Greg John Joiner's Obituary
Gregory John Joiner was born in Tacoma, Washington on November 6th 1948 and passed away on November 25th 2017 after battling with cancer for several years. Preceded in death by his father Harrison Jesse John Joiner and mother Bernice Morgan (William), he is survived by his step-daughters, Dana Ramirez (Eduardo), and Sarah Neagle-Till, his sisters Christine “Tina” Joiner-Ellwein (Jim) and Claudia Joiner-Rutz, his brothers Mark and Kevin Paulson, as well as his grandchildren, nieces and nephews. Although a lifelong resident of Tacoma, some of his heritage is found in one of the Cherokee Nations tribe’s in Oklahoma. Greg was a very focused, perseverant and hardworking man who studied many things and was constantly learning something new. He had an inner drive to be the best that he could be at all the things that he did in life. He liked to be outdoors hiking, hunting, fishing and gardening, he also liked to travel and to cook. When he graduated from Lincoln High School in 1967, he enlisted in the Coast Guard. During his time of service he traveled a lot. And he liked to travel! Most recently, he was traveling to Mexico as often as he could. On one such trip he learned to make salsa and that was evidence of his love for food and how much he enjoyed cooking. He was always receiving recognition for his achievements. He and his fellow crewman during his time in the Coast Guard were even given a commendation for participation in operation Deep Freeze. That operation was for the United States scientific program in Antarctica. They were commended for their hard work, perseverance and devotion to duty among other things. And all these qualities he tried to demonstrate to his family. In the coast Guard he learned welding skills and after finishing his enlistment, went on to Clover Park Technical College to cultivate it and even was found teaching his instructor the welding techniques he picked up in his time as a serviceman. The love of the craft would lead him to create stained glass artworks and even an 18 ft. aluminum fishing boat. He loved to fish! As a welder in the Boilermakers Union, his accomplishments as a metal craftsman were numerous and he excelled at every company he worked for. They even sent him to Japan for work related training. This was one of the few honors out of the many that he mentioned often. He has been called an excellent master welder by others in the craft. But eventually he retired from Todd Shipyard after a lengthy career as a master welder to enjoy doing the things he loved most, spending time with family and friends. Greg was a family man at heart and he was always willing to lend you a helping hand or tell you how to do it if he knew how. He liked to teach others what he learned. He will be missed dearly for the father, brother, friend, teacher and example that he was to all. Do not assume otherwise!
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