Father Joseph P. La Mar entered eternal life on November 17, 2024, in the Skilled Nursing Unit at Maryknoll. He was 90 years old and a Maryknoll priest for 41 years. Father La Mar composed the following obituary for himself.

I, Joseph Patrick La Mar, was born in Manhattan on February 10, 1934. An adopted son of Catherine B. La Mar, I was raised by foster parents on Long Island. I attended Ascension Grammar School and Hempstead High School on Long Island and attended one semester at Hofstra College.

At the age of 18, I enlisted in the Air Force and served as a navigator, flying in Strategic Air Command bombers on Cold War reconnaissance and electronic countermeasures missions. I was assigned to the Military Airlift Command and flew cargo missions to many wartime theaters, including the second Berlin crisis (1958-62), the buildup of the UN Peace Keeping Force in the Congo in the early 1960s, and the invasion of the Dominican Republic. I served in Vietnam from 1960 to 1970. After 20 years of service, I retired from the military in 1973 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

Immediately upon retiring, I entered Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, Illinois, and graduated in 1977 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy and Psychology. In 1966, I attended the ordination of my half-brother, Father John P. Martin, M.M., at Maryknoll. I inquired about entering Maryknoll Seminary, but I was informed that at 32 I was too old. Eleven years later when I applied again at the age of 43, I was accepted. After completing my overseas training program in Guatemala, I returned to Maryknoll, and was ordained a priest-missioner on May 7, 1983.

I was reassigned to Guatemala, the Petén, to work in San Pedro Mártir Parish, where I served both Spanish- and K’ekchi-speaking Mayans. During my eight years of ministry in Guatemala, I assisted in the building of 55 chapels, directed a major reorganization of the catechetical training programs, engaged in many face-to-face challenges to powerful people as I tried to support the Indigenous, and made a personal and financial commitment to the education of youth. I also worked with the seminarians assuming the responsibility of guiding them in the fulfillment of their vocations. After the murder of one of our parish catechists, Manuel de Jesus, I returned to New York for a needed rest.

While on leave in the U.S., I attended the Notre Dame Spiritual Renewal Program, after which I was assigned to Development in the Detroit and Chicago houses. After a year and a half of such work, I was assigned to the Treasury Department as Assistant Treasurer. I represented Maryknoll at the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR).

Working with teams, I visited managers of corporations where Maryknoll owned stocks and spoke with them about the social impact of their decisions. I helped persuade Pfizer, Inc. to accept the South African Churches’ Business Code of Conduct. I also led a Society shareholder resolution at RJR Nabisco that helped fuel the winning argument against the tobacco industry. In the area of human rights, several companies were “invited” to leave Burma to cut the flow of hard currency to the Military Junta. Also, under the leadership of the Society, both Texaco and PepsiCo withdrew from Burma. Because of direct conversations between the Chairman of the Board and me, Unocal, known as a top environmental polluter in the U.S., promised major environmental clean-ups. I joined a strong working group from the ICCR in challenging major financial institutions on issues of third-world debt, money laundering, international lending procedures, predatory lending, drug financing, and financing environmentally damaging corporations. As a member of the Investment Management Team, I shared the wisdom of responsible social investing concerning all of Maryknoll’s Investments.

In September 2023, I published my autobiography, Conversations with a Friend, Concerning Justice, Peace, and Joy.

I am survived by my brothers Fr. John P. Martin, M.M., and Jack (Barbara) Lawless; my sisters Catherine, Mary, Margaret, and Ellen Martin; many nephews and nieces, numerous grand and great-grand nieces and nephews, and many cousins.

A Mass of Christian Burial was held on November 21, 2024, and was concelebrated in the Queen of Apostles Chapel at the Maryknoll Society Center in Maryknoll. Father John McAuley was the celebrant, and Father Joseph Veneroso served as the homilist. Burial followed in the Maryknoll Society Cemetery with Father James Lynch presiding at the graveside prayers.