Joseph Clement Carlsen

Joseph Carlsen passed away in Oneida, Tennessee on March 16, 2018 where he resided since 1998. Born 1922, Joe grew up in New Jersey until 1930 when he spent a year at his grandparent’s house in Sandoya, Norway.  He returned back to New Jersey until he entered the US Navy in 1940.  Joseph had a 20-year career in the US Navy where he served in the convoys of the Atlantic and the liberation of Philippines in the Pacific.  Joe served in other conflicts up to the Landing of the Marines in Lebanon in 1958.  When Joe retired from the US Navy in 1960, he was employed by Drew Chemical, Pacific Vegetable Oil, and Novartis until he retired in 1985.  

Joseph commenced on a 33-year retirement by traveling to Canada, Europe, and 90% of the counties in the United States visiting with his shipmates and his son Ken where he was attending college and assigned overseas while working for the US Department of State.  While in retirement, Joe also wrote several short stories about the US Navy ships he served on and growing up during the Depression in New Jersey. Also in his retirement, Joseph moved to Oneida, Tennessee for the warmer weather, more space and could be seen in his US Navy uniform at Memorial Day and Veterans Day events at Oneida’s VFW Post 5669, Sterns’ American Legion Post 115, and at Oneida’s American Legion Post 136.
Joe is survived by his sons: Kenneth and Christopher; four nephews: Dennis, Phillip, Robert, and Richard.

He was preceded in death by his father: Thomas in 1975; mother: Elizabeth Nee Jensen in 1944; oldest sister: Lillian in 1971; two younger brothers; Ivan “Sonny” in 1995 and Earl in 2009.
A funeral for Joseph was held on 23 March at Richards Funeral Home, Riverdale, NJ and he was buried at the Carlsen family plot located at the Pompton Reformed Church Cemetery with his father Thomas, mother Elizabeth, brother Ivan and his mother’s sister Nora Lund on March 24, 2018.

In lieu of flowers, a donation can be made to VFWs and American Legions where Joseph visited while he was living in Oneida.

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