Joseph Edward Kewley II, 75, of Newtown died December 20, with family at his side, after a long journey of decline with Parkinson's disease. He was born and grew up in Corning, N.Y.

Mr Kewley was dearly loved by his wife of 53 years, Sharon Sibble Kewley; his son, David Kewley, and his partner, Anne Cole, of California; his daughter, Heather, and her husband, David Larrabee; grandchildren, Daniel, Grace, Hannah, and Nathan of Massachusetts; as well as by his sister, Janet Kewley Lawther of Georgia. Several others, including nieces, nephews, brothers- and sisters-in-law, and cousins, also loved Mr Kewley. His parents, Marjorie and Thomas Kewley, and his brother, Frederick Kewley, predeceased him.

He graduated from Corning Free Academy, and he earned his BS and MS in mechanical engineering at Cornell University. Mr Kewley and Sharon met and married while they were both at Cornell. After graduation, they moved to Ohio, where both their children were born.

Mr Kewley worked for General Electric Lamp Division in Ohio and Mississippi, Duracell in Tennessee, and Voltarc Technologies in Connecticut before he bought Nutmeg Cleaners.

He was a resident of Newtown since 1984. He was active with Sharon at Walnut Hill Community Church in Bethel, and before that at Newtown Congregational Church. He owned and operated Nutmeg Cleaners in Danbury, Bethel, and Newtown from 1986 until 2002. After selling his business, he worked at Trader Joe's in Danbury until 2011.

A golfer since he was a boy, he played locally with a group of retired friends known as the Twisters. He also loved music, singing tenor in barbershop groups and church choirs.

Mr Kewley is remembered as a genuinely loving, friendly, sweet, positive, kind, humorous, and generous man. He engaged people with his warm smile and easy conversation, and was always ready to help someone in need. He took great joy in his family and they in him.

Mr Kewley was dearly loved and is deeply missed. Along with profound sadness, his family feels relief and comfort that his suffering has ended, and he is now with his Lord and Savior. They are thankful for the many happy memories they have of shared love, humor, and music, right up to his final days.

A celebration of Mr Kewley's life will be conducted on Sunday, January 15, at Walnut Hill Community Church, 156 Walnut Hill Road, Bethel, at 2:30 pm.

Instead of flowers, memorial gifts in Mr Kewley's name may be made to Walnut Hill Community Church, as above, or to the Parkinson's Disease Foundation to help end Parkinson's, PDF at 1359 Broadway, Suite 1509, New York NY 10018 or by visiting pdf.org.