Joseph "Joe" Juliana

(January 2, 1917 - February 24, 2001)

Joe Juliana was a very active knight and believed in the Knights so much that he was always looking to invite men to join. Joe was Grand Knight for 1992-93 and also 1996-97. Joe taught physical fitness at a local gym and, while not young, shocked many when he simply dropped dead arriving to work one day. His funeral mass was packed at St. Joseph's Church in Capitola.

The following are from "Today's Knights" (Council 971 bulletin), March 2001 issue:

A Passing: Joe Juliana

Council 971 deeply mourns the sudden passing of our brother Knight, Joseph “Joe” Juliana. In his productive 12-year stay with this Council, his accomplishments and actions few could surpass, particularly in the area of recruitment of members. He was, at the time of is death, serving for the nth time as Membership Chairman, and in the midst of preparing candidates of the Council for the second and third degrees exemplification on March 10 at the Moreland Notre Dame School in Watsonville.
We sincerely condole with his family and friends and offer our prayers for the eternal repose of his soul. May he find rest and peace in the company of our Lord and Saviour.

Grand Knight's Message

Dear Brother Knights and Families,

Yesterday, March 2, 2001, we buried Joe Juliana. I shall miss Joe and all his enthusiasm and dedication to the Knights of Columbus. He was a friend to me and I shall always be grateful to him for that friendship. The funeral mass and get-together after were both wonderful. Joe’s family got to see a side of him that they did not know existed and the rest of us got to know more about Joe. It’s a shame, isn’t it, that we only get to know so much about our loved ones after they die?

After a loved one dies, we often talk about their memorial, what will it be and how should it look and all that. Here is Joe’s memorial; recruit a member! Joe recruited 26 Knights during his time with us and I cannot think of a better way to remember him. Recruit a member. This is Joe’s memorial with this council. I now call upon each and every one of us to honour Joe in this manner, recruit a member. To quote a well known sports equipment company. “Just Do It.” Recruit a member.

Dia Beannaich,
Tearlach Sinclair

Joe's Example

At the last business meeting, Joe Juliana stood, and unbeknownst to him, gave his final report as Chairman of the Membership Committee. I don’t remember all that he said verbatim, but I do remember this: “[If we don’t recruit] this council is going to die for lack of new members.” Ironic and true.

If there’s anything that optimized Joe, it was recruitment. He lived recruitment. He believed in the Knights and what we do and wished to share the cause (and the effort) with as many Catholic men as possible.

My wife called a friend of hers, who works for Dominican Hospital, to tell her of Joe’s death. This friend had met Joe at the hospital and he had given her a KofC Tootsie Roll. When she saw it, she made mention of me and Joe said, yes, he knew me, then he proceeded to get her last name—her husband would go into his mental Rolodex as a future KofC prospect… or so she was convinced anyway. (Her husband had already been asked by my brother.)

We should take a lesson from Joe. Keep our eyes and ears open to possible members and don’t be afraid to ask them! Tearlach, our current Grand Knight, has mentioned in the past that it took many askings before he finally gave the Knights serious consideration and joined us. Be patiently persistent.

I believe Tearlach is correct in his GK message this month, that Joe would like nothing more than for us to swell our ranks with new members in his memory.

Andrew Lenz, Jr., PGK, Trustee