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Obituary for Joseph Andrew Kijewski

Joseph Andrew  Kijewski
Joseph Kijewski, proud Rutherford native, dies at 60

Joseph Andrew Kijewski, age 60, of Haymarket, Virginia, passed away in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, February 13, 2021. This beloved husband and father was born on October 30, 1960, to the late Janet (Swidzinski) and Bernard Kijewski. Joe, along with his siblings, attended St. Michael's Catholic School and Rutherford High School.

While studying at Rutgers University - Newark, Joe met two extraordinary people who changed the course of his life - his love, Cheryl Blair; and his beloved "Papa" and mentor, Wordsworth scholar Dr. Michael Jaye. After graduating from Rutgers, Joe and Cheryl moved to Washington, D.C., to attend the Georgetown University Law Center. They returned to New Jersey to be married on August 30, 1986.

Joe and Cheryl settled in the D.C. area, where they nurtured their growing family and legal careers. Joe began his career at Krooth & Altman, a commercial litigation firm, then shifted his focus to trial litigation as a civil servant at the U.S. Departments of Energy and Justice. At the latter, he argued on matters ranging from federal employee plan enrollments to the Boeing “Peace Shield” litigation on behalf of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He eventually specialized in technology and contract law. At Sun Microsystems, he rose to the position of General Counsel; and at TIBCO Software, where he worked for seventeen years, he specialized in privacy and international data protection regulations, ultimately serving as Vice President for Global Compliance & Ethics. His last days were spent happily rejoicing over the fact that his youngest daughter, who decided to follow him and Cheryl into the legal field, had been accepted to law school.

Joseph passed away from complications of leukemia and lymphoma. He was preceded in death by son Justin Kijewski (born and died on March 17, 1988). He is survived and deeply missed by his beloved wife, Cheryl Blair-Kijewski of Haymarket, Virginia; their three daughters, Danielle Kijewski of Odenton, Maryland, Lindsay Kijewski of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Jordan Kijewski of Richmond, Virginia; his three siblings, Joanne Garabedian (Peter) of Rutherford, New Jersey, Richard Kijewski (Nancy) of Peoria, Arizona, and Stephen Kijewski (Anna Marie) of Eustis, Florida; seven nieces and nephews – Matthew Garabedian (Coleen), Jennifer Reardon (Joe), Amy Msowoya (Tony), Kimberly Kijewski, Thomas Kijewski, David Kijewski (Jaclyn), and Andrew Kijewski; and eight brothers and sisters-in-law – Daphne Fingal (Stephen), Ned Blair (Myrna), Brenda Bayley (Rannie), Leyland Blair (Desiree), Newton Blair, Barnett Blair, Elaine Blanchard (Leon), and Olive Linehan (Paul); as well as numerous other loving relatives; and his dog, Poe. His funeral Mass will take place at St. Timothy Catholic Church in Chantilly, Virginia, after which he will be laid to rest with his parents, grandparents, and aunt in North Arlington at Holy Cross Cemetery.

In lieu of any flowers, it was Joe's wish that donations be sent to the Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) Society.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Joseph Andrew Kijewski, please visit our Heartfelt Sympathies Store.

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