Josef "Joe" Pfaffinger

Josef Pfaffinger, age 91, passed away peacefully on December 19, 2022 surrounded by his family in Lake Zurich, Il.  He was born in Ostermiething, upper Austria (home of the Silent Night Chapel and his favorite movie, Sound of Music) on March 8, 1931 to the late Anton and Karoline Pfaffinger.

He emigrated to Chicago in 1959 to start a new life. He resided in Des Plaines, Il and retired to Hernando, FL.

He was an avid skier, a member of the Alpine Ski Club, and enjoyed ski competitions. When he wasn’t skiing, he enjoyed watching soccer, the Chicago Blackhawks, Bears and later the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was particularly good at games, like Wheel of Fortune.

In recent years, he would take daily golf cart rides to feed the ducks. He was always very social and enjoyed greeting his friends, neighbors and total strangers as he drove past.

He was a member of Our Lady of Grace Parish in  Beverly Hills, FL where he enjoyed Sunday Mass and joining his friends for breakfast afterwards.

One of his greatest gifts was making others laugh. He always had a funny story or joke and he was known for his pranks. One of his memorable Door County moments was getting in trouble for feeding the goats on the roof at Al Johnson’s.

He loved all Austrian and German activities, especially Oktoberfest, where he loved dancing to Oompah bands and doing the chicken dance.

Joe is survived by his loving children, Sonja Nagle, Caroline Andersen, Christine (Matt) Pfaffinger Keeley, and Dennis Flannigan; and grandchildren, Lauren Nagle, Lesley (Will) Stock, Emme Keeley and Callen Keeley.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Christa in 1982, and recently, his wife Mary in November 2022; and by siblings, Hans and Anton.

Memorial visitation will be Friday, December 30, 2022 from 2 PM until the 4 PM Celebration of Life service at Davenport Family Funeral Home and Crematory, 941 S. Old Rand Rd., Lake Zurich, IL 60047. Interment will be private.

PROST! Raise a Stiegl or Arnold Palmer to Joe.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to American Cancer Society, www.cancer.org