Joseph Eugene Scrima

Joseph Eugene Scrima was born July 15, 1935, in Schenectady, N.Y. He was one of seven boys born to Mary (Gitto) Scrima, also of Schenectady, and Frank Scrima of Messina, Italy. Joe was the second born and had an adventurous childhood in the Adirondack Mountains. He was a drummer in jazz and swing bands, a great dancer and was voted best personality by his senior class. That proved to be true throughout his life as he was always found with a smile, a hand and a hug by all who encountered him. After being honorably discharged from the U.S. Army, Joe moved to Michigan in 1958 with the Remington Rand Typewriter Company. Joe’s other skills were soon realized in the starting of his first business, Edisan’s Shoes, in downtown St. Joseph in 1960. For 25 years he served the community with children’s shoes and eventually the creation of custom orthotics. He was the only pedorthist in the area for many years and helped many people walk and run without pain, as well as correcting many growth-related problems in children. The shoe store sadly was lost to a fire in 1985 and Joe eventually started his second business, the Eye Care Outlet in 1993. In this new endeavor he helped people with vision challenges and was successful, especially in his ongoing primary mission in life, of bringing hope and joy to those he met. Joe was a member of the St. Joseph Catholic Church for over 60 years, and was a sacristan. He shared his faith with many through jail and prison ministries, the Knights of Columbus, Cursillo, St. Vincent DePaul Charities, Special Olympics, 4-H, Therapeutic Equestrian Services and many more. He mentored and cared for many, in many ways, and that is his most important and enduring legacy. His final act of helping others was donating his body to the Western Michigan University School of Medicine. He is survived by his wife, Karen (Anderson) Scrima; his four children, Darla (Ed) Nickel, Mark Scrima, Amy Scrima (Brian Bailey) and Alison (Scott) Jones; his 14 grandchildren: Christopher Nickel, Stephen Nickel, John Paul Nickel, Sarah Scrima, Rebecca Scrima, Jessi Scrima-Bailey, Parker Scrima-Bailey, Max Jones, Tia Jones, Ella Jones, Alexa Jones, Syrina Jones, Gemma Jones and Ty Jones; and one great-grand child, Elijah Scrima. Joe’s brothers are: Frank (deceased) (Katie), Robert (Rose), George (Connie), Tom (Carrie), Phil (Joanne) and Larry (Sonia) Scrima. A Memorial Mass will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, July 18, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in celebration of his life, and a memorial drive-thru procession will immediately follow at the Rose Center. For more information, please email drscrima@comcast.net or to leave a memory, visit his memorial page at https://www.memories.net/page/6790/joseph-scrima#!/. If you would like to make a donation in Joe’s memory, please visit the Berrien County 4-H Organization at https://www.canr.msu.edu/4h/support_michigan_4_h or by check to St. Vincent De Paul Charities, 220 Church St., St. Joseph, MI 49085.