Joseph A. Boland, 102, of South Amboy died on Friday January 12, 2018. Joseph was born June 13, 1915, in Dutzow, MO on his father's farm. He worked many jobs in his long life, living by the philosophy that "Hard work never hurt anybody." As a young man he owned his own milk delivery route taking milk from local farms to St. Louis for processing. Later he worked as a taxi driver and in a munitions plant. During World War II he worked for the War Labor Board in Washington, DC under the first female cabinet secretary Frances Perkins. After the war he was a painter and steeplejack, then spent 30 years at Ford Motor Company while having his own paving business on the side. Always busy in retirement, he worked several part time jobs and was an usher at Sacred Heart Church in South Amboy for 30 years.  He was a devoted friend; visiting often and driving his friends to appointments when they were not able to drive themselves.  A devout Catholic, he attended mass every day when he was able, and he spent much of his spare time praying for deceased relatives and friends. He was especially devoted to the Divine Mercy, never missing a day.  He was also a life member of the Knights of Columbus. He loved baseball, and had played hardball on local teams until his mid-thirties.  He loved watching his two favorite teams, the Yankees and Cardinals, on television.

Son of the late Francis and Augusta Ballman Boland he is also predeceased by his beloved wife Eleanor Grynkiewicz Boland in 2005 and his siblings Francis, George, Clarence, Rita, Lawrence, Marie, Mathilda and Raymond. He is survived by his sons Kevin Boland and his wife Andrea of Spotswood and Joel Boland of Hillsborough; his daughters Cynthia Vaughn of Chino Valley, Arizona and Sheila Boland of South Amboy; his sisters Rose Maroon of South Amboy and Victoria Vassolo of St. Louis, Missouri; his grandson Lonnie Vaughn and numerous nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be held on Thursday January 18, 2018, at 8:15am from The Gundrum Service “Home For Funerals” 237 Bordentown Avenue, South Amboy followed by a 9am Mass of Christian Burial at Sacred Heart Church, South Amboy. Interment will be in Sacred Heart Cemetery, South Amboy. Visitation will be on Wednesday from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9pm. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Sacred Heart Church, 531 Washington Avenue, South Amboy, NJ 08879.