(1904 - 1996)
Joseph was born on January 22, 1904 in the home of a humble family. At the age of 17, in the city of Bombay where he was sent for further studies and the possibility of finding a lucrative job, Joseph found his Lord and Saviour in the meeting in Byculla Corps, where a group of 128 Salvation Army missionary officers were welcomed.
This was the beginning of the service he was to follow for 48 years as an officer in the ranks of the Salvation Army. He left Bombay where he could have found what he was seeking, but the Lord had a plan for his life. He found his life-mate Saguna, and in 1926 both of them were accepted as candidates to enter the Training College in his home town.
He went to England in 1933 to further his training at the Salvation Army International Training College, Denmark Hill, London, England. Little did he realized that God had "unlimited boundries" for them, as in addition to spending a period of 30 years from 1926 - 1956 in the western India Territory (Bombay - Gujarat - Maharastra), he preached and practiced God's leadings in North (Delhi) and East (Calcutta) during 1956 - 1962, In south (Trivendrum) during 1962-1969 and finally in western India from 1969 - 1974, from where he retired at age of 70, at the position of Senior Commissioner.
In addition to his ministry in India, he was privilaged to speak at large gatherings in other parts of the Salvation Army world - Europe, UK, USA, Japan, Australia and New Zealand in the yearly Territorial Congresses as a representative from Asia. He represented Salvation Army as one of their members to the World Council of Churches on the three occasions in the U.S.A, Sweden and New Delhi. In his retirement service he expressed a desire to be allowed to give further service. His desire became reality. After a brief stay in UK/Netherlands/Australia with his children, he returned to India and gave volunteer service at the Emery Hospital and other well known institutions based in Anand.
In USA, he was a member at the Salvation Army Portland Tabernacle Corps in Portland, Oregon. The Commissioner leaves behind his dear wife Saguna, daughter Evangeline and her family in the Netherlands, son Philip and his family in Portland, son Daniel and his family in New York, son Benjamin and his Family in Tasmania, 9 grandchildren and 8 greatgrandchildren.
