In Memory of Joe Shortino

 By Michelle Freeman

I would like to thank you for being here today to celebrate in the memory of my brother Joe Shortino.  You will find an insert in the program that briefly describes Joe's life and The path his life took.

What I want to share with you is the essence of who Joe was.  There was a quote that I Found that best summed up the core of his character.

"Your true character is revealed by the clarity of your convictions, the choices you make, and the promises you keep.  Hold strongly to your principles and refuse the currents of convenience.  What you say and do defines who you are, and who you are you re forever."

As I search for the words that best describes Joe many words come to mind.  Joe was charming. He had a twinkle of mischief and laughter in his eyes.  He could totally disarm you with his smile. No matter what mischief he would cause or how difficult he could be, all would be forgotten if he flashed you that endearing boyish smile.

He had a great sense of humor.  Joe loved to laugh and he loved to make others laugh even if the joke was at your expense.  You could always count on Joe to share the politically incorrect joke.  You would never dare repeat it but found it so funny when he told it.

He could be demanding and exasperating.  Joe was an active fighter for what he believed in.  You never wanted to enter into a debate or argument with him.  He was relentless and very persuasive.  He would debate his point until you agreed with his reasoning.  He would stay with it till you cried uncle.

Joe had a great measure of understanding and compassion.  He had a precise sense of judgment and he expected complete fairness.  That is not to be confused with weather or not he was fair.  If the truth be told the scales of fairness always leaned in Joe's favor.

Joe was many things to many people.  He could be quiet, brooding and moody.  He could be loud and overbearing.  He was honest and sneaky.  He was also a perfectionist about his job, his home and his cars.

Joe was well liked and knew how to make a lasting impression.  A friend shared with us the other day that, he only spent one day with Joe but would never forget his presence.  He said something like this and I quote "the look in his eyes and the measure of his words have made a lasting impression, it was like having a tattoo he will stay with me always."

Joe never tried to be something he wasn't.  You always knew where you stood with Joe.  Not always did you like where you were standing but you knew where you stood.  He was straight forward and honest and you had to respect him for that.

 Joe's strength went beyond his character.  He was also strong in his shape and form..  He worked hard a maintaining his physic.  His strong appearance at times could be intimidating.  Yet he had a gentle and tender heart especially when it came to his children and his wife Lynn.

Joe was an extraordinary father.

All he ever wanted was for his children to be happy and strong.  He would do anything to make them smile.  He could be very generous and giving when it came to his family.  However he was his father's son and he could be tough on those he loved.  He wanted them to be self reliant.  He wanted them to develop their own tough skin.  There were times when being tough was harder on him but he felt it was the right thing to do.

Loving Joe at times was like hugging a porcupine.  Life's disappointments had left their mark on his tender heart.  The family he loved and dreamed of had at times been broken and fragmented.

Yet all that changed when he met Lynn.  She was able to love Joe beyond his tough exterior.  She was able to see the sweet and loving man that dwelled inside.  She was able to love him and he allowed her to do so.  Soon that love was returned and together they were able to restore the dream of family he so wanted.  Together fences were mended and bridges were built.  Lynn loved Joe and his children past their faults and a family was born.  The kind he had always dreamed of.  She helped to bring the best out of this man.  I would like to believe he brought the best out of her too.  Joe was a rock to his children, wife, brothers, sisters and friends.  Whenever we had a big decision to make we would run it by Joe first.  Krysta, Joe's daughter shared with me that "we had Dad as our rock and he had Lynn for his rock."  I know that this is true.

The two things that sum up Joe would be, he was all about his family and he loved being a police officer.  It was his life long desire to be a police officer from the time he was a young man.  I'm happy for him that he accomplished both.

Though his life was cut short and he was taken too soon.  I know that he had made peace with his life and those he loved.  We may never understand the why of it.  We must hold unto the things we do know.  What we know is that God is good and though he did not take our Joe He did allow it to happen.  Therefore we must trust in the Lord and allow Him now to be our Rock.  I know that the Lord did not bring us this far to leave us.  We know what we know.  What we know is this that God is love and that He is always with us even till the end of time.  I trust in the everlasting and the eternal.  I am comforted in the knowledge that we will all be together again.  To Ray and Daniel I feel like your daddy wants me to say this "To Infinity and Beyond".