Joseph J. "Joe" Lepold Jr.

Joseph John Lepold, Jr. Born February 26th, 1996. Found peace in the loving arms of Jesus, May 26th, 2017. Precious son of Joseph J. Lepold, Sr. and Jane (Norman) Lepold. Cherished brother of Victoria Lepold. Adored Grandson of Judi Lepold and the late Joseph Lepold and Jack and Barbara Norman. Godson of Patricia Jensen, Mari Lepold, and Dan Murphy. Further survived by other aunts, uncles, cousins, and countless friends. Joey was baptized into the Christian Faith on April 28th, 1996, at First Immanuel Lutheran Church. As a little boy, he was enamored with cars and trucks, trains and heavy equipment, and his favorite pastime was to “dig in the dirt”. He was also known for his amazing skill with a set of Legos. He attended First Immanuel from the age of 3 until he graduated from 8th grade in 2010. While a middle schooler, Joey played soccer, basketball, softball and track for FIL, and also played football through the Grafton Gladiator organization. Many lifelong friendships were forged through those early school years and sporting opportunities. Joey was confirmed in the Lutheran Church on May 16, 2010. The influence his Christian upbringing had on him was apparent in Joe’s willingness to show his faith wherever he went, whether it be through his readiness to help others or by unfailingly wearing his silver cross necklace. Joe went to Grafton High School for his freshman year before attending Cedarburg High School. The friend count rose even higher as he stayed in touch with his Grafton buddies and made new, lasting friendships at Cedarburg. In high school, he again played football and was also involved in the Future Business Leaders of America and Best Buddies. During High School, Joe discovered his true passion, music, and with his savings purchased his first bass guitar and amp. He taught himself how to play, and soon the sounds of his heavy bass thumping away could be heard throughout the house and the entire neighborhood. A highlight of his time at Cedarburg High School were his performances with various bands at the Jam 4 Charity fundraising events. Joe graduated from CHS on June 8th, 2014. Joe attended Minnesota State – Mankato for 1 ½ years before transferring to University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, where he studied marketing. At both schools, he acquired another posse of friends and his first real love. In his short 21 years, Joe was afforded the opportunities to travel to Washington DC, Florida, Colorado, South Dakota, and California. He sat courtside at Buck’s games, enjoyed the front row and VIP seats at concerts, and helped start a record label through a class he took in Mankato. Joe’s passion for music drew him to spend many days and nights at Summerfest over the past six years. Joe loved Taco Bell runs in the middle of the night, fishing, cheese, and the Green Bay Packers. He loved to make people laugh, and could do a mean Patrick Star impersonation. He enjoyed all types of music from Country to Heavy Metal, and making his own music was what he loved most of all. Maya Angelou once said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you’ve said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Joe’s special gift from God was the ability to make people feel special. His goofy personality and incredible energy had a positive effect on everyone he met. He had an uncanny capacity to carry on a full conversation with anyone from children to adults from an early age. His happy-go-lucky demeanor helped to spread smiles and laughter wherever he went. His smile lit up every room he entered, and his huge heart and immense love for his family and friends was apparent to all. We are now bereft of that light and that love, but we will see and feel it again when we are reunited with our beloved Joe in heaven. Funeral Service Thursday, June 1, 2017 6PM at First Immanuel Lutheran Church, Cedarburg. In state on Thursday, at the church, from 3PM until 5:45PM. Further Celebration of Joe’s Life will take place at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, June 2, 2017 at the Rose-Harms American Legion Post in Grafton. In lieu of flowers, memorials to the family are appreciated.