Joseph Paul Borowski

Mr. Joseph Paul Borowski, 85, nicknamed “Bo”, peacefully left this earth and went to his heavenly home on Monday, May 27, 2019, where he joins his loving parents, Mary Lewicki Borowski and Walter Borowski; his four brothers, Alex, Stanley, Frankie and Eddie Borowski and his two sisters, Viola Yesuvida and Judy Rogan.

Joe was born in Plains, Pennsylvania.  He relocated to Elizabeth, New Jersey, when he was 17 years old.  At the age of 18, Joe joined the U.S. Navy, where he served for four years during the Korean War aboard the USS Des Moines.

Shortly after he was discharged, Joe met and married Antoinette (Toni) Simone and they had three children; Joe, Tom and Lisa.  Unfortunately, this union resulted in a divorce after just a few years.  Joe then met and married Shirlee Lesher Rabatin.  They have been married for 44 years and together they raised Shirlee’s son, Joe Rabatin.

Joe Borowski was a retiree of Wilson Jones Company in Elizabeth, New Jersey, where he had worked for 35 years as a maintenance electrician before Wilson Jones Company moved their factory out of Elizabeth.  Joe then worked for another ten years for Economy Color Card, which was the factory that took over the Wilson Jones building. 

Joe leaves behind his adoring wife, Shirlee Borowski; his two sons, Thomas and Joseph; his daughter, Lisa; his step-son, Joe Rabatin and his sister, Mary Gorda.  Joe is also survived by his two granddaughters; Jordan and Ashley; his two grandsons, Michael and Anthony and his two great granddaughters, Mia Martha and Quin and his great grandson, Hunter.  After Joe’s retirements, he had the privilege of joining his wife in raising Ashley and Michael from the third and fourth grade to adulthood: an experience that gave him many years of happiness.

Joe has resided in the Elmora Hills Nursing Home in Elizabeth, New Jersey for the past four years.  His wife and his son, Thomas, have visited him every day in that facility and they wish to thank the nurses,  aides and all the employees of the Elmora Hills Nursing Home, who made Joe’s final years easier and happier.  Although there were many times Joe did not know who his wife and son were, they said that they visited him every day because they always knew who he was.

Family and friends are invited to the visitation in the Kowalski Funeral Home, 515 Roselle Street, Linden on Thursday, May 30^th. from 9:00-10:00AM.  At the conclusion of the visitation at 10:00AM, there will be a funeral prayer service offered in the funeral home by the Reverend Byran Wolf.  The prayers of committal at the cemetery, again given by Reverend Wolf, will precede his burial in the family plot in Mt. Calvary Cemetery in Linden, New Jersey.

Please omit flowers.  Donations in Joe’s memory may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association Greater NJ Chapter, 23 Vreeland Road, Suite 105, Florham Park, NJ 07932.

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.