Joseph Edward Bares

Joseph Edward Bares was born November 13, 1949, in Port Washington, WI. Died unexpectedly April 9, 2023, at his home, 6005 Martin Place, Bartlesville, OK. He was the second oldest of eight children born to Clarence and Eleanor (Wollner) Bares. He is preceded in death by his parents and one sister, Kathy. He grew up on the family dairy farm in Belgium, WI. After graduating high school, Joe continued his education by receiving a B.A. in Chemistry from Ripon College in Ripon, WI, in 1971 and then a PhD in Organic Chemistry from Northwestern University in Evanston, IL, in 1976. In 1978, he moved to Erie, PA to work as a Research Scientist for LORD Corp. and met his future wife, Floran (Mientkiewicz) playing volleyball at the local YMCA. LORD Corp. moved Joe (followed by Floran) to be a Mellon Institute Fellow at Carnegie Mellon Institute in Pittsburgh, PA from 1979-83. Joe and his family then moved to Cary, NC with LORD Corp. where Joe continued to work as a Research Scientist. In 1991, Joe and his family then moved to Bartlesville, OK where Joe worked as a Research Chemist for Phillips Petroleum and then Conoco Phillips until he retired in 2017. Joe loved sports and participated in baseball, wrestling, bicycling, whitewater rafting, volleyball, running, racquetball, and soccer during his life. He has coached sports for over 50 years. He coached his sisters softball team; his university IM volleyball team; his and his wife’s volleyball teams in Erie and Pittsburgh, PA, Cary, NC and Bartlesville, OK; his sons soccer teams here in Bartlesville, OK and has continued coaching both girls and boys soccer teams for the Washington County Soccer Club in Bartlesville even after his sons grew up and moved away. He served on the Board of Directors for the Washington County Soccer Club as the Area Referee Coordinator off and on since the late 90’s. He was often seen at the soccer fields in town either coaching or mentoring referees. Joe loved coaching and mentoring and always said “he did it for the kids”. If Joe wasn’t on the soccer field, he was working in the yard. He loved nothing more than to be in the yard working in the vegetable and flower beds, keeping the bird feeders full, or just working on the yard. Joe loved hiking and was lucky enough to hike several of our national parks with friends and family. After retirement, Joe and Floran began to travel and visited several states in the US as well as Costa Rica, the Galapagos Islands, and Tanzania. His two favorite trips were Tanzania and when his sons took him to his first Green Bay Packers game at Lambeau Field last year where they experienced the Frozen Tundra together. Joe had a passion that wasn’t apparent to all. Many would guess gardening, which he did constantly or sports which he loved, but his passion was people. Joe always saw the potential in everyone, sometimes when they had yet to see it in themselves, and he would work to bring out that potential. Joe and his family attend St. James Catholic Church here in Bartlesville where he served as one of the head ushers on Sunday mornings. Joe is survived by his wife, Floran, his sons Christopher of Norman, OK, and Eric and soon-to-be daughter-in-law Nicole Jameson of Amarillo, TX, as well as several brothers and sisters. There will be a memorial celebration of Joe’s life at St. John’s Catholic Church, 715 S. Johnstone, Bartlesville, OK at 6pm on, Friday, April 28. Following the memorial, the family invites you to a reception at Fr. Lynch Hall at St. John’s School across the street where we can all share stories of our adventures with Joe. Joe was aware of the wonderful services provided by Hopestone Cancer Center due to Floran’s two bouts with breast cancer. In lieu of flowers, please make a memorial contribution in his name to Hopestone Cancer Center at hopestonecancer.org.

Joseph Edward Bares

November 13, 1949 - April 9, 2023