Obituary of Joseph Lema, Jr.

Bridgeville, PA– Joseph Lema, Jr., age 82, passed away on Friday, January 24th, 2020. He was born in Newport, Rhode Island to Joseph S. and Lydia Lema (Marshall). Joe was born and raised in Newport/Middletown, Rhode Island. At a young age, he expressed an interest in and demonstrated talent for art and music. In 1957, he joined the U.S. Air Force and was honorably discharged in 1960 as an Airman 2nd Class. While he was stationed at Hill Air Force Base in Clearfield, Utah, he met Marlynn Bennett. They were married on June 20, 1959. They had two daughters, Dana and Nichole and divorced in 1972. After Joe’s discharge from the Air Force, he attended California State University, Long Beach where he obtained his art degree. Throughout his career, he created commercial art campaigns for a variety of corporations and was a commercial art instructor for a college in Salt Lake City, Utah. It was during this time, he met Mary “Tess” Quinn. They married on September 4, 1980 and had two children, Quinn and Zachary. Joe’s talents were not limited to visual arts. He played a variety of musical instruments including guitar and banjo and was a vocalist. From his high school years through his retirement, he performed music professionally in a variety of venues. Joe was known for his kindness, generosity, clever sense of humor, love of dogs and, of course, his love for his family. Joe is survived by his four children – Dana V. Lema of San Jose, California; Nichole R. Siciliano of Las Vegas, Nevada; Quinn A. Lema of Bridgeville, Pennsylvania; Zachary A. Lema of Bridgeville, Pennsylvania; his sister, Laurene Vivieros of Middletown, Rhode Island; three grandchildren and four great grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his parents, three brothers and his beloved wife, Mary T. Quinn. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The American Heart Association.