Joseph Peter Mozden, Sr. passed away Saturday, April 19, 2008 while at home with his family by his side.  He was 82. 

Joe was born in Three Rivers, MA on January 10, 1926, son of Polish immigrants Piotr and Rozalia (Mozdzen) Mozden.  He attended school there and graduated from Palmer High School.  Joe was an Army Veteran of World War II, serving in both the 99^th and 2^nd Divisions.  After completing his military service, Joe used the GI Bill to obtain his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Bryant College.  He married his wife of 56 years, Mary Anne Barone on September 3, 1951. 

He is survived by his wife, Mary, of Claremont; his daughter Denise Anne Liveston and her husband, Thomas, of Claremont; his daughter Deborah Jean Mozden and her life partner, Robert Marvin, of Unity; his son Joseph P. Mozden, Jr. and his wife Catherine of Geneva, IL; his son Peter Charles Mozden of Somersworth, NH; and, his four grandchildren Thomas “TJ” Liveston Jr., Joseph Mozden III, Jake Mozden and Sarah Mozden. 

He is also survived by his four siblings Jennie Lopata of Three Rivers, MA, Rose Tyburski of Thorndike, MA, Irene Mozden of West Springfield, MA, and Dr. Peter Mozden of Newton Center, MA. 

He was preceded in death by his sister Bertha Walukiewicz and his brothers John, Stanley, Stephen and Dr. Walter Mozden.

Friends may call at the Stringer Funeral Home, 146 Broad St. in Claremont from 1 to 3 and 6 to 8 P.M. on Wednesday, April 23rd.

The American Legion Post #29 will conduct a service Wednesday evening at the Funeral Home.
A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 11 A.M. on Thursday, April 24th at St. Joseph's Church in Claremont, with the Rev. Stanley J. Piwowar officiating. Interment with full military honors conducted by the American Legion Post #29 will follow at Union Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Turning Points Network, formerly Women’s Supportive Services, 11 School Street, Claremont, NH 03743 or Connecticut Valley Home Care Hospice, 958 John Stark Highway, Newport, NH 03773.

Joe grew up on a small family farm in Three Rivers, Massachusetts as the youngest son in a family of ten children. He was one who actually did take the cows out to pasture on the way to school, again at lunch time and once more on the way home from school.  After completing high school, he served in the United States Army.  

Joe trained at Fort Walters in Austin, Texas and shipped out to the European Campaign on Christmas Eve, 1944.   As a member of the 99^th Division, he landed in Au Havre, France and quickly moved across Europe to the front lines.  He was one of the last American soldiers to cross the now famous Remagen Bridge, and watched it collapse just after his crossing while en route to the German Ardennes Forest, where he fought with his compatriots at the Battle of The Bulge. He spoke little, if at all about the war, but would recall his military service as merely “doing my duty to my country.”  One of the brightest moments of his time in service was when he and his brother, Peter, serendipitously met in France while in combat.  It was a brief reunion but offered great joy to both.

At the completion of the European Campaign, Joe was brought stateside to complete his military service and was reassigned to the 2^nd Division.  He was stationed at Camp Swift in Texas, where he played semi-pro football for the AMVETS, and at Fort Lewis in Seattle, Oregon.  For his service in WWII, Joe received the Bronze Star, American Campaign Medal, EAME Campaign Medal, Good Conduct Medal, and the WWII Victory Medal, as well as citations for combat at the Battle of the Bulge, at Remagen, Rhineland, Rurh Pocket and at Begian Fourrangers.

During his working years, Joe was a staff member for the Cleveland Ohio FBI and an accountant for Resard Construction Company in Lorain Ohio.  In New Hampshire, he was co-owner of Stan's Market and a salesperson for Montgomery Ward.  It was his final job of 20 years as a self-employed house painter and interior design worker that he loved most.  He enjoyed the entrepreneur challenge, the physical labor, the rewards of seeing his craft applied and the many people for whom he worked.   

Joe was an active member of the Claremont Community.  He was a communicant of St. Joseph’s Church and was regularly seen assisting in the annual St. Joe’s Bazaar.  As a member of the Claremont Senior Center and former President of their Advisory Board, he was active in the fund raising and design for the facility.  He was also a member of the American Legion Post #29.  His active membership and his role as President for the last six years of the Claremont Area AARP were important to him and as he stated “kept him busy and young.”  His efforts were recognized when he received the Community Service Award from the AARP and REA in 2004 and again in 2006 when he was nominated for the NH State Andrus Award for Community Service.  

After retiring, Joe found love for golf as a member of the Claremont Country Club.  He surely never hit a hole-in-one but always enjoyed the pure pleasure of the sport and most importantly, the company of his friends.  

He will be most remembered for his warm kind spirit, his steadfastness to his family and community, and his ability to get the greatest joys out of life’s simplest pleasures.