Life of Elms College faculty member will be celebrated by program

Date: 11/11/2009

CHICOPEE A celebration of the late Victoria Joseph's life will take place Nov. 14 at 7:30 p.m. at Elms College's Veritas Auditorium. Joseph, who died Aug. 2, was formerly associate professor of paralegal and legal studies in the Division of Business and Law, and most recently associate academic dean for continuing education at Elms.

She was also a librarian; a puppeteer and storyteller; a practicing criminal defense attorney; a passionate advocate in the search for a cure for Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency and for organ transplantation; a playwright, short story writer, essayist and poet; and the friend, colleague, teacher, mentor and inspiration to countless members of the Elms College community and beyond.

Joseph, an Agawam resident at the time of her death, attended Our Lady of Hope School and Cathedral High School in Springfield before graduating from Elms in 1977 with a bachelor's degree in English. She then joined Springfield City Library as a children's librarian.

Joseph then decided to study law at Western New England College, earning her Juris Doctorate (J.D.) in 1987 and entering private practice as a criminal defense attorney from 1989 as solo practitioner in the Law Office of Victoria T. Joseph.

It was during this time that she began teaching at Elms as an adjunct professor. Eventually, she left the courtroom for the classroom to be a full-time faculty member at Elms, and in 1993 became Associate Professor of Paralegal and Legal Studies in the Division of Business and Law.

In 1992 she had been diagnosed with the genetic lung disease Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency, but she continued to teach, online only as she became unable to work in the college itself, and underwent a double lung transplant the day after Thanksgiving 2006. Her death came as a result of chronic rejection of her transplanted lungs.

In 2008 she returned to Elms as Director of the Office of Academic Development, and then as Associate Academic Dean for Continuing Education. In the spring of 2009, Joseph resigned to pursue a full-time writing career, and in April of this year her short play "Objection" was included in the anthology "And Justice For All" by the South Camden Theatre Company of New Jersey.

At the time of her death she left two unfinished novels and plays.

Joseph's extraordinary journey and achievements will be celebrated through the memories of family, friends and colleagues, images from her life, and her own words.

The event is open to the public. Light refreshments will be available beginning at 6.30 p.m.