Joseph John Dorneden, age 71, of Sandwich, IL, passed away in the early hours of November 12, 2023 after a brief battle with cancer.

He was born the 7th child of Edward and Annette (McQuaid) Dorneden in DeKalb, IL, on March 19, 1952. He grew up in Maple Park until the family moved across from Fisherman's Inn near Elburn, IL, where he enjoyed a blissful boyhood swimming in the lakes, finding odd jobs and small town trouble both on and off the farm. He served as an altar boy at St. Gall's Church, took tap dance lessons and passed Sybil Jenkins' English class by agreeing to be "Riff" in the spring musical, West Side Story his senior year.

He graduated from Kaneland High School in 1970 and started working with his brothers Pat and Greg at Daniel's Drywall in Aurora, IL. With few expenses at the time, Joe invested in his beloved yellow Corvette until his draft number was called, when Joe made the proudest decision of his young life - enlisting as a United States Marine in 1972. After completing "boot" at Camp Pendleton, San Diego, he was shipped to Iwakuni, Japan where he won base championships in football and softball, which earned him memorable extended weekend leaves to Taipei and South Korea. He came home briefly in June 1973 for the funeral of his father, then returned to Japan before ending his service in September 1974 as 'Corporal JJ' at Camp Lejeune.

Joe settled temporarily in North Carolina in 1975 and convinced his brother Mark to live and work with him. He earned his Associate Degree from Coastal Carolina Community College while working as a repo man. While he loved the boating and coastal life, he brought his degree back to Elburn to find better work and pay.

Joe was a handsome young man and had the eye of many young women when he chose to marry Ione Anderson in 1979 - much to the delight of their mutual hometown mothers. They made their home in nearby Kaneville where they welcomed son Frank and daughter Jackie. While working progressive sales jobs for Aqua Guard, Strohs Distribution, Shamrock Containers and Country Companies Insurance, Joe volunteered with the American Legion, the Kane County Republican Committee and coached his son's little league teams. When he wasn't attending the many family obligations that came with his and Ione's 16 collective siblings, Joe was a passionate NASCAR and Chicago sports fan. He planned his chores around Bears, Blackhawks, White Sox games and televised races. Vacations and weekends were often planned so he and family could attend said contests in person, logging 51 White Sox games with his wife and brothers one summer - and traveling to Michigan, the Carolinas and Daytona to follow his favorite NASCAR drivers and fellowship in good restaurants post-race.

Joe loved driving tractors – he did his best thinking behind the wheel. He and Mark farmed brother Steve's acreage in Door County multiple summers, and moonlighted after his day jobs on the Dave Nelson and Lee Strom farms for several seasons. When he and Ione went separate ways, Joe stayed in his Kaneville home so his kids would remain grounded there until diplomas were earned. In the early 2000's he moved to Sandwich and rounded out his work career driving Co-op semis between cornfields and grain elevators.

Joe was an animated story teller, delivering decidedly caustic punch lines with his infectious laugh. His jokes could be either sophisticated or sophomoric depending on the audience and he could deliver them with deadpan hilarity. Many times, someone listening in would need an explanation of his joke or story, which further delighted Joe and kept him tossing out jeers and jabs at the expense of any and all. Alternatively, Joe was a serious patriot and no one was ever left to guess which side of history and politics he embraced unapologetically.

Joe will be missed by his two children, Frank of Sycamore, IL and Jackie of Chicago, IL his beloved grandchildren Rylee, Boone and Taytum, three siblings, Mark (Teresa) Dorneden of Somonauk, IL, Jerry Dorneden of Tucson, AZ, and Cecile (Dennis) Mutch of Galesburg, MI, many nieces and nephews, several cousins and a select circle of friends.

Joe was preceded in death by his parents, Edward and Annette Dorneden, sister Marge and her husband Sylvester Marshall, their sons Mike and Jim and five brothers: Bernie, Jim, Pat, Greg and Stephen Dorneden. Joe declined cancer treatment and faced the disease with a high pain threshold, a dry sense of humor and the strength and advocacy of his devoted children. He chose to be cremated and his family will host a memorial celebration with military honors after the holiday season.