MEEHAN, JOSEPH JOHN., JR.

Joseph John Meehan Jr., also known as Sensei Joe or Surfer Joe, passed away on July 17, 2021 at the age of 63. He was a loving husband to Christine and a fantastic father to Meghan and Ryan. He was brother to Fran, Mike, Jim, Suzanne, Lori, and Grace, and brother-in-law but no less of a brother to Lisa, Mike, and Joey. Joe was the son of Mary Meehan and the late Joseph Meehan Sr. of Villas, NJ.Raised in Jenkintown, PA, he found a second home in North Wildwood, soon moving nearby to start a family in Rio Grande, NJ. He loved living at the shore and could often be found on the beach or in the surf lineups at Wildwood Crest, North Wildwood, and the Cove at Cape May.Joe was good-natured with a goofy sense of humor, and he always had a quick joke or a story to tell. He made friends anywhere he went, and became a hub of any community he joined. A lifelong surfer, he was adventurous and loved the outdoors. He liked to travel with friends and family and surf different locations around the world, such as Puerto Rico, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Hawaii. He loved music, and he introduced his children to piano and bass guitar. He could often be found whistling a tune or tapping a beat, and he enjoyed listening to smooth jazz on the Weather Channel.For years, Joe worked as a landscape architect and engineering draftsman. He designed beautiful streetscapes and landscapes, homes and commercial buildings, and other structures including some of Wildwood’s most iconic waterslides. After he discovered martial arts at the age of 44, he set aside his drafting business Meehan Graphics to follow his new passion. He opened a martial arts studio, South Coast Shore Kick Karate, and started working toward a black belt in Nihon Goshin Aikido, taught by the renowned Aikido master Shihan Robert McEwen. With his martial arts school, Joe taught many of the children of Cape May County self-defense and confidence-building skills. He worked with local agencies such as DYFS to take children from abusive homes into his classes so they could empower themselves and learn to regain their confidence. He was an attentive and dedicated teacher more than he was a businessman, and would sometimes look the other way when a student couldn’t afford a month’s tuition. He truly cared about his students and he believed in the power of martial arts to transform and improve lives.Later in his life he also began working for the NJ Carpenter’s Union, laying down boards for the Wildwood boardwalk restoration project. He never gave up on his school, keeping it open until his illness kept him from teaching. Joe valued dedication, commitment, and hard work, which he passed on to his children and students. He took pride in everything he did, and served as an inspiration to many.We’d like to thank Dr. Irwin and Dr. Roltgen for diagnosing him with FTD. Due to the rareness of the disease, we had a hard time getting an accurate diagnosis. A medical donation was made to the University of Pennsylvania Frontotemporal Degeneration Research Center. Anyone wanting to donate in Joe’s honor can do so via the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD) at theaftd.org.A big thank you to: our community adult day center, Active Day of Cape May. Our personal caregivers and friends, Brenda, Donna, Shirley, Bert, Joelle, and Jim. Angelic & Serenity Hospice’s caring staff. The staff of Preferred Care, formally known as Absecon Manor, including nurses, aides, recreational staff, administrators and other employees.We are appreciative and send our heartfelt gratitude to you all for taking good care of Joe for these last few years.