Trustee Emeritus Erik Joh, Distinguished Attorney and Tireless Volunteer, Passes Away
Longtime Florida Resident Helped Guide University for 25 Years
It is with sadness we report the passing of Erik Edward Joh, a distinguished attorney and tireless volunteer who shared his expertise, vision and legal acumen with the Florida Tech community as a 25-year member of the university’s Board of Trustees.
Mr. Joh passed away peacefully on May 5 at his home in Lake Worth. He was 78.
Born in Binghamton, New York, Mr. Joh attended Dartmouth, where he majored in government and history. (He was recently remembered by a former classmate.) After graduating, he attended Union University’s Albany Law School. He graduated in 1970 and, in 1980, moved to Florida to open a branch office of his Binghamton law firm, Hinman, Howard & Kattell. Mr. Joh, who practiced in estate and trust planning and administration law, remained at the firm for nearly 53 years.
In 1998, Mr. Joh was named to the Florida Tech Board of Trustees. Over his tenure, he served as secretary to the board and for many years as chairman of the Advancement Committee. During this time he established the Erik Joh Intercollegiate Rowing Program Endowment and also played a key role in the establishment of the Gertrude E. Skelly Fellowship in Marine and Environmental Systems. He was among the leaders of the 2010 campaign to renovate the Anchorage.
“Erik was the kind of trustee who got to know staff at every level and treated every person with respect and value,” said Gary Grant, senior vice president of advancement at Florida Tech and a friend of Mr. Joh’s. “We will miss him.”
Amid his busy schedule, Mr. Joh found a source for his generosity: the American Red Cross. He volunteered there for more than 50 years, holding positions at the chapter level as well as at the national level, where he served on the organization’s National Board of Governors for more than six years. He also served as Florida state chairman, among his many positions. He was honored with the Harriman Award for Exceptional Leadership, the highest recognition for American Red Cross volunteer service that celebrates extraordinary contributions beyond local communities and length of service.
Dr. Joh is survived by his wife Caroline Partin Joh, stepchildren Jeremy, Jason, Noelle, Carrie, his brother John Joh, sister-in-law Janey Joh, and nieces Susanne Reihard and Elizabeth Joh. He was preceded in death by his brother Gale Joh.
A service will be held from 10 a.m. to noon Tuesday, May 23 at Quattlebaum Funeral, Cremation and Event Center, 5411 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach, FL 33417.
Mr. Joh chose to donate his body to further research into Alzheimer’s, Lewy body dementia and Parkinson’s disease and to continue to impact lives for generations to come. The family asks that those who wish to add to his legacy contribute to University of Florida’s Neuromedicine Human Brain and Tissue Bank at the Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease. Email Stephen Figueroa at sfig@ufl.edu for information.
