BANGOR – Joseph “Joe” F. Filtz Jr., 83, died Monday, Oct. 10, 2011, at a Bangor hospital. He was born Aug. 5, 1928, in Port Chester, N.Y., the son of Joseph and Grace (Rathgeb) Filtz.
Joe was a 1946 graduate of Greenwich High School, Greenwich, Conn. He was enlisted in the U.S. Army from 1951 to 1953 as a private first class paratrooper and company clerk with the 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky. He was married to Jennie Keith, his “Best girl,” Sept. 4, 1951, in Kingman. Joe began his lifelong career within the telephone industry with New York Tel & Tel as a cable splicer helper. He moved with his family to Bangor in June of 1967. When he retired in 1984 he ended his work with New England Telephone as the foreman for the statewide ESS conversion from rotary dial phones to touchtone. Throughout the years Joe had a variety of interests, but his favorite hobby was going to camp in Kingman where he served as fire chief for several years.
Joe is survived by his cherished wife of 60 years, Jennie Filtz; sons, Brian Filtz and his wife, Joanne, of Hudson and Keith Filtz and his fiancee, Dawn Arey, of Bangor; daughter, Joan Williams and her husband, Bill, of Bangor; grandson, Robert Goodin of Hudson; two sisters, one brother, several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents.
A funeral service will be held noon Thursday, Oct. 13, at Brookings-Smith, 133 Center St., Bangor. After the service relatives and friends are welcome to share conversation and refreshments at the Family Reception Center of Brookings-Smith, 163 Center St., Bangor. Condolences to the family may be expressed at
www.BrookingsSmith.com.