A great friend of the Lock House and a mentor to many who have passed through through our doors.

Nonetheless.  A phrase I listened to many times as Joe and I talked.  It was his way of continuing the story. 

Though I only knew him for the last 7 years of his journey, I was always in awe of the deeply-ingrained civic engagement and tenaciousness this one person possessed. So many stories.

Nonetheless, I don't know if his love for canals started with us or if it was because he grew up in Pennsylvania surrounded by the history of the Juniata and Susquehanna Rivers. But, the fact that he landed here in the early 1960s at the mouth of the Susquehanna and after working his way through life and time he eventually land on our doorstep and became a big part of the Lock House family.  Joe retired last year from volunteering at the Lock House after nearly 30 years - a steadfast Sunday afternoon museum docent and school group guide. One private school that has booked its annual field trip to the Lock House for the last 15 years always asked for Joe specifically.  It got to the point where the teacher knew to prep her kids to know the answer to Joe's famous question of what was the difference between a hinny and a mule.  An answer that, I know, I have to look up every time.

He enjoyed telling our story and he'd pull people out of the park to bring them inside.  But, Joe's favorite was the swing bridge. How many school groups and how many families did Joe open up that bridge for? How many memories did he create because nothing is cooler than pushing the bridge! The Museum dedicated the swing bridge to Joe last year.

Nonetheless, the story of Joe K is deep and long.  Not just with the Museum, but the 20 year-long project of the North Loop trail and his many years of leading those walks with his daughter, Judy.  His many years as a Council person for the City of Havre de Grace.  Forty years(!) as a Scout leader and various other coaching stints.  Many of these were all things accomplished alongside raising a family and having a career. Stories that I cannot speak to or can do justice in telling them.  He left an indelible mark on the Lock House Museum and on me.  The biggest lesson that I learned from him and his organized, math brain was that you only have one chance to collect data. Something I think of often here at the Museum when we want to track our various events to study later.

Only one chance to collect data, make an impression on people's lives and the community around you,  and live your life to the fullest - something that I think Joe accomplished in spades.

Nonetheless, Joe, nonetheless.