In Loving Memory of Joseph Eldridge On June 1, 2020, Joseph Nomura Eldridge passed away peacefully in San Diego. Born on December 22, 1951 in Tokorozawa, Japan to William Howard Eldridge and Tomoko Nomura, Joe was born in the post-wartime period to parents who found love despite the adversity between their countries. Joe and his parents lived in Japan until he was two years old. When his mother passed away in 1954, Joe travelled with his father to the United States where his family settled down in San Diego and he grew up as a San Diegan. Joe was a caring and hardworking man and his career exemplified his drive and wisdom. Joe attended San Diego City College where he attained a degree in Drafting. Shortly after finishing college, Joe found his career with the United States Department of Defense as an Aircraft Engineer Technician at North Island Naval Air Station. Throughout his career Joe was more than another colleague—he was a mentor and a friend. Although he was a technician and not an engineer, he nonetheless took new engineers under his wing, mentored them, and helped them grow their careers and learn the indispensable traits they needed to succeed. Joe was such a wise and selfless mentor that his colleagues affectionately came to call him "Old Greybeard." To anyone who knew Joe, this would come as no surprise—Joe simply brought the same selfless and kind-hearted attitude that he brought to all walks of life. Joe worked at his career for thirty-seven years until he retired in August 2012. But as impressive as Joe was in his career, it was not his greatest accomplishment. Nothing in Joe's life compared to the love he had for his family. On June 4, 1981, Joe met the love of his life, Sharon Thompson, on a blind date. It was love at first sight. As a testament to their love, Joe and Sharon wed only 8 months after they started dating and began a beautiful thirty-eight-year marriage. For the next decade, he and his wife would go camping around the country, were active participants in the North Island Gem and Mineral Society, and were members of the Corvette Owners Club of San Diego. However, a long and happy marriage filled with adventure was only the beginning of their blessings. In 1993, Joe and Sharon were blessed with their daughter and only child, Karina Eldridge. With his wife and daughter by his side, Joe led a fulfilling life surrounded by the love of his family. As a man of gentle disposition, Joe's hobbies bespoke volumes about his character. Joe loved fishing with his daughter, vacationing around the country with his wife and daughter, tending to his plumerias, and spending quality time with his family. Joe demonstrated the traits of a man who felt at-home with the calm and peaceful qualities of life. Joe was also a handyman. He loved working on projects with his hands—whether it was laying new flooring for his home, building a retaining wall with his family, or teaming up with his wife to renovate the bathroom. No matter what activity he pursued, Joe took every opportunity to bond with his family. Joe is survived by his wife, Sharon Eldridge, his daughter, Karina Eldridge, and son-in-law, John Ayers-Mann. Joe's kind spirit will forever live on in the hearts of the friends and family that he touched.