MAPLETON – Joseph A. Kaiser, 88, passed away Monday, Dec. 28, 2009, at The Aroostook Medical Center, Presque Isle, with his loving family by his side. He was born July 6, 1921, in Dayton, Ohio, the son of Joseph and Rose Marie (Rieder) Kaiser. Joseph served in the U.S. Army during World War II as a sergeant in the 401st Signal Company in Europe, where he was a technician on a mobile radar system. He later worked for Northrop Aircraft Inc. on the Snark Missile as a guidance system engineer at Cape Canaveral and Presque Isle Air Force Base. After moving away, then back to the area, he worked as a self employed TV repairman, and then worked on instrumentation and controls in local mills until retirement. He was a jack-of-all-trades and could fix anything that needed fixing. He loved talking about World War II and stories of growing up. He also enjoyed reading. He was a loving husband and father. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Roberta Sue (Messner) Kaiser of Mapleton; seven sons, James and wife, Ann, David and wife, Cindy, all of Presque Isle, Steven “Pete,” John and wife, Debbie, Thomas and girlfriend, Lynne, all of Mapleton, Robert and wife, Melanie, of Chapman and Frank and wife, Jaime, of Ashland; 12 grandchildren, Tonya, Christina, Jonathan, Leeann, Thomas, Daniel, Neil, Eric, Chelsea, Megan, Alex and Alayna; six great-grandchildren, Noah, Christopher, Aiden, Kearie, Olivia and Connor; one sister, Rosemary Utz of Nevada; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law; Jerry and Pat Messner, Shirley Yonuss, Anna and John Gwaltney and Loretta and Bill Egan; and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents; a brother, Robert; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Robert and Lutie Messner; a brother-in-law, George Messner; and sister-in-law, Janet Knephoff. A graveside service will be held in the spring at Southside Cemetery, Mapleton. Condolences may be expressed at www.duncan-graves.com.
JOSEPH A. KAISER
