Joseph T. 'Joe' Walbran

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Joseph T. "Joe" Walbran, long-time federal prosecutor, passed away June 13, 2024 after a heroic battle with metastatic gastric cancer. Born in Waseca, Minnesota on May 10th, 1941, Joe grew up in Owatonna, where he attended Saint Mary's elementary school and graduated from Owatonna High School in 1959. He earned his bachelor's degree and law degree from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. He was among the 4th generation of lawyers in the family. In 1965 he was admitted to the Minnesota State Bar. Following service in the US Army as a Second Lieutenant, with a tour in Vietnam, he married Sharon Quirk of Saint Paul. He often told his children, "Marrying Sharon was the best decision I ever made." He joined the US Attorney's office under United States Attorney Patrick J Foley in 1968 and his career there spanned 36 years. As a federal prosecutor focusing on criminal cases, he was relentless in gathering evidence to build his cases, often working into the early hours of the morning to find that last piece of evidence that would clinch a win. Joe forged a strong partnership with investigators. He could have been a sleuth in another life. He enjoyed the collegiality of the lawyers and support staff in the US Attorney's office and working with postal inspectors, and agents from ATF, DEA, FBI, BCA, IRS, and the Secret Service, who aided him in building cases. He also enjoyed working with members of the criminal defense bar. He was glad to hear that their defendants felt that Joe treated the defendants with dignity and respect even when he was asking the Court for long sentences for their crimes. He loved to regale family and friends with stories about his cases that ranged from breaking up a still that was making bootleg liquor in Faribault, overseeing successful sting operations to catch interstate drug traffickers and felons with firearms, prosecuting the perpetrators of an armored car heist, and unraveling fraud schemes, as well as tales of his interactions with local gangsters. Joe's curiosity about how things worked carried over into his projects at home, which he reported on to his family, friends, neighbors, car mechanic, even his barber. He applied the same rigor he used in case investigations to learning how to solve old house problems. Projects included adding a bedroom and bathroom, building (with Sharon) a brick driveway, meticulously restoring dozens of small-paned colonial windows with an artisan's approach, and much more. In addition to gaining expertise, he sometimes invented tools when he couldn't find the right one for the job. Joe loved cars. His favorite was the 1940 Ford convertible, nicknamed "Henry," that he drove in high school and college. It had a major flaw, low engine compression, which meant that Joe had to always park "Henry" with one rear wheel up on the curb. When he was ready to take off, he had to ask his companion or date to give the car's rear end a shove and the bounce was enough to get the engine running. As a young lawyer he owned a 1963 Porsche 356B roadster, another favorite. Sharon owned a 1963 Porsche 356B coupe, so when they married they were a two-Porsche household. More recently, he drove a 1988 Mazda RX7, somewhat reminiscent of his Porsche roadster. Joe was proud of the achievements of his children and grandchildren and encouraged them in their pursuits. He introduced his children at an early age to the arts, organizing trips to Mia and the Walker, and the Guthrie and Children's Theatres. Many family dinner conversations centered around words and their origins, usually ending in a competition to see who could use the new word to create the most groan-worthy pun. His wry sense of humor was legendary. Joe and Sharon celebrated their Irish heritage by visiting every pub with live music in the Twin Cities and there was nothing Joe liked better than a roaring fire, a good mystery, and pleasant company with whom to share jokes and stories After Joe retired in 2004, Joe and Sharon took up par 3 golf. They never kept score which probably saved the marriage. They traveled widely to South and Central America, Spain and the Canary Islands, South Africa, and other countries especially those where Spanish was the native tongue, since they had spent over five years honing their language skills at a weekly Spanish conversation meetup they hosted at the Mainstreet bar in Hopkins. Joe was preceded in death by his dear son, Patrick Joseph, and Joe's parents, Mary and John Walbran, who practiced law together in Owatonna, as well as in-laws: Sharon's parents, William and Teresa Quirk, and Bill, Jim (Shirley), Jack, and Quent "Tom" Quirk, Maureen (Jack) Schmidt, Betty (George) Kunik, Kathleen (David) Shannon, Colleen (Bob) Healy, Tom Pahl, and Jim Miller. Joe is survived by his loving wife, Sharon, who will long cherish the many memories they created together. Joe also leaves behind his much beloved children: Shannon Niebuhr, Sean (Regina), Colleen (Tom Rimarcik), and Meghan (Steve Maresh) and his brilliant and perfect grandchildren: Joseph M., John, Matthew, and Michael Walbran and Tom Niebuhr, and William, Anna, and Theresa Maresh. Joe is also survived by his brothers: Jack and Mark Walbran and sisters: Sheila Miller and Ann (Dean) Rietz, his in-laws, Pat Pahl, Bob (Mary) Quirk, and Marlene Quirk, and many fun nieces and nephews and cousins. A huge thank you to the Health Care team at Park Nicollet's Frauenshuh Cancer Center and Methodist Hospital, especially, Dr. Wadhwa, Dr. Haley, Sara Jax, Brittany, Anne, Katy, Kathy, and so many more, who walked the journey with him and were always on his side and worked their magic to extend his life and make him comfortable through it all. A funeral Mass will be held at St. Thomas the Apostle Church, 2914 W. 44th Street, Minneapolis, MN, on Saturday, June 29th at 11:00 AM. Visitation will be one hour before, starting at 10:00 AM. In lieu of flowers, donations are suggested to Sharing and Caring Hands or St. Thomas the Apostle Church or the donor's choice. Services managed by Washburn-McReavy of Edina. Washburn-McReavy.com Edina Chapel 952-920-3996

Published on June 23, 2024