Joseph A

Joseph Anthony Palkovic Sr., was born in the Mont Pleasant neighborhood in Schenectady, New York on March 20, 1916.

Joe was the first born of seven children.

His parents were Thomas and Josephine Palkovic, Slovak immigrants who came to America separately in the early 1900's and married in Schenectady around 1913.

This is his yearbook picture when he graduated from high school in 1934.

Joe went Hamilton grade school, Mc Kinley Junior High School (later named Stuyvesant Jr. High School) and Mont Pleasant High School. Joe was a good student, excelling especially in music and math. He graduated (June, 1934) from the technical program (the advanced math-science program) .

In high school, Joe was in both band, orchestra, and choir. He played the French horn, saxophone and the violin. From his sister Rose, we learned that Joe spent a lot of time in his room playing his sax. Music was a very important part of Joe's life. When it was time for him to graduate in 1934, the country was in the Great Depression, and jobs were not available. He stayed in high school for a while longer to continue to enjoy the music program.

On December 15, 1939, Joe graduated from the Apprentice Course for the General Electric Company, and he was given a job as a tool maker, a skilled trade.

Joe was also active in the Slovak Church, SS Cyril and Methodius. In those days, social life revolved around ethnic and church organizations. This church had a big hall with a stage; in the basement there was a full size bowling alley. Joe played on the church baseball team and he was a leader in the theater club.

On August 10, 1940, Joe married Loni Wurth, daughter of Gustav and Barbara Wurth at SS. Cyril & Methodius Church in Schenectady, NY.

Joe and Loni married in 1940. In 1944, they bought a house at 2742 Broadway in the Town of Rotterdam. The mailing address was Schenectady, NY.

Music was always a part of his family life. All the children learned to sing and play musical instruments.

In the late 30's, Joe was a member of the Musicians Union. He played saxophone for many gigs and was an admired musician around town. He told me once that he liked to go to Black bars because those "Black Cats" could really play jazz. He was also part of a harmonica band.

Joe continued to play gigs after he was married.

As his family grew, he went out less. He started a male quartet, a group of guys that met and practiced at his home. We children were lulled to sleep by Barbershop Harmony from as far back as we can remember. The quartet I remember best included Dad, his two brothers Frank and Ted, and Henry Thron, Jr. With this group, Dad could get good music going whether we were at a Palkovic or a Wurth party. My brother Joe practiced with them, too. He became very proficient and in the Sixties, he sang with the local chapter of the barbershop society. I'm not sure if my father ever sang with them or not.

Recently (2008), I was able to digitize some reel to reel tapes of my father and his quartet. I think the singers are Dad, Joe, Jr., Ted, and Henry. You can hear those songs at our Family Connections link.

Joe had advanced in his career at the General Electric Company. He became a Methods Specialist, a white collar job in the office. Now he was part of management.

On June 17, 1971, at the age of 55, Joe died suddenly from an aneurysm of the aorta. He lives on in our memories and in our music.

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