Joseph Pascal Hospenthal

JOSEPH P. HOSPENTHAL, Husband, Dad, Papa, Brother, Uncle and Friend, (also lovingly referred to as Sepp, Gumpy Sepp and Herr Joe), passed away quietly on March 23, 2017, in Sumner, WA. He was born September 2, 1933, in Arth, Kt. Schwyz, Switzerland, to Franz Carl Hospenthal and Ida Elisabetha Schilter, the 2nd of their six children. Joe immigrated to the United States in 1952 and went to work at the Beeler brothers farms in Ripon, California. He was drafted into the U.S. Army on August 6, 1956, and stationed at Fort Lewis, WA. While at a dance at the Black Bear Grange in Orting, WA, he met a young Swiss gal, Louise Muller, who would one day become his loving wife. They were married on April 11, 1959, at St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church in Fife, WA. Joe and Louise were blessed with 5 children-- Heidi(Markus) Spitzli, Karl(Monica) Hospenthal, Mark(Mindy) Hospenthal, Paul(Marissa) Hospenthal and Kurt(Denise) Hospenthal, and 8 grandchildrenKadine(Brenden) Niedermeyer, Holli Spitzli, Alexandra Hospenthal, Drew Hospenthal, Kendall Hospenthal, Taylor Hospenthal, Mya Hospenthal, and Audrey Hospenthal. Joe is survived by his wife, children, grandchildren, brother Frank(Mary), sisters in Switzerland, Lisbeth(Fred), and Margrit, and many extended family members in America, Switzerland and New Zealand. He was predeceased by his parents and 2 brothers, Karl and Arnold. Community and family involvement was an important part of Joe's life. He was a member of the Puyallup Elks #1450, Seattle Swiss Society, Lifetime member and Past President of the Tacoma Swiss Society, Lifetime member of the Swiss Sportsmen's Club of Tacoma, Maennerchor Edelweiss Choir, and 1996 Festival President (Saengervater) of The United Swiss Singing Societies of the Pacific Coast. He was extremely proud of his American and Swiss citizenship, and the fulfillment of his desire to share his Swiss heritage and culture with children of Swiss descent through the formation of Kid's Swiss Kamp. Donations in his memory can be made to Kid's Swiss Kamp, c/o Louise Hospenthal, 6314 Sheffield Lane E., Fife, WA 98424, or Parkinson Research Foundation, P.O. Box 96318, Washington, D.C., 20090-6318. Funeral Mass will be held May 8, 2017, at St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church, Fife, WA, 11:00am, with a celebration of life to follow at 12:30pm at the Swiss Sportsmen's Club, Bonney Lake, WA. Auf Wieder Luega, Sepp! Go rest high on that mountain, you're work on Earth is done.