In the heart of Fanwood, Joe Schott, born on February 19th 1922, stands as one who exemplifies integrity, humility, and resilience
I met Joe at his home in Fanwood for our interview. As I approached the house, Joe came out to greet me. He stood tall, smiling as he welcomed me in. Once we settled down to talk in his living room, Joe began by saying, “Thank you for doing this.”
When Joe was a young boy, his father, a policeman in Newark, passed away in an unfortunate accident. To support him and his four siblings, Joe's mom cleaned houses and created innovative solutions to make ends meet; she made him makeshift snow boots using newspapers and fixed holes in his shoes by filling them with cardboard. “We didn’t know we were poor because we didn’t know any better,” remarks Joe.
His mother eventually got remarried to a man who was in the Navy. “He was a role model for me and my brother,” Joe reflects.
Motivated by his stepfather, Joe joined the Navy in 1942 and was assigned to the Radio Shop at the US Naval Operating Base in Northern Ireland where he maintained and installed electric equipment on naval ships.
During his deployment, Joe studied Electronics and Electrical Engineering and then spent a year at UPenn focusing on Atomic Physics!
Aside from the routine at camp, Joe fondly remembers meeting Bob Hope and Frances Langford at the USO Show, and Eddie Duchin upon his arrival in the USS Bates.
After his time at UPenn, Joe returned to civilian life and joined Western Electric as a Telephone Engineer. He later moved to Bell Labs where he worked for the Acoustics Department, setting up stations for the Navy to locate hostile ships and submarines.
He was about thirty when he met his wife Nancy. “When I walked in the room, all I saw was her, and all she saw was me!” Joe says. They got married and had five children. “We only ever had one spat,” Joe recalls. When Joe approached Nancy for reconciliation, her simple words, “Joe, I love you…but I don’t always like you,” concluded their conflict. Joe's unabated dedication to his wife continued through her struggle with Alzheimer’s in her final years.
He now lives alone and enjoys doing regular household chores. “I like to bake apple pies and give them out as gifts,” he shares.
In his downtime, Joe creates oil paintings, a self-taught hobby. His attention to detail and precision make his innate talent apparent. He creates unique expressions of life derived from his everyday experiences and childhood memories.
Joe regularly volunteers for the Flintlocks Organization, who help maintain Boy Scouts of America facilities. This work gives him both a sense of service and an avenue for socialization with his peers.
Joe’s connection with his community has inspired those around him. He served as the Grand Marshal in the Scotch Plains-Fanwood Memorial Day Parade in 2019 symbolizing the community’s admiration and respect for him.
In reflecting on Joe's journey, it becomes evident that his centenarian status is not merely a milestone but an indication of life well-lived. His story serves as a lesson for all of us to find purpose, embrace challenges, and foster relationships that transcend the passage of time.
"Joe's centenarian status is not merely a milestone but a testament to the richness of a life marked by continuous learning, service, and involvement with the community."