He was born in Rochester, N.Y., and came to Princeton from the Asheville School. He was a member of Elm Club, majored in Public and International Affairs, and wrote his thesis on “The Anglo-Iranian Oil Case and Its International Implications.”
After two years of military service, mostly in the Southeastern states, he went to Harvard Law School, then joined the firm of Nixon, Hargrave, Devans & Doyle, now Nixon Peabody, practicing corporate law. He was named partner in 1964 and was a member of the Monroe County, New York, and American bar associations. He served on the board of directors of Gleason Works, Attorneys’ Liability Assurance Society, and Allendale Columbia School (as chairman). He was a long-time member of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and the Country Club of Rochester, where he served on the Board of Stewards.
Joe was predeceased by Patricia Carr Atwater, his wife of 53 years, and his younger daughter. He is survived by three children, nine grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.