Joseph Eugene Oberlander

Joseph Eugene Oberlander, Ph.D., 74, of Ogden, UT, and formerly of Phillipsburg, NJ, Tustin, CA, and Torrance, CA, passed away on May the 20th, 2021. Joe had 74 wonderful years of life, full of many adventures with family and friends.

He was born to Noreen and Fred Oberlander, in 1947, and graduated from South High School in Torrance, CA (Class of 1965), before attending university at UCLA (B.S., Chemistry), California State University Long Beach (M.S., Chemistry), and the University of Utah (Ph.D., Chemistry).
In 1977, he married the love of his life, Paulette Carter, and they returned to California to raise their family.
Following a productive career as an organic chemist, first in the southern California boom of the 1980s, and then in New Jersey at the turn of the millennium, Joe retired with his wife to her native Utah. He was so happy with the mountain scenery, which reminded him of some of his many favorite hobbies: fishing, skiing, camping with his family, hiking, and the Boy Scouts. He also enjoyed chess, spy novels, making stained glass, photography, and wood working, in addition to word play jokes and corny cartoons.
While not that great of cook, opting frequently for hot dogs or mac-n-cheese, he made up for it with adages such as “It’s the company, not the food, that makes the meal.” He was incredibly involved in the social aspects of his local churches and communities, serving in long-tenured roles as a Scout Master for his sons’ Boy Scout Troops, and on deacon committees, HOA boards or resident councils when possible. He traveled extensively around the US, including multiple trips to raft in the Grand Canyon, spelunking trips in the greater southwestern US desert, fishing in Alaska, and to proudly visit his boys as they matured and started their own families.
He was predeceased by his wife Paulette, his brother David, and his parents.
He is survived by his two sons and three grandchildren: Joseph G. (Beth and son Andrew), of Chelmsford, MA; and Michael (Liz and twin daughters Rose and Rowan) of Topton, PA; He is also survived by his sister Sharon Novell (Bob), of Arcadia, CA, and multiple nieces and nephews.
A viewing will be held at 1:00 p.m. followed by a memorial service at 2:00 p.m. will be held at the Trinity Presbyterian Church of Ogden, UT, on 24 May 2021, followed by a graveside service at 11:00 a.m. on 25 May 2021 at the Springville Evergreen Cemetery, in Springville, UT.
In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting that donations be made in Joe’s name to the Joslin Center for Diabetes Research at https://www.joslin.org or to the Habitat for Humanity at https://www.habitat.org