September 7, 1996 - October 7, 2009
Lifelong Loyal Faithful Companion
Certified & Dedicated Hospice Therapy Dog

Java was genuinely a Marblehead dog, known and loved by so many, both canine &human.
Java was a dignified and Gentle Soul. In his later years,
Joe spent most of his days swimming the length of Redd's Pond before wandering through
Old Burial Hill to his beloved Barnegat. Quietly sharing his pond with Mo & the other ducks, he was a regular
swimming along side the models yachts as they raced each weekend.

When he made his way down to Barnegat, it was a dip in the water & a snooze on the warm beach that he so loved.
Then it was a cookie from Larry, exploring behind the shanties & blending in with the local color.

Rest In Peace my boy. I'll be waiting for you at the foot of the Rainbow Bridge.


I will never forget sitting in Mary's kitchen on a Friday night in October. Before me was a whelping pen with 10, yes 10 beautiful chocolate Labrador puppies.
How could I decide which one was the right one for me? Mary suggested that I take a deep breath and go outside and just walk and think about it for a few minutes.
Moments after I took her advice, she came & opened up the door and said "I don't mean to make this any harder for you, but as soon as you left the room, this one, this puppy jumped right out of the pen!"

I though to myself, well, this is the one! This is my Java Joe. And we were together from that day on for the best 13 years of my life. I always tell people that Java picked me, I did not pick him.
Late that Friday night, Mary took me to the pet store, and together she helped me pick out a crate and get all the essentials. I was not prepared to buy a puppy that night. I was only going "to look" at the litter.
It has been the most amazing experience of my life, to have had such a beloved companion.His passing was unbearable for me. He would have walked through fire for me and I for him.
As my vet told me, Joe was a gentleman and a gentleman knows when it is time to leave. Rest in Peace, please Rest in Peace. I love and miss you more than you know.

I look forward to a new chapter in my life, with another beloved chocolate Lab from Corbett Creek Kennels. I would not think of getting a pup from any other place!
But there will never be another Joe. Never.. Thank you Mary, for the gift of a lifetime.