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**Submitted by Joe Arden**
Dr. Josef Goeke passed away in November 2016, but it was not until several months later that those of us who knew Joe became aware of his passing.
Joe began teaching with the European Division in about 1970 and over the next 35+ years taught a variety of history courses at numerous locations in Germany as well as occasionally in "The Med" and "Down Range." In addition, he also taught at UMUC's Schwaebish Gmuend Campus.
A German national, Joe took his M.A. at Pennsylvania State University and received the Dr. Phil from Ruhr-University Bochum in Germany. With Maryland, he taught courses related to European, German and Russian/Soviet history. He also offered a number of "Special Topics" courses dealing with the Nazi Era, World War II, and post-war Germany.
I initially met Joe in AY 1971-1972, when visiting a Western Civilization course he was teaching in Germany. I was quite literally blown away by the breath and depth of his knowledge...of his total command of the material and was equally impressed by the manner in which he conducted the class. It was a veritable tour de force. Over the decades, I had many opportunities---when Joe was teaching and also during personal conversations with him---to have my initial reaction reinforced/reinforced.
Joe's many students were indeed fortunate to have been exposed to him. As Ronald Schlundt, so very accurately, noted in a e-mail to me, after we had both learned of his death:
Joe Goeke really was a sage on the stage.
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Rosemarie Anderson
Thank you for posting this, Joe.
Josef and I were personal friends, visiting each other in our homes from time to time. We did not talk about history. Mostly, we laughed. On one memorably occasion, we drove together east of his home in Frankfurt to properties owned by his family for generations and I met the family member who still lived there.
We had a wonderful 2-day "reunion" in Frankfurt before the UMUC celebration in 2007. Josef was a wonderful friend and I miss his presence in the world dearly.
Warm regards, Rosemarie
John Nolan
Sage on a stage indeed! My most enduring memoery of Josef was when I visted his class in Vogelweh around 2004- 2005. Josef had recently expericned throat problems, and his voice was barely a whisper. The students had all pulled their chairs in the tightest possible around him, absolutlely spell bound, totally focused on every word he said. Rigtly so, because his lecture was absolutley briliant, profound and totally off the cuff I have never before or since seen such a genuine and moving experience in a classroom.
Personally, I remeber Josef with affection because he treated me, much his junior but appointed as his supervisor, with freindship and profound respect- as a true gentleman. The world is a much poorer place for having lost such a scholar, great mind and colorful character.