NEW BEDFORD -- Joseph E. Filipek, 86, of Fairhaven died Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2004, surrounded by his family, at St. Luke's Hospital after a brief illness. He was the husband of Mabel (Griffiths) Filipek; they were married 57 years.
Born in New Bedford, the son of the late Sebastyan and Catherine (Pinkos) Filipek, he lived in Fairhaven 51 years. He was a 1935 graduate of New Bedford High School, where he and his brothers Frank and Ed were outstanding athletes. He graduated from Alliance College in Pennsylvania and attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, where he was a member of the soccer and tennis teams.
He was a faithful member of the First Congregational Church of Fairhaven for 50 years, where he was a deacon, a member of the executive board and church collector for 25 years, 15 years as treasurer. He was a member of the choir, volunteered at Market Ministries and was one of the Ham 'n' Eggers, a small group of retirees who met for breakfast once a month and performed various chores and repairs at the church.
He was a former Fairhaven Town Meeting member and former president of the Fairhaven Music Parents Association.
Mr. Filipek worked at Continental Screw Co. for 42 years and retired in 1980 as a screw processing engineer. He was a member of the Holtite Club basketball team.
He served in the Army Air Corps with the 484th Bomb Group of the 15th Air Force in Italy during World War II. He received the European African Middle Eastern Theater Campaign Ribbon, Victory Medal, Good Conduct Medal and Distinguished Unit Badge.
He was a prominent figure in tennis and table tennis in the New Bedford area in the 1930s and '40s. As a teenager in 1934, he traveled to Boston to compete in the state table tennis tournament and captured the titles in singles, doubles and mixed doubles. In later years, he teamed with his brother Frank and won city, state and New England titles in that sport. In tennis, he won numerous city singles championships, and with his doubles partner, Ed Twarog, won many city doubles titles. He continued to play tennis weekly until age 85.
He was known as a gentleman and a gentle man. He will be fondly remembered for his enjoyment of family and friends, love for sports and his quiet manner.
Survivors include his widow; two daughters, Carole Wojcik and her husband, John, of Norwell, and Constance Chandler and her husband, Stephen, of Bridgewater; two grandchildren, Allison Chandler and Leslie Chandler; a brother, Edward Filipek, and his wife, Joyce, of Alexandria, Va.; and several nieces and nephews.
He was the brother of the late Stella Filipek, Bertha Filipek, Alyce Filipek, Florence Janiak, Frank Filipek and John Filipek.
His funeral will be at 10 a.m. Saturday January 24th at First Congregational Church; burial will be in River-Side Cemetery, Fairhaven.
Arrangements are by Wilson Funeral Home, 479 County St., New Bedford.