Obituary of Joseph E. Carney

November 20, 1941 – May 13, 2020

Joseph E. Carney. Age 78 of Brownstown.

Joseph E. Carney, 78, passed away Wednesday, May 13, 2020. Joe was born November 20, 1941, in Youngstown, Ohio, a son of William E. and Ruth V. (Cumley) Carney. He attended Saint Patrick School in Youngstown and graduated from Cardinal Mooney High School in 1959. From 1959 to 1964 Joe served in the U.S. Marines and used to talk about being on an aircraft carrier during the Cuba Missile Crisis in 1962 and hanging from a helicopter to rescue people from rooftops during a bad flood in the South. Following his military service, he attended Northrop Institute of Technology for an Airframe and Powerplant Mechanics license.

He worked for Flying Tigers and American Airlines before getting involved in law enforcement in 1974, when the airline industry was suffering and he was laid off. He became a constable, then a police officer for Huron Township, New Boston, Michigan.

He attended Madonna College, majoring in Criminal Justice, and obtained a Bachelor of Science degree. Joe served as Chief of Police for Huron Township from 1977 to 1983. He was extremely proud of years as Police Chief, being of service to the community and working to build and shape, what was at that time, a young and growing police department. He followed that with a career change, the let him serve people in another way, and became a Financial Planner helping individuals and families with investments and pension planning.

Joe suffered a stroke in 1989. After a few years in an Allen Park convalescent center, he became a resident of Applewood Nursing Center in 1993 until his death. Joe enjoyed a variety of hobbies including horseback riding and stamp collecting. He loved reading, trivia, good jokes, and cable TV (especially CNN, John Wayne movies and Everybody Loves Raymond). Joe had an interest in trains, yard work, trees, woodworking and he made a great apple pie (Mom’s recipe, of course). He also liked to tease all his “girlfriends” (nurses & aides) at Applewood, always with a mischievous looked while laughing.

Joe leaves behind, his loving and devoted wife, Karen L. Wagner, whom he married in 1985; his pride & joys, his children; sons, John (Mike & Twin) Carney of Kansas, Timothy Carney of Michigan, and daughter, Amy (Takeshi) Mitsuoka of South Carolina; his six grandchildren, John & Allison, Emma & Liam, and Sean & Mike. He is also remembered by his first wife, Carolyn Bozdog, who set him a personalized, annual calendar each year with pictures of the grandchildren, that Joe really enjoyed. Joe was preceded in death by his brother Tom and his parents.

Private Family Services will be held.

A Memorial Service will be held at a later date. Please check back for updated service information.