley (Mary Balfour); stepdaughters Lauren MacIntyre and Amy Lucey (Brian); six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He is survived by three brothers, John, Thomas, and Michael, and their families. Donations can be made to the Parkinson’s Foundation (www.parkinson.org) and St. Catherine of Siena Church, Ithaca, NY. The family would also like to thank the staff at Eddy Village Green at Beverwyck for their love, friendship, and support. Services will be held on Saturday, Jan. 4, at 11:00 a.m. at St. Catherine of Siena Church in Ithaca, NY. Reception to follow.