Joseph Francis Behan died on July 17th with his beloved wife of 61 years Ronnie by his side. He was father to the late David Joseph Behan, and is survived by his granddaughters Emily Grace Behan and Lillian Faith Behan and his siblings William, Anna, Noreen, Pauline and John.

Born one of nine in Cabra, Ireland, Joe immigrated to the United States with his family in July of 1959.

Quickly upon settling into the Baltimore area, Joe met the love of his life and devoted partner, Ronnie. He often told the story of winning her over, even when he couldn't pay for their first date. He knew he'd found a good one, and his infatuation was ever evident in the way he looked at her. They married on August 25th 1962, and had their beloved son David on April 21st 1968.

Leaning into his natural charm and charisma, Joe took to a career in sales, where he found incredible success in his chemical distribution company, Dunleary, Inc. Eventually joining him in business was his son and trusted co-pilot, David. To no one's surprise, the two were a formidable force. Joe commonly said "always be selling" even to his granddaughters when he justified that he would have to start charging them for hugs. This disarming energy and humor made Joe the ultimate entertainer, and lover of good times. His renditions of Danny Boy were always a showstopper, and he would drop everything to sing it upon request.

Outside of work and entertaining, Joe loved and excelled at golfing, boasting two lifetime holes in one. He and Ronnie traveled extensively, but especially loved their time in Ocean Pines, MD. Joe's generosity was profound and even during simple crab feasts he was sure to give, Ronnie, David, Emily or Lillian the largest backfin crabmeat that he picked.

Joe was an eternal optimist, and up to the end, when asked how he was, the answer was always "never better." Joe's spirit and joy will be forever missed. The family is planning a private Memorial Luncheon. In lieu of flowers, please offer your written personal memories of Joe for the preservation of his granddaughters.