Joseph F. Ulrich, Jr., 93, of Plainville, passed away on Saturday, Aug. 17. He was born on July 29, 1931, in Uncasville, son of the late Joseph F. and Helen (Martin) Ulrich, Sr.
Joseph was the loving husband of Judy Ulrich for 66 years. He served in the US Navy during the Korean War. Later he worked for Pratt & Whiney Aircraft for 31 years before his retirement. He often said of those years, that he loved his job. He would say, if you love what you do, you never really work. And he loved his job.
Joseph was a strong and stable rock for his family and all who knew him, volunteering his time and knowledge to help others with building, project work, or anything they needed. He was always working on a project or thinking about one, whether for his home or someone else, and never liked to sit still for long. He volunteered at St Matthew Church in Bristol with fundraisers and Boy Scouts, sharing his love of the outdoors with the next generation, proving to be a patient and wise scout master.
Family was a central part of his life. His free time was spent with his family, helping his son with projects, spending time with his grandchildren, or with his daughter. Day trips with his wife were a frequent pleasure around New England to enjoy the scenery. He loved simple pleasures; music, day trips, and New England scenery, whether it was mountains or the ocean, as long as his wife and family was with him.
Besides his wife Judith (Lausier) Ulrich, Joseph is survived by his son Jeff Ulrich and his wife Kate of Glastonbury; daughter Heidi Ulrich of Plainville; grandchildren Alyssa Hughes and her husband Matthew, Heather Ulrich; great-grandchildren Camryn, Kya and Roan; his sister Helen Fisher of North Carolina and several nieces and nephews and his fur buddy Bentley.
Besides his parents, Joseph is predeceased by his children Martin, Renee and Jennifer and his brother Martin Ulrich.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held directly at St. Matthew Church, 120 Church Ave., Bristol for a 10 a.m. service on Friday, Aug. 23. Burial and military honors will follow at St. Joseph Cemetery, Plainville.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Barefoot Baby Foundation, The Front Porch Project, a project created by his granddaughter in honor of the memories of times spent on his porch with his family. To donate or learn more, click here https://www.barefootbabyfoundation.org/.
To leave an online message of condolences, please visit Joseph’s tribute page at www.OBrien-FuneralHome.com.
All TBE readers, supporters and donors
The Bristol Edition will be limiting the number of stories non-members and free readers may access each week. This decision is based on our financial projections and, most certainly, to remind people that TBE is serious about providing accurate, timely and thorough reporting for Bristol. To do this we have devised a financial support structure that makes unlimited access extremely affordable, beginning with a $6 monthly donation.
- Non-members will be able to access four (4) articles per week.
- Free readers and people who have subscribed by email will be able to access four (4) articles per week.
- Donors and financial supporters will have unlimited access as long as they log in.
Note: Donors may have to contact TBE if they find they are being limited, since we will need to set up a membership account for you. Email editor@bristoledition.org for instructions. Sorry for any inconvenience. People with financial difficulties may write editor@bristoledition.org to be considered for free access.