Joseph
P. “Joe” Kittel, 94, of Randolph, Vt., died peacefully on
Friday morning, December 6, 2024, at his home surrounded by his
family.
Joe
was born to Nina (Swan) and Paul Kittel on the family dairy farm in
Bennington, Vt., during milking time, and his weight was determined
on the butter scale. He joined his grandfather and father attending
to the duties expected of a farm boy. During this time he was
educated at Brooklyn Elementary School and was a member of the
Bennington High School class of 1947. Following high school, Joe
worked on the Bennington road crew until enlisting in the U.S. Air
Force. He served stateside prior to and during the Korean conflict as
a teletype mechanic. Upon completion of his service, he visited the
Vermont Veterans Hospital in White River Junction, where his life was
changed in a wonderful way when they suggested that he take advantage
of the GI Bill and attend college. Joe thought he would give
electrical engineering a try at the University of Vermont and found
that to be a good fit both educationally and socially, meeting his
future wife, Beth, there. They were married in 1956.
Joe
was offered a job at General Electric upon his graduation. His
training and work life for GE took him and Beth to various locations
in Vermont, Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania. His work also
allowed him to earn a master’s degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic
Institute.
After
10 years at GE, both he and Beth were homesick for Vermont when he
learned from a friend of an opportunity to teach in the Electrical
and Electronics Department of Vermont Technical College. They
relocated a final time, in 1965, to Randolph, where he settled into
the newly formed department as a professor. He spent the next 23
years there, helping students understand the subject matter through
classroom lectures and lab work, and helped further explain the
subject intricacies by writing a book that explained the processes
using analogies.
In
his spare time, Joe enjoyed working on family genealogy and
volunteering his time on Bethany Church committees, driving people to
hospital appointments and working with Interfaith Caregivers. Joe
also enjoyed bicycle trips, camping, canoeing adventures, and
traveling with family and friends..
Joe
was predeceased by his parents, wife, and siblings, Hazel Apfelbeck,
Phyllis Tate and Pauline Dunn. Joe leaves behind his children, Marie
Kittel, Melanie (Ken) Haberl and Paul Kittel; grandchildren, Dave
Haberl and Denise (Jonathon) Eagan; great-grandchildren, Otto and Eli
Eagan; and nieces and nephews.
Joe’s
family wishes to thank the BAYADA Hospice organization for his
wonderful care in recent years, as well as his primary caregivers,
Lisa, Betty, Shelly, Stacey and Dr. Fowler. He also appreciated the
humor shared with him on a daily basis by Lars. Anyone wishing to
donate in his memory is asked to consider giving to Meals on Wheels
through the Greater Randolph Senior Citizen Center or to the BAYADA
Hospice organization.
A
celebration of his life in May at Bethany Church in Randolph will be
announced in the spring. Online condolences may be left at
dayfunerals.com. Arrangements are by the Day Funeral Home.
This article appears in Dec 4-10, 2024.