January 13, 2010 Dear Sharon and Seth, I only learned of Joe’s passing this week, and I want to express my deepest sympathy. Clearly, Joe was a special man with a wide range of interests and abilities. Everyone he met could see his passion and talent. Although I was only a minor character in Joe’s life, and we did not have much contact since 1978, he was not a minor character in my life. Joe and Mark Bleeke founded the Four Moons and invited Alan Rasmussen and me to join the band. I believe that was in 1976. It was an a capella, doo wop quartet. This propelled me into a deep commitment toward music that dominated my high school years and continues to be a big part of my life today. We also sang together in a barbershop quartet as will as numerous choirs. The blend of our voices was recognized by our peers and our teachers, and we did pretty well in a barbershop competition even though we had only been experimenting with that genre for less than two months. But really, I was in awe of Joe and Mark, as I am sure Alan was. In particular, I remember that Joe could sing at least two notes lower than everyone else. I was fortunate to be there when he was gaining his confidence and coming into his own in terms of sight reading, interpreting and performing vocal music. In later years, I became one of the masses who savored hearing Joe sing oratorios. He really was a pro and by far the best bass I have ever performed with. One of the things that struck me in the notice about his passing was the array of things he had done. It reminded me that I was always struck by his discipline. Since he was two years older, I did not really follow his social life or his other academics very closely. However, when it came to things he cared about, he plunged in and set very high standards for himself. It is very difficult for a young family to lose their dad and husband, and my heart goes out to you. I hope that you are able to carry a little part of Joe around in your heart as I do. Sincerely, Peter Christianson
