Joseph was truly an extraordinary person who touched my life in many meaningful ways. Our families were close even before I was born, as our mothers were best friends. One of my earliest memories is when he and Herborg kindly took me to see the Ice Capades. It was such a special experience with such a beautiful couple. Years later, Joseph introduced my mother to Salem Gospel Tabernacle in Brooklyn, which became our beloved church. In 2013, when my brother was in Australia and dying of cancer, Joseph reached out to him and later reassured us that my brother had received the Lord. Knowing he had connected with his childhood best friend at such a critical time brought our family immense comfort. I can’t tell you how comforting that was and how much that meant to us. Joseph was an exceptionally kind and generous man.

Was soo sorry to hear that Pastor Jos past away. What a great man. My prayers for all of you🙏🏻🙏🏻

I’ll always remember how Uncle Joe’s eyes twinkled when he smiled - and he was always smiling! Always being silly and making us laugh! Much love and deepest condolences to my dear Aunt Herborg and her children and their families.  May you remember his laughter and his love! ❤️

With love from Denise, Jeff, Julia, and Kristen

When Pastor Joe arrived at the place in which I provide spiritual care as a chaplain/pastor, I was immediately filled with joy learning right away that he was a man of God that had GREAT love for the Lord. It was also very clear that he was blessed with an incredible family who also loved the Lord and who deeply loves him. I had the great pleasure of watching him and Helen worship the Lord together, watching him worship with his daughter's and son, and being one of the many witnesses to his sincere love for Jesus. I loved when he would add to the discussion during one of my services and I enjoyed listening to him recite scripture and talk about Jesus. It was such a blessing and encouragement for me. I am very honored to have gotten the opportunity to cross paths with Pastor Joe and his family. Though it was not the ideal setting for such an encounter, God continues to use people to be a light in the darkest of places. Joe was an incredible light for Jesus.

With the Love of Christ,

Pastor Ayla

Prelude Ministries

R.I.P. Man of God 🙏🙏 

Wonderful memories of our family adventures heading west to Albuquerque when I was 6 years old. My parents my brother and sister were in the U -haul and I drove with Uncle Joe and Aunt Herbog for 5 days in their Land Rover. Everytime we would stop , Uncle Joe and Aunt Herbog would buy me ice cream , candy and snacks. Once we arrived we lived right next door to each other . I’m so happy to have had that time together. 

Signed Roy Coco 

Our dearest dad and pop pop. Even though we were separated by countries, you always made sure we were close in heart. Thank you for every moment we shared, for your good and encouraging conversations, every song, prayer and laughter we shared. Thank you for having such a big and including heart and caring for all of us. The dearest and oldest memory from you is when you took me in your arms and ensured me I was your daughter number four. And I know it meant just as much for my youngest daughter when you took her in your arms and asked if you could be her pop pop. We are forever grateful that this isn’t a goodbye, because we know we will meet again in heaven ❤️ Love you forever. Love from your fourth daughter and your grandchildren in Norway 

I always looked forward to seeing Joseph because I knew we would be talking about our Lord.  :)  He was sold out for Jesus and took every opportunity to share the gospel!   I will miss his smile (with that twinkle in the eye), his encouragement and words of wisdom.  

Your Dad touched my heart/my life. He helped me to understand a scripture that I was struggling with and I will never forget that. He truly loves Jesus and Jesus had shown straight through your Dad. I loved being around him bc I was around Jesus when I was! My heart is broken for you Elisa Cuoco Zinn, but you and I both know if he could come back he wouldn’t because the glory that has been revealed to him is too GREAT!!!! I know his legacy will live on and it already does through you and your sister. God Bless you my dear friend. We all look forward to our great reunion don’t we?!!! It is coming- this is not the end!!!!

We will always have treasured memories of our summer together on Long Island.  The  Cuoco family lived with us for the summer while Joe was in Bible school. Joe would play the guitar as we all worshiped and the kids spent long days enjoying  the pool, and we  all enjoyed Helen’s Norwegian pancakes. We will never forget Joe’s beautiful heart and special friendship. Our deepest condolences for Herborg, Lila, Joey, Christina, Elisa  and the grandchildren in this time of great loss. Even though we grieve now we know we will see him again because of the cross of Christ and His triumphant victory over death.

 We love you all and keep you in our prayers,The Fulmers, Irene, Jeff, and  Jennifer

My kid brother Joseph brought the Lord to me.  Since then,  he kept the Lord alive in me by always reading the Word to me and we sang hymns together  all the time.  We loved each other a lot, we laughed a lot, we prayed and sang a lot.  And now what?  He left a big hole in our lives but he'll  always be with us as the Lord is always with us.  I will always love you my sweet brother.

My kid brother Joseph brought me to the Lord.  Since then, he read the Word to me everytime we spoke, keeping the Lord alive in me.  We sang hymns,  prayed, laughed (a lot of laughing), loved (a lot of loving) together till he passed.  Now what?  He left a big hole in our lives.  But he will always be with us as the Lord is always with us.  God bless you, dear brother.

Pastor Joe- Uncle Joe. What can I say? Decades of music together in your home and ours on Long Island with my parents, Singing and playing our guitars for Jesus, to worship and honor Him, glorify Him, to encourage others, and to share who Jesus is with others. Time spent together around the kitchen and dining room tables, praying together- for our families, for others, time in fellowship and meals together, days at a time, always reflecting on what it means to be a Christian and serve Jesus. Meeting you that day in New Jersey as I was a child, along with Tante Herborg, and playing with your children, getting to know each one very well and personally- Laila, Christina, Joey, and Elisa- playing for hours in your basement and your children in ours- and then growing up together, sharing fond family memories- is a lifetime of love! Whether we were around the table, or at church, or playing and singing in the living room or den, we were always focused on our reason for living, with peace in our heart as well as so much joy - that is, we served Jesus. We continue to serve Him here, carrying on the Great Commission as in Matthew 28, to go and tell the World the good news., baptizing everyone, just as Jesus told His disciples. We are no longer slaves to sin, to our fleshly bodies, but we are gloriously transformed into Christ’s image! “We have the keys of hell and of death because we have you, who holds them, Lord Jesus Christ!” this Easter weekend we celebrate the life of Pastor Uncle Joe Cuoco and his transformation to his new life in heaven with God. We thank God our Father for Our years with Joe and we ask the Holy Spirit to comfort and guide us to carry on the work and share of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and His resurrection, and the promise of eternal life! Uncle Joe, say hi to my Dad and I know you are rejoicing together! Joe and I will see you soon, and we love you and will miss you till then, but we celebrate your life well lived, in Jesus’ name. “ BecauseHe lives, I can face tomorrow” - I think of this old hymn and I know all fear is gone because I know who holds the future! Jesus our Lord. Hallelujah, we praise you, Jesus, our Lord and Savior this day! 

All of the Cuoco  family are so dear to me and my family. Lana and Elisa were already friends when I married my husband Pete. All the girls had frequent sleepovers at our Pitman  house, Elisa, Autumn( who Pete called Audie) Amy ,Nicole, Sara. As time passed, the girls grew. Lana went away to college, and got a teaching degree. Pastor Joe and Herborg hired her for her first ever teaching job! How exciting! I was an at home mom of 2/3 year old Jenna, who watched her sister leave in the morning and come home every night. One night Lana said one of their teachers had resigned, did I think I would be interested? I had no teaching degree, but a lot of experience with children. I was very unsure, but Pete urged me to go ahead and speak to Pastor Joe. In our meeting I expressed my concern that I had no teaching certificate, and was sure he would say something like I’ll be in touch. But he seemed certain that I was  just the person they needed. My time at Abundant Life was wonderful. Jenna was able to go to the preschool while I taught, we even came together every day. So many beautiful memories. I’ll never forget one Easter looking out into the hallway and seeing Pastor Joe dressed up as Sylvester holding an Easter basket, and Herborg dressed as Tweety Bird. So many fun times! My favorites were the musical events where the community came to see the plays and Pastor Joe would preach . It was this start that led me to my calling as a kindergarten assistant in the public school system. I know that God led me to Pastor Joe to set my feet on the path. Many years have passed since that time. But there is no distance when you have a bond, when your hearts have been knit together. In times of distress, you stand together.  Our family grieves with you. We wish we could be there to show our love and respect. Please know we hold you close in our prayers. 

You will be so so missed~  Praise the Lord~  You are walking and leaping in heaven.  You truly served your life to exude God's love and JOY!!!!!!  Your contagious smile and JOY blessed all those who were fortunate enough to know you and fellowship with you! Prayers for your FAMILY who are passing on that same Godly heritage - PTL!

Thank you Pastor Joe for the life you lived. A wonderful man and a wonderful family that helped to shape my life even today. May God bless and keep. 

I was fortunate to have “Pastor Joe,” “Teacher Helen,” and their children as teachers and mentors at ALWC during grades K–4. I grew up in a fairly difficult home and envied my neighborhood friends who rode the bus to public school, so we left in 1992. The academic environment there was very different from the one I had received at ALWC.

As the years passed and I drifted, surrounding myself with people who didn’t worship Christ, I lost my way. At the age of 16, after attending a rehabilitative boot camp, I finally realized I was not myself. I didn’t care about Christ or what He had done for me. I had become a follower of the world instead.

One day I prayed that God would give me the discipline to become the man I was supposed to be. Where did those early values come from? A few people helped, but the primary contributors to the faith that burned inside me—the faith I had shunned for too long—were two heroes, two of Christ’s saints: Pastor Joe and Teacher Helen.

I can still remember sitting on the leather couch in Pastor Joe’s office as he talked to me about what I was doing wrong. He cared deeply. He spoke truth. He prayed for me as a kid. It wasn’t until 2019—27 years after I had last seen them—that I was able to reconnect and thank them personally. Five short years. Less than 12% of my life. And yet the seed they planted helped guide me back to Christ. After speaking with them, I read Pastor Joe's autobiography "Where He Leads, I Will Follow" in just a few hours. It was incredible gaining the insight of two people who were so impactful to so many. 

I could easily write the equivalent of a PhD dissertation on why I’m so blessed that God placed them in my life. If it weren’t for their guidance at the beginning of the path, I wouldn’t enjoy the incredible blessings I have today.

Pastor Joe has now gone home to be with the Lord. Thank you so, so, so much, Pastor Joe and Teacher Helen. I will always cherish the bright memories in the storm and the kindling you firmly placed and sparked. Your labor in the Lord was not in vain.

You were a good and dear uncle and brother in law to us. We will always remember and cherish  the good times and memories we  had together.  We know you’re home with Jesus now, and one day we will meet again.

- Nancy, Liv and Gerda-