Scientist and beloved father and husband Joseph Stephen Scire died August 16, 2024 in Windham, NH.
Scire was born March 4, 1955 in Lawrence, Massachusetts to parents Zerita and Joseph Scire and was raised, along with older brother James, in nearby North Andover. As a young man, he excelled in baseball, football, and wrestling and eventually became part of the first generation in his family to attend college when he matriculated at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He left his treasured MIT with a standout collegiate wrestling record, undergraduate and graduate degrees in earth and planetary science, and, thanks to a long line at a fateful fraternity party, a fiancée who became his beloved wife of 45 years, Deborah.
Scire was deeply inspired by the space mission and John F. Kennedy — who had once used part of his family's triple-decker as campaign office space — but learned early on that his truly terrible eyesight would almost certainly prevent him from becoming an astronaut. He turned his attention toward meteorology, and would often say studying the sky and weather was as close as he could get to space and the stars.
As a meteorologist specializing in air pollution, Scire loved the challenges and connections with other scientists that his work put before him. One of his key contributions was the atmospheric dispersion model CALPUFF, widely used by researchers, environmental consultants, and regulatory agencies (including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) globally. He took great pride in teaching and mentorship, as well as the "open source" model that enabled significant peer review and contributions from collaborators around the world. Scire also tackled projects like inventing a bike lock (which he successfully patented) and providing meteorological consulting for mountaineers and the "Stars & Stripes" sailing team competing in the America's Cup.
Though his professional accomplishments brought him acclaim and travel around the world, he was the first to say he was the happiest at home in New England with his family. He loved to hike, ski, scuba dive, and train for marathons and other races. As someone unable to make more than Eggos for himself, he was unflaggingly enthusiastic about his wife's cooking. Occasionally, this had him insisting, over a charred dish, that he preferred his food "crispy." He never missed an opportunity to tell his family how much he loved them — or how proud he was of them.
Scire took great joy in many things: Debby's clams and linguini on Friday nights, jackets with many useful pockets, his son's flying football tackles, the Red Sox, fresh snow, his daughter's published writing, and the unusual cloud formations he was forever pulling over to photograph. In his recognizably Boston accent, he retold family stories and quoted lines from favorites like The Princess Bride, A Knight's Tale, and Star Wars. He cared deeply about the poor and vulnerable; about protecting the environment; and about civic engagement that could help more people live out the American Dream as he had. He was, above all else, extraordinarily gentle and kind.
In 2014, not far from the finish line of the Chicago Marathon, Scire suffered a cardiac arrest that resulted in a significant brain injury. After difficult months in a minimally responsive state, he miraculously spoke his first words since the accident on December 25 when he wished the room a "Merry Christmas." The greeting was soon followed by a characteristic request as he spelled out "C-O-F-F-E-E." He spent the following decade defying long odds and courageously facing the many challenges and indignities of incomplete recovery. The fact his long-term memory, good humor, and resolve survived intact was a great comfort to his family.
Joseph S. Scire is survived by wife Deborah T. Scire, daughter Sarah Scott Scire and Benjamin Scott, son Joseph M. Scire and Angela Du, sister in law Kathleen Scire, the Thorburn and Granetz families, and many friends, colleagues, and cherished caregivers at The Grace House and elsewhere. He is preceded in death by his parents, brothers James and Lawrence, and Natalie "Connie" and Joseph Melisi. He will be very deeply missed.
Friends and family are invited to calling hours on Wednesday, August 21, 2024, from 4 - 7PM at the Carrier Family Funeral Home, 38 Range Road, Windham, NH 03087. A Funeral Mass will be held on Thursday at 10AM at St. Joseph's Church, 40 Main St, Salem, NH 03079. Please meet directly at church. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to a charity of your choice.
For directions or to leave a message of condolence, please visit www.carrierfuneralhome.com