Joseph “Joe” Raymond Morodan passed away on October 24, 2025, after a courageous battle with cancer. He was born in Tewksbury to Julius and Camilla Morodan, grew up in Belleville, and later moved to Succasunna to raise his family.

“Hilltop,” he would say every time he picked up the phone — a cheerful echo of the gas station he owned for decades and a small, steady reminder of a life built on hard work. He carried that same spirit into everything he did — loyal to his family, supportive of his friends, and always ready to lend a hand or share a story.

Joe was the kind of man you could tell anything to — kind and endlessly giving. He cared for his wife of 50 years, Sylvia (predeceased), in ways no one else could, and his love for her never faded. According to Joe, they never had a fight… that he won.

Their home was a place of refuge — filled with warmth, food, and unconditional acceptance. There was always so much love at the Morodans’. Joe and Sylvia built a life that welcomed everyone, but their hearts belonged most to their daughters, Nicole and Jennifer. In the early years, Joe drove them to school in everything from tow trucks to limousines, depending on which car he was road-testing that day. Later, he’d wait up in his recliner until the girls made it home safe.

To his three grandchildren — Riley, Hailey, and Chloe — he was Poppy. Poppy would do anything for his girls, always making sure they were spoiled beyond measure.

To many people, he was simply “Uncle Joe.” When his niece, Michelle, opened her bagel shop in Mount Arlington, he was there from the start — fixing, lifting, encouraging. He poured (and drank) a lot of coffee, swept floors, and ate more than his share of bagels, earning himself the namesake Uncle Joe sandwich. In that shop, surrounded by laughter and customers who loved him as much as family did, he became everyone’s uncle.

Joe had a love–hate relationship with the New York Giants. “This is what they do,” he’d say as they went from a near shutout to losing the game, shaking his head. He loved family trips to Wildwood, gambling runs to Atlantic City, and Jersey corn, peaches, and tomatoes in the summer. He could eat pasta for every meal, sit on the porch for hours with Rocky and Little Joe sipping a glass of vino, and was happiest surrounded by food, laughter, and the people he loved. Whether he was making zeppoles with Sylvia or sharing one of his classic sayings — “It is what it is,” “Let me tell you something,” or the unforgettable “I’m falling through my a$$” — Joe brought humor and heart to every situation.

Even in his final years, when life grew difficult, Joe never stopped giving. He remained the same generous soul who welcomed everyone — the friend who sat at hospital bedsides, the man who bought too much pasta and Rao’s sauce, and the one who always said yes when someone needed help.

Joe leaves behind a legacy of kindness, humor, and love — carried on by his daughters Nicole (and Rich) Fachet of New Providence, NJ, and Jennifer (and Avery) Kowalski of Wallingford, CT; his grandchildren Riley Kowalski, Hailey Fachet, and Chloe Fachet; his many nieces and nephews, including Scott Smith, Michelle (and Eric) Fowler, Talia and Gregory Colananni; great-nephews Anthony and Bailey Smith, Stephen and Nicholas Fowler; great-niece Sierra Smith; sisters Anne Holl and Barbara Melillo, and the countless people lucky enough to have known him.

We find peace in knowing that Joe and Sylvia are together again — making zeppoles, watching the Giants blow another lead, and shaking their heads, saying, “This is what they do.”

A memorial service and mass will be held at St. Therese Church,151 Main St, Succasunna, NJ, on Saturday, November 1, 2025, at 10 am. In honor of Joe, please donate to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Arrangements are by the Davis & Hepplewhite Funeral Home, 96 Main Street, Succasunna, NJ 973-584-7264 (davishepplewhitefh.com)