Joseph Anthony Horak
April 3, 1934 ~ July 14, 2018
Joseph Anthony Horak, 84, of Hollywood, MD passed away on July 14, 2018 in Baltimore, MD. Born on April 3, 1934 in Takoma Park, MD, he was the son of the late Anton Horak and Anna Marie McKovsky. He is survived by his sister, Elizabeth Williams of Novato, CA; his stepson, Wayne M. Gordon of Upper Marlboro, MD; and numerous nephews and nieces. He was preceded in death by his wife, Anna Jeannine Horak in 1996 and his siblings Helen Hannigan, Mary Seckel Skinner and Francis Horak.
A native of Silver Spring, MD, Mr. Horak grew up on a farm in the White Oak, MD area. He was a graduate of Montgomery Blair High School and the University of Maryland. During his military service, he volunteered for and served in the Army Special Forces (Green Berets). Mr. Horak began his career with the U.S. Census Bureau as a statistician in the Agriculture Division in 1958. During his early years with the Census Bureau, he traveled extensively throughout the United States training enumerators and crew leaders in census methods and procedures for collecting information from farms and ranches for the 1959 and 1964 national censuses of agriculture. He later specialized in compilation and publication of statistics on farm irrigation becoming Chief of the Irrigation Branch and retired as Assistant Division Chief for Agriculture Statistics. For 13 years during and after retirement from the Census Bureau, Mr. Horak was a business partner in the construction, renovation, and management of rental property in the Laurel, MD and Jessup, MD areas. After retirement, he lived in Hollywood, MD where he built a house and enjoyed doing yard work and maintaining fruit trees and a garden.
The family will receive friends on Monday, July 23, 2018 from 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM in the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, Leonardtown, MD where a Memorial Service will be held at 11:00 AM in the Funeral Home Chapel with Deacon Ammon Ripple officiating. Interment will follow in Washington National Cemetery Suitland, MD.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hollywood Volunteer Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 79, Hollywood, MD 20636.
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My Dad Carl, my wife and I (Bret and Debbi) send our deepest condolences to the family. Joe and my Dad were life long friends but Joe was more like family than friend. I have so many great memories of good times with Dad and Joe. We would go up to Orville’s or Joe’s mountain to hunt or set up deer stands. Can remember the temporary stairs Dad and Joe brought from the investment townhouses and built the coolest deer stand ever. Unfortunately then Orville showed up and didn’t like where they built it and it had to be torn down. Dad and Joe talked about that for years. Remember sleeping in Joe’s cabin with my Dad, My Grandad, and my brother. They all snored so loud my brother and I didn’t sleep a wink but we had a great weekend hanging out with the old guys in the family even though we were a little tired.I also have so many great memories of working with Dad and Joe on the weekends on their investment houses. We would ride out to get materials or lunch in Joe’s little truck me in the middle. Loved hearing them talk about old time stories, current events, or people they knew. In recent years would always have Joe up for Christmas or other get together’s until he couldn’t make long trips. After that we had great times visiting Joe and going to lunch with him and Glenna. Joe was like an Uncle to me and loved him very much. He will be missed.