Dr. Joseph "Joe" B. Monda Obituary (1929 - 2024)

Dr. Joseph B. "Joe" Monda passed away on St. Patrick's Day just ten days shy of his 95th birthday in the company of his three children, Melissa, Joseph Martin and Matthew (Mateo). Born in Wenatchee, Washington on March 27th, 1929, to Joseph L. Monda and Nyda M. Monda [Soule], Joe attended St. Martin's High School in Olympia, WA, where he graduated in 1946. Pursuing his love for the English language, Joe continued his education at St. Martin's College, where he graduated with a B.A. in 1949, and then gained an M.A. in English at Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, where he graduated in 1951. Shortly after leaving Marquette, Joe joined the U.S. Army, where he served from 1951-1954 as a Vietnamese translator and linguist in Washington D.C. during the Korean War, which kindled a passion for foreign language that would become fully manifest 40 years later. After his military service, Joe returned to Seattle. He began working at Seattle University in 1955 as an instructor in English, where he would continue to work in a variety of positions until his retirement in 1994. Joe married Margaret Melissa "Peggy" Purdy in 1960. Joe and Peggy had three children, each of whom had two daughters, and a great-grandson whom he got to know in the final weeks of his life. In addition to his family, Joe was passionate about fly-fishing, fly-tying, Native American wood carving, bird-watching and gardening. Joe loved being of service, especially at St. Francis House in Seattle and to the program of Alcoholics Anonymous, where he became a cornerstone of the local recovery community. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to St. Francis House in Seattle or to St. Joseph Parish. https://www.stfrancishouseseattle.org https://www.stjosephparish.org