Joseph Cyril Padiak Loving father, grandfather, brother, and friend Obituary Joseph Cyril Padiak, 72, died of heart failure on July 26, 2021, in Tampa, Florida. He was a builder: He built homes and room additions more beautiful than you can imagine. Pass by any residence, pool, or building in the Tri-Cities, Illinois, area and chances are that he constructed it, repaired it, or added on to it. But his building materials went beyond lumber and drywall, and his output beyond homes and custom mantelpieces. He built a full life out of the beginnings of an abusive and traumatic childhood. He built a place for himself in the U.S. Army as a mechanic and photographer. He built a collection of well-known, well-worn, and well-loved (or at least well-tolerated) habits: eating M&Ms; drinking half a bottle of Pepsi; talking about politics and religion; half-consuming a microwaved breakfast or TV dinner; loving German shepherds; imitating every bleep, bloop, splash, and vroom he ever heard. He built two families that he was enormously and endlessly proud of. He built a detail-perfect duplicate of his index finger out of soapstone, with a bowl at the base of it and a hole drilled into the tip. He built three businesses out of an incomplete formal and/or financial education. He built an impressive Rolodex of catchphrases: “OK, boys ...” “It’s to a point of ...” “Religion is a bunch of hocus pocus.” “Wanna smoke some pot? No? OK—more for me.” “Everything’s gonna be OK.” He built two gorgeous wood hutches for the ex-wife he never stopped loving. He built a library of music—in the form of his record collection, his playing talent (tuba, bass, flute, and more), and his appreciation (especially for The Beatles and Eric Clapton). He built a foundation of kindness and hope for his children. And he built a legacy that no one who knew him will soon forget. We should all be so lucky to leave as broad, as deep, as valued a legacy as Joseph Cyril Padiak. He is survived by his three children: Gwendolyn, Justin (Brigid), and Nicholas (Katharine); six grandchildren: Mercedes, Adrianna, Penelope, Milo, Shea, and Crosby; one great-grandchild, Bodhi; brother, Raymond; and two sisters, Christine Colclasure and Laurel Teafoe. He was preceded in death by his mother, Josephine; his father, Raymond; and his sister, Susan. There will be no formal service (see above reference to hocus pocus), and in lieu of sending gifts or flowers, his family requests that today you turn up the music way too loud; hug your loved ones a little too long; and be as generous with your talents, your time, and your affections as you can possibly be. “OK, boys ... Let’s go home.” Upcoming Events Gathering: Celebration of Life Service Times: