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deacon joseph stock dies july 24 at home

Story by LIZ QUIRIN
Messenger editor

Deacon Joseph E. Stock, 77, died July 24 at his home in Belleville.

Ordained a deacon in 1980, he served at his home parish of St. Peter’s Cathedral for many years.

Also known as a champion of pro-life issues, Deacon Stock, and his late wife, Elizabeth, were very involved in the formation of the Pregnancy Care Center and Belleville Area Right to Life.

Celeste Cocheba, head of the Pregnancy Care Center, and a former teacher at the cathedral, said the Stocks “were always supportive of the Pregnancy Care Center.
Elizabeth Stock was treasurer of the organization, a position her sister, Dolores Langan, holds today.

As a Cathedral Grade School teacher, Cocheba said the Stocks were “wonderful parents and always supportive of the school.”

The Stocks’ niece, Dr. Kay Bennett, is now principal at the school.

“He loved the church, and he loved his family,” Bennett said.

As a deacon, he sometimes preached at liturgies, and he witnessed the marriages of his children and grandchildren. He also baptized some of his grandchildren and great grandchildren.Father Dennis Voss will be the homilist at his July 31 funeral at the cathedral.

Father Voss, a friend for many years, said he and Deacon Stock spent many Friday afternoons fishing.
“When we couldn’t go fishing, we used ‘silver’ bait,” Father Voss said. The silver bait referred to their trip to Red Lobster for a meal. “He loved Red Lobster,“ Father Voss said.

Father Voss described Deacon Stock as “a faith-filled man and a very caring husband. His devotion to his wife was remarkable.”

During the last years of her life, Deacon Stock’s wife suffered from Alzheimer’s, Father Voss said, and he took such good care of her.

During one conversation, Father Voss asked the deacon about taking care of his wife. “It’s a joy; it’s never hard to take care of her,” he told Father Voss. “I learned about married love from him.”

Kathy Becker, Deacon Stock’s cousin, said he had a sense of humor and could be a quiet person, but “he could be forceful in his response and stuck to his principles.”

Deacon Stock was preceded in death by his wife, Elizabeth Glauber Stock, June 15, 2010, his parents, three sisters and four brothers-in-law.

Deacon Stock is survived by his 10 children, 54 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren, a brother, a brother-in-law and four sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews and other relatives and friends.

Bishop Edward K. Braxton celebrated a Mass of Christian Burial July 31 at the cathedral with interment at Green Mount Catholic Cemetery in Belleville.