Obituary of Joseph Edward Braim

Joseph Edward Braim, age 88, of Abington, passed away peacefully on December 14th, 2016 at Edgehill Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Glenside after a brief illness. Born March 19, 1928 in Philadelphia, he was the son of the late Paul R. and Anna (McAvoy) Braim. Joe graduated from Frankford High School in 1945, enlisted in the Army and served overseas during the German occupation. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from Shippensburg State Teachers College in 1952 and taught sixth grade at Glenside Elementary School in Cheltenham for many years. On June 18, 1955, he married his college sweetheart, Winnie Clem; they traveled extensively in their early married years and in 1970 settled in Abington to raise their family. After earning a Master's degree from the University of Pennsylvania, Joe changed careers and worked as a school psychologist in the Hatboro-Horsham School District until his retirement. He also was a decades-long volunteer at Abington Hospital and an adult-literacy tutor at Abington Public Library. He especially enjoyed spending holidays with family and his annual vacations in Ocean City, New Jersey. Joe will be greatly missed by his two daughters, Cynthia Pastore, and husband, Michael, of Avon, Connecticut; and Nancy Messner, and husband, Mark, of Lancaster, Pennsylvania; five grandchildren, Lauren and Rachel Pastore and Nicole, Luke and Daniel Messner; his sister, Ann (Braim) Austin, of Winter Springs, Florida; and many nieces and nephews. Joe was predeceased by his parents, his wife of almost 60 years, Winnie (Clem) Braim, his brother, Paul F. Braim, and a niece, Diedre Braim Troup. Funeral services will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Montgomery County SPCA, 19 E. Ridge Pike –Box 222, Conshohocken, PA 19428-0222 would be appreciated. The Braim family would like to express their gratitude to the staff at Edgehill Nursing Center for their compassionate care during Joe's brief stay there.