Joel Petoff

Joel Petoff passed away on Friday February 21st at the age of 76 in San Diego, CA. He was born to Sam and Florence Petoff in Brooklyn NY along with his older sister Shelly. He was lucky to marry the love of his life Sara and raise three children in Brighton Beach.

At the age of 21 he was called to serve in the Army. His deployment to Vietnam as a radio communications technician earned him several medals of commendation. As a naive know-it-all New Yorker, his indoctrination into the service was filled with funny stories and many forced pushups. He had great pride in being part of the Armed Forces during a time of war and returned a stronger person.

Joel was a devoted husband and father to his three kids Jesse, Scott and Heather. When first married he worked two jobs, sacrificing sleep in order to put food on the table. Luckily the phone company came calling. He spent 32 years ensuring the phones in Brooklyn kept on ringing while making many lifelong friends before retiring in 2001.

He loved seeing Broadway shows, taking the kids to Disney, feeding the squirrels (he claimed they kept him in business by biting the telephone lines), watching the Yankees, spending time with friends at sea and dancing to the music. Always the life of the party, he loved telling jokes and being the center of attention while making sure that everyone had a good time.

After Sara passed away, he moved to California to be closer to his family and first grandchild. Having always hoped for a redheaded child, Joel was delighted to get two redheaded grandchildren, Max and Scarlett. His family will keep his sense of humor, life experiences, and happy memories in their hearts and minds.

Veteran burial service is on Tuesday, March 3rd at Miramar National Cemetery in San Diego. In lieu of flowers, a donation to the AFTD(https://www.theaftd.org) in his honor would be most appreciated.