Joseph E. Meehan

Joseph E. Meehan, age 88 of Hamilton passed away peacefully at home on Tuesday, January 26, 2021. Joe was born in Middletown, Ohio on May 25, 1932 to William J. and Eleanora (Haller) Meehan, the oldest of four children.

Joe lived across the street from Holy Trinity Church in Middletown where he would attend daily mass.  He attended Holy Trinity School, Roosevelt JH and Middletown High through his Junior year.  As a dedicated Catholic he hitchhiked to Hamilton each day his Senior year to graduate from Hamilton Catholic HS in 1950.

From 6th grade on, Joe had a job of some kind: paperboy, theater usher, bowling alley pinsetter, and grocery bagger at Chicago Meat Market his Senior year, finally believing that all Middletonians worked at Armco, he became a Railroad Switchman, handling scrap steel and hot molten iron.

Joe joined the Naval Reserve in January 1951. In May of that year, he met his love, Frances Arno. In October he was activated during the Korean War. He and Fran carried on a letter-writing old-fashion long-distance relationship from various naval bases. On Memorial Day, May 30, 1953 they were married at St. Joseph Church in Hamilton, where he has remained a member with Fran for nearly 68 years. While in the Navy, he gained experience as an electrician and was honorably discharged in January 1955.

Following in his father’s footsteps, Joe was accepted into the IBEW Local 648 Electrical Apprenticeship program. Graduating to Journeyman status, he worked as an electrician and eventually an area general foreman while attending Cincinnati Technical College.  From 1968 through 1972, Joe served as an instructor for the Butler and Warren counties Electrical Apprenticeship.

In 1972, Joe and Fran founded Meehan Electric Inc., along with his brother Tom and sister-in-law, Billy.  Joe and Fran worked side by side serving businesses and industry. He was VP of the National Electrical Contractors Association, Cincinnati Chapter, and Chairman of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce Industrial Division. He and Fran retired in 1994.

Joe loved his wife and family, and his church. He also loved to travel. He hoped to see the entire world, and nearly did, even taking his children to their ancestral lands and beyond.  For many years, he made annual trips with his family and friends to the Smoky Mountains which he loved.

Joe is survived by his wife, Fran, their son, Pat (Dottie Brunner), daughters, Beth (Kevin) Frederick, Sue (Mike) Goffena, son Tim (Kim Greene), and daughter, Jan (Scott) Gordon, all of Hamilton, Ohio.

18 grandchildren: Christie (Andy) Garrett, Vickie (Mickey) Bovin, Jenny (EJ) Reiser, Dan (Lisa) Frederick, David (Kristen) Frederick, Diane (Devin) Huff, Doug (Analisa) Frederick, Cindy (Luke) Thieken, Kathy Goffena (Aaron Holm), Nicki (Zac) Swearingen, Joe, Grace, Mike and June Meehan, Annalee (Jeremiah) Shepherd, Sam, Mariana (fiancé Reed Maus) and Elaina Gordon.

11 great-grandchildren: Jonathan Garrett, Brooke Bovin, Five Reiser, Thomas and Barrett Frederick, Bennett and Audrey Frederick, Dobry Huff, Presley and Brooks Thieken, Adalynn Swearingen.

Brother-in-laws, Mike (Linda) Arno and Herb Puls, and sister-in-laws Marti Arno Shelley and Billy Meehan, and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, sisters Donna Kay McDougal and Patsy Frebis Barnhart Puls, brother Tom Meehan, also in-laws Joe and Helen Arno, Lois and Carl Evers and Carol Arno.

Mass of Christian burial will be held at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 171 Washington St., Hamilton at 1:30 PM, Saturday, January 30 with Fr. Rob Muhlenkamp and Fr. Jim Elsbernd as celebrants. Visitation will be prior to mass from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM at Brown Dawson Flick Funeral Home, 330 Pershing Ave., Hamilton. A private burial will be at the mausoleum at St. Stephen Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent in Joe’s honor to St. Joseph Consolidated School, 171 Washington St., Hamilton, OH 45011, or Badin High School, 571 New London Rd. Hamilton, OH, 45013.