Joseph Andrew Tierney passed away in Smithfield, Va., on September 22, 2023. Joe was born in Newark, Del., on March 31, 1940 to William A. Tierney and Helen O’Rourke, the eleventh of eleven children. Wanting to follow his brother into the priesthood, he entered St. Charles Seminary for high school in 1954 and graduated from St. Mary’s University in 1962, with a BA in Philosophy.

Instead of taking vows as a priest, he briefly attended Saint John’s College in New York with the intention of becoming a doctor. He soon changed direction and began teaching high school Latin in Baltimore before entering officer training school for the US Air Force in 1963.

During the summer of 63, he met his soulmate, Jerilyn Mary Louis. They were married the next summer while he was stationed at Truax Field near Madison Wisconsin. While there they had their first child. Subsequent orders brought them to Miami, Florida, where their second child was born.

During the Vietnam War, Tierney was stationed in Alaska running intercepts on the Bering Sea before being briefly sent to Vietnam to train controllers on how to use existing equipment to better control and intercept enemy aircraft.  On his return from Alaska, he was discharged from the Air Force in 1967 at the rank of Captain and received the Air Force Commendation Medal.

After active duty, Joe worked in Human Resources for the Family Finance Company (Aristar) in Miami Florida where his third child was born and died of complications from spina bifida.  Promoted to Director of Human Resources at the Maxwell division, the family moved to Augusta, Georgia where his fourth child was born.  Joe joined Michelin Tire Corporation in 1974 and during this time with Michelin the family moved to Clermont Ferrand, France, Greenville SC, and Bridgewater, Nova Scotia.  In 1987, Tierney accepted a position as Director of Human Resources for Johnson Controls in Ann Arbor Michigan.  In 1991, Joe became Director of Human Resources for NTN Bearing, USA in Mount Prospect Illinois where he retired in 2007.

In retirement, Joe and Jeri lived in Long Grove Illinois, where Joe enjoyed maintaining his garden, winter skiing in Wisconsin and long “Tierney Lunches” with Jeri at the Long Grove Tavern when they weren’t traveling the country to visit friends, relatives and their grandchildren.

Joe is survived by his wife, Jerilyn Louis Tierney of Smithfield; sons, Patrick and Sean; daughter Karen; son in law Jason Domzal; daughters in law, Karen MacLennan  Tierney and Sarah Myers Tierney; 9 grandchildren; and his sister Marguerite.

A visitation will be held on Wednesday, October 4, 2023, from 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM at R. T. Foard Funeral Home – 318 George Street, Chesapeake City, Maryland. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 AM on Wednesday, October 4, 2023, at Saint Rose of Lima Catholic Church – 301 Lock Street, Chesapeake City, Maryland, with interment at St. Rose of Lima Cemetery.