Joseph John Wadlinger Sr.

Joseph John Wadlinger, Sr., age 93, died Sunday, November, 17, 2024 at Brooksby Continuing Care facility in Peabody, MA.

Joe Wadlinger was born December 23, 1930, in Lowell, MA, the first-born of the late John E. Wadlinger and Beatrice (Travers) Wadlinger. He was the older brother to (predeceased) Mary W. Duhamel (John Duhamel) and Ralph A. Wadlinger (Linda Higgins).

Throughout his youth and college years he resided in Lawrence, MA where he attended parochial elementary schools and Central Catholic HS. He was a significant contributor to the success of Central Catholic basketball teams in that era of 1946-48. He subsequently attended Northeastern University in Boston, commuting by bus & train daily from Lawrence, where he achieved a Chemical Engineering degree in 1953. In his later years of high school and throughout his college years, he dated and eventually married, post university, Claire Gosselin of So. Lawrence.

In his senior year of college, he was sought after and recruited as a research engineer for Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company in Akron, OH. After college graduation and the wedding to his new bride, he learned that he had been drafted into the US Army as the Korean conflict was ongoing. His new married life and professional employment would have to wait to resume until after his military service was completed.

Following basic & advanced infantry military training, Joe was assigned to Fort Myer, 3rd Infantry Division and received a selective appointment to become part of the US Army Honor Guard sentinels as posted at the Tomb of The Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, DC. His duty at Arlington National Cemetery was a privilege and an honor he would never forget.

Post military service, Joe resumed his delayed professional career at Goodyear Tire & Rubber for half a dozen or so years with this large company exposure, and in short-time thereafter realized an accelerated ascension of executive leadership positions with other multiple manufacturing companies, all aligned with flexible plastic film production and converting processes, finally achieving his goal of becoming a successful manufacturing business owner. He was distinguished in his profession who put in long working hours, a competitive, intuitive thinker, a listener who delivered fair & intelligent perspectives, a well-respected and established industry leader whose opinions were sought after by shareholders, employees, customers, suppliers and competitors alike.

He valued his reputation as an honorable, trustworthy, fair and ethical leader. A selfless, generous man with a deep passion and care to family and personal integrity, and with his wife Claire, they imparted these and other important life values to their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Both at home and in the business world, his words were his bond and of that he was proud.

Joe Wadlinger is survived by his wife Claire, of 71+ years marriage, their 7 children – Michael (Vivian), Stephen (Martha), Kathleen (predeceased Laurence Doyle), Mary (James Mello), John (Marybeth), Joseph, Jr. (Maria), Daniel (Lynne), 28 grandchildren & presently 16 great-grandchildren.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered in Saint Michael Church, 196 Main Street, North Andover, MA. on Friday, November 22, at 11:30 AM.
The family suggests in lieu of flowers that contributions be made in the name of Joseph J. Wadlinger to: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or online at https://www.stjude.org/donate or Care Dimensions – Hospice Care, 75 Sylvan Street, Suite B-102, Danvers, MA 01923 or online https://giving.caredimensions.org/site/Donation2;jsessionid=00000000.app20127bdf_id=2080&mfc_pref=T&2080.donation=form1&NONCE_TOKEN=0274A247716FF9061E6518A4334134F1