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Loyalty.
Accountability.
Honesty.
Respectfulness.
Compassion.
Generosity.
Openness to change.
Integrity.
These eight things are just scratching the surface when it comes to diving into who Joe Gentner is. He is also a father, grandfather and great grandfather, a friend, a confidant and a trusty soul. He is there for the people who he cares most about, and he truly enjoys taking care of others.
And whether you call him Junior, Hawk, Pops or Dad, one thing remains the same: Joe will have your back.
He is something of a role model too. People have always looked up to Joe, particularly his offspring, and everyone who knows him knows he is as genuine as they come.
People also know that Joe would do anything for family. He has made countless memories with them, from their days at the cabin to teaching his wife how to drive to having his kids work with him when they were teens. Outside of God, Joe loves nothing more than his family, and it shows day in and day out.
Having eight children, 17 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren can keep you busy, and that is exactly what it does for Joe. It keeps him in a loving mood all the time as well.
Not only that, but being a father, grandfather and great grandfather has always kept him honest, and he has always remained true to himself.
“We admire his work ethic and his command of the English language,” Joe’s kids said. “He could sell ice to an Eskimo. We also admire his love for his family. Family was always his number one priority. And his religious beliefs. Plus, he always puts others first before himself.”
Joe is the kind of man a lot of people strive to be, but few achieve it as well as he has. He always puts himself last and has a way about him where people just want to listen.
People are drawn to Joe in general, and that is because of the way he can command a room. He can walk into any room and instantly change the mood, and he does this in many ways.
One of the ways in which he does this is by being a hard worker. People love seeing how hard Joe has worked throughout his life, serving in various positions throughout his career. All the while he has volunteered throughout the entirety of his life, and his kids do not understand how he managed it all.
“He taught us children how to be a dedicated employee and reap the rewards from hard work,” they said. “He put us through catholic school by working days and nights. His leadership is amazing, and he even volunteered for school activities. Dad is one who leads by example. He’s also compassionate and has a sense of humor.”
And at the swift age of 87, Joe is still teaching his kids many lessons to this very day.
“We learned the value of hard work, how to treat and respect people, and to be honest and friendly,” his kids said. “We learned to always respect our elders, whether it be going to the store for them, carrying a heavy item, helping carry their groceries in the house, fixing something in their house, or having us take Mom shopping so he could sit at home watching a game on TV.”
It’s almost as if Joe wanted to avoid shopping for hours on end or something…
All joking aside, he is truly just a great role model for everyone in his life. His kids are grateful for who they are, and they want their dad to know he has a lot to be proud of. They grew up to be wonderful adults and parents in their own right, and Joe is a big reason for that.
“With his strong leadership and guidance, he molded us to the adults we are today,” his kids said. “He taught us to work hard for what we want. Dad taught us how to be the best parent possible and how to raise our children.
“One of Dad’s favorite sayings is, ‘Don’t write a check your ass can’t cash.’ We know he did not mean money since it was a struggle with eight children to make ends meet, but don’t do anything that you cannot do yourself. Do not rely on others to help bail you out.”
Joe is full of great words of wisdom, and it is no wonder his children look up to him and take advice from him.
He’s the typical dad who likes to fall asleep on the recliner too. But what makes him atypical is his heart, his genuineness and his compassion.
Joe is one of the good ones, and his family and everyone else sees this and is grateful for that fact.
“Dad, at the age of 87 you still think you’re going to paint the walls and fix the concrete steps, but you need the grabbers to pick up your daily paper. We want to thank you for giving us the best possible life and guiding us throughout the years in good times and bad in this crazy world. In speaking for all of us, we might not say it often, but the family would like to say, ‘We Love You.’”
