A Life That Pointed to Jesus

Our beloved Pastor Tony Joseph passed away peacefully on July 16, 2025, surrounded by his loving family. The church gathered to remember our pastor and friend on Thursday, July 24. His best friend and fellow laborer Pastor Ray Viola gave the eulogy to a sanctuary so full it seemed impossible that everyone would fit downstairs for the meal afterward. 

If everyone who knew Pastor Tony were given time to share how much he meant to them, we would have needed a week-long service, and even then we’d only begin to tell the story. He touched so many lives, in so many ways: as a pastor, a counselor, a missionary, a prayer warrior, a husband, a father, and a friend. 

Wherever he went—nursing homes, hospital rooms, the streets of Rochester, or the mission fields of India—he was a witness of God’s faithfulness, serving the Lord with joy, humility, and the love of Christ. Take a moment to read through his memorial site for testimonies of what it means to be a faithful brother, an evangelist, a teacher, and above all, a servant of God.

Laugh Often, Love Deeply

One of Tony’s friends described him as “one of the most lovely, gracious men I’ve known.” His laugh was contagious; his joy seemed to spill over into everyone around him. We will never forget walking into church and being greeted by his warm smile and genuine kindness. He didn’t just say hello—he made you feel seen, known, and valued.

Another friend remembers him as “a genuinely humble man, a true gentleman—always quick to pray, always ready with an encouraging word.” Many of us can testify to that same steady presence—Tony never rushed through life, but he always made time to care.

His life wasn’t loud, but it was full. He didn’t demand attention, but he carried the quiet authority of someone who walked closely with God. His ministry was not one of long sermons and deep theology, but quiet words and a special heart for those who were struggling or sidelined. 

One man recalled a time when he felt forgotten by God—“put on the shelf,” as he put it. Tony heard about it and invited him to serve alongside him in the nursing home ministry. That simple invitation changed the man’s life. From despair, he rediscovered purpose, service, and joy.

Another friend described him as “an immense encourager” and “a great prayer warrior.” Before evangelism outreaches, people would text Tony for prayer, and he would always respond with grace and Scripture. Whether at men’s prayer or in private conversation, his words were always gentle, Spirit-led, and rooted in faith. He embodied the verse he loved to quote: “The joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10).

We remember Tony for his work at Koinonia, the Nursing Home ministry and Medical Missions trips to India, but he also touched many lives in his career at Monroe Community College. “I worked with him for 41 years,” says Eileen Doyle. “He was the rock and foundation of the Radiologic Technology program at MCC since its inception in 1967 until his retirement 50 years later. We were all blessed by his dedication to the profession and his fellowship.”

Dominick DeMichele says, “Tony was always the most upbeat person in the room. He cherished his wife and family and time spent with them. He truly cared about people, his work in the church, and his garden (except for the deer that ate the tomatoes!).”

A Friendship Forged in Prayer

Among the many people Tony blessed, none knew him more closely than Pastor Ray. Their friendship began in a small Bible study decades ago, back when Tony and Anne were hungry to know Jesus as Lord. From those early apologetics classes in Pastor Ray’s living room, a lifelong partnership in ministry was born.

“Other than Jesus and my precious wife, Elizabeth,” Ray shared through tears, “I came today to honor my best, dearest, and closest friend.”

Tony was the one person, he said, about whom he never heard a negative word—not once in four decades of ministry.

“If you want to build deep relationships with other men,” Ray told the congregation, “do it in the trenches of prayer.”

Church leadership isn’t always easy. There were tough meetings, hard decisions, and seasons of grief. But after every difficult conversation, every storm, Tony’s message was the same: “PRV, keep your eyes on Jesus. He’s got this.”

Those words, Ray said, became a refrain of grace in the middle of ministry’s chaos. When people left, when decisions were misunderstood, when the load felt heavy, Tony’s encouragement never wavered. He was steadfast—a friend who stuck closer than a brother.

Two Peas in a Pod

Tony and Pastor Ray had their own secret language. They often signed messages with strings of letters that baffled their wives. One favorite: LYMBCCFJ, short for “Love you, my brother in Christ—Crazy for Jesus.”

The two shared the same quirks—both were early risers, both were directionally challenged, and both had an irrepressible sense of humor. Ray remembered once driving to what he thought was Tony’s house for a prayer meeting, only to realize he’d arrived at the neighbor’s. Tony looked out and laughed: “PRV, we’re over here!”

They joked about their “HDL”—the “Honey-Do List”—each week after prayer, and they often talked about their wives. “Tony and I,” Ray said, smiling, “we got the better end of the deal.”

During hospital visits, the two pastors would inevitably turn into a Laurel and Hardy routine. Doctors, nurses, and patients couldn’t help but laugh. And Tony would remind them, quoting Proverbs 17:22: “A merry heart does good like medicine.”

At the men’s prayer meetings, Tony always sat in the same chair, the first to pray after Scripture was read. That green chair now sits empty, but in Pastor Ray’s office, it will serve as a reminder of the man who filled it with faith.

A Legacy That Endures

Pastor Ray’s last visit with Tony came just days before he entered hospice. Surrounded by family, Ray leaned close and whispered, “I love you, Tony. I’m going to see you soon.”

The very next night, during the church’s monthly prayer meeting, word came that Tony had gone home to heaven. It was about five minutes before the end of the meeting—the same hour Tony would normally be leading prayer in his corner of the room.

When Ray announced the news, there was a moment of silence. Then quiet tears and gratitude for a life well lived.

Tony loved his family deeply—his beloved Anne, his children and grandchildren. He loved his church and his friends. He loved people, all kinds of people, and they loved him back.

“There will never be another Tony Joseph,” Ray said through tears. “Never, ever.”

Faithful to the End

The Scriptures that guided Tony’s life are the same ones that now testify to his reward:

“The joy of the Lord is your strength.” — Nehemiah 8:10

 “Well done, good and faithful servant… enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.” — Matthew 25:21

These weren’t just verses Tony quoted; they were the song of his life. His joy, his humility, his service—they all pointed beyond himself to Christ.

At the end of his memorial message, Pastor Ray reminded everyone of the gospel Tony lived and proclaimed. “There’s a strange gospel out there,” he said, “that says all you have to do to go to heaven is die. But that’s not the gospel. The gospel says, ‘You must be born again.’”

Tony knew that salvation isn’t about being good or kind or even faithful in ministry—it’s about knowing Jesus Christ personally. “We are sinners,” Ray said, echoing Tony’s words. “Sinners by nature and by choice. And only Christ can pay our debt.”

If you want to see Tony again, he told the congregation, you must be born again.

When you lose a man like Tony, the ache is deep. You still expect him to walk through the sanctuary doors, to offer a prayer, a laugh, a hug. Ray still catches himself reaching for his phone to text him about a pastoral need—only to realize, “I can’t. He’s not here.”

But “Now he’s walking on streets of gold. He’s worshiping God.”

We can almost hear him, finger raised during a worship song, grinning ear to ear: “The joy of the Lord is our strength!”