Joe Howley

Joe Howley, 69, passed away on Monday, April 6, 2015.  Born in Belleville, NJ, Joe heard the call of the ocean at a young age, and spent as much time as possible on the water.

He enlisted with the United States Navy, where he was able to merge his love of the open ocean with travel.  He spent the next decades pursuing both passions by deep sea diving around the country, spending time with friends at the Atlas Boat Club, floating for hours on end in the Gulf of Mexico with family in Longboat Key, and enjoying life on trips to the Mediterranean with his wife of 37 years, Rita.

He was fiercely loyal, had a big laugh and a big heart, and greeted friends and family with a bear hug and a cocktail.  Joe spent his entire career working for the betterment of others as a mental health and addictions counselor, most recently at the Bayonne Community Mental Health Center where he worked for the better part of two decades.

Joe graduated from Admiral Farragut Academy in Pine Beach, NJ, Tarkio College in Missouri, and Seton Hall University in South Orange, NJ, where he received his master’s degree in counseling.  Joe was a lifetime member of the American Legion, a member of the US Aikido Federation, and past member of the New Jersey Counselors Association.

Joe is predeceased by his parents Joseph Francis Howley, Sr. and Clair Howley (nee: Carragher) and his in-laws Walter Urbanowicz and Clara Urbanowicz (nee: Gula).

He is survived by:

his wife Rita (nee: Urbanowicz);
his children John (Karen) Conway, Stephanie
(John) Gillespie and Kristin (Laurie Backall) Howley;
his six grandchildren Brian, Kevin, Jack,
Katie and Kelly Conway and Hannah Gillespie;
as well as his brother- and sister-in-law Don
(Mary Ellen) Urbanowicz;
and his nephews and niece Dan, Ellen, and
David Urbanowicz.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend the Viewing on Thursday evening, from 4:00 to 8:00p.m. at the S. Fryczynski & Son Funeral Home, Bayonne.

A Funeral Mass will be offered on Friday, April, 10, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel R.C. Church.

 Service Information