(1961-2023)
Joe died December 4, 2023 peacefully in his home in Livonia, Michigan of complications from ALS. His fiancée Debbie Quandahl was by his side.

Joseph is survived by his fiancée, Deborah L. Quandahl of Livonia, MI.

Dearest brother of Thomas R. Pauly, (Kimberly) of Bellingham, WA, Christina M. Henshaw (Daniel) of Jenks, OK, John R. Pauly of West Seneca, NY, and Michael R. Pauly (Suzanne) of Eden, NY.

He is the proud uncle of Christopher of Seattle, WA, Shawn of Chicago, IL, Renee Collier of Jenks, OK, Scott (Kathryn) and their sons Robert, Gabriel and Christopher of League City, TX.

Joe was born in Buffalo, NY (June 16. 1961) the son of Robert L. Pauly (1925-2011) and Elizabeth J. (Frank) Pauly (1927-1999) and was raised in the small town of Hamburg, NY. He enjoyed his life there spending time with his family on Taylor Road where he swam and competed at Willow Bend Swim Club, attended SS Peter and Paul Church, and was also a member of Boy Scout Troop 506, where he achieved the rank of Eagle Scout.

Joe went to Hamburg High School where he lettered in football, swimming, & track and was also in the band and graduated in 1979. He then went to Niagara University in Niagara Falls, NY. While at NU, Joe was Captain of the Niagara University Men's Swim Team, on the NU Football Team, WRNU Radio, Niagara Index Newspaper, Niagara Players (Theatre) and a member of K of C.  Also, while at NU he worked for the Niagara Gazette newspaper in Niagara Falls, NY as an editor's assistant.

After graduating with a degree in Mass Communications from NU in 1983, Joe was an extra in the Robert Redford movie "The Natural " He then worked as a Tennis Pro for the Washington Tennis Service at the Columbia Country Club in Columbia, MS. Shortly after this, he began working in the newsroom for WGRZ-TV 2, Buffalo, NY. He also began freelancing as Santa Claus and began a 40-year career making over 200 appearances as Kris Kringle at homes and businesses in New York, Florida, and Michigan.

In 1985 Joe moved to Winter Haven, Florida and worked as the news director at WSIR 1490 AM.  Later, he worked at WBAR 1460 AM as the morning disc jockey and the News & Program Director.

During this time Joe began working with Theatre Winter Haven, most notably playing Stanley Jerome in "Brighton Beach Memoirs" where he won the award for best supporting actor. He was also in "Mr. Roberts" "Biloxi Blues" and "Bus Stop."

In 1987 he moved to Tampa to work for WTMV TV-32 as the Sports Anchor and Traffic Director. In 1992, he was promoted to Program Director. In 1996, the call letters where changed to WWWB WB32 and in 1999 to WMOR-32 .He also hosted "The Bucs Report," "Magic Minutes " and produced "Inside Tampa Bay" for several years along with his programming duties. He worked at 32 until 2008. During the late 1990's he also began donating blood and eventually becoming a 25 gallon blood donor for One Blood of Florida. He also did a brief run a night co-hosting "Biff and the Coach" on WFNS AM 910.

During the mid-1990s Joe began a long association with the Carrollwood Players of Tampa, Florida. In 1996 he won the award for best actor in a musical for his performance as Harry MacAfee in "Bye Bye Birdie." Later that year they produced his WWII era comedy that he wrote entitled "The Homefront." It was also produced the next year at the Francis Wilson Theatre in Clearwater, FL.

He helped establish the annual One Act Weekend in 1998 at the Carrollwood Players where his play, "Nightbeat: Starring Rock Diamond", won the award as best one act play the first year.  A few years later in 2011 his play "The Westerner" also won the award as best one act play.

In 1997 he helped establish Carrollwood Players tradition of producing "A Christmas Carol " annually by writing the first version and several versions years after, including a female version in 2012 and 2019 entitled "A Christmas Carol with Miss. Scrooge."

In 1999 he formed his own production company, called Yellow Snow Productions where he wrote, produced, directed and stared in numerous versions of "The Sketch Show" and he produced and starred in the interactive comedy, "Rosie & Ira's Comedy Wedding Show" over the next 10 years, and 75 performances all over the state as the master of ceremony Uncle Vinny. In 2002 he wrote-produced-directed-starred in the mob style Christmas comedy "A Christmas Cannoli: Or A War Between Two Families." The comedy crossed Scrooge with "The Godfather" and was also produced over the next 10 years with over 60 performances. He also penned an interactive funeral show entitled "The Funeral Show" in 2006 in Clearwater.

In 2008 Joe began working with Clark and Dagger Productions where he wrote-produced-starred in a series of interactive murder mysteries at The Gibson Inn, in Apalachicola, FL. Shows included "It's A Wonderful Murder, " "Mobby-Gras," "Sudden Death," " Murder in Mayberry," "Mystery of Colonel Angus,"  "The Groovy Doo Murder Mystery,"  "The Schlocky Horror Murder Mystery " "Motorcycles, Murder & Mardi Gras" and "The Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer Murder Mystery."

In 2012, Joe began working for the Sinclair Broadcasting Group in Tampa, FL in the long form division. In 2018, he wrote-directed-produced "The Curse of Frankenstein's Castle" at  Carrollwood Players. In 2019, he played Franz Liebkind in "The Producers."

In 2020 Joe moved up to Livonia, Michigan to be near his fiancée Debbie. He retired in 2022 due to being diagnosed with ALS. During his life Joe enjoyed being with Debbie, writing, performing, traveling, time with family and friends, time at the beach, wood working, swimming, tennis, and watching his Buffalo Bills play football.

Joe will be cremated and his ashes will be scattered at the garden of remembrance at the Epiphany Cathedral Catholic Church of Venice, Florida on Friday, January 26, 2024. The funeral service will begin at 10:00am and the scattering of his ashes will take place directly following the service. There will also be a Celebration of Life at The Carrollwood Players in Tampa, FL on Saturday, January 27, 2024 time TBD and a memorial at the Hamburg Knights of Columbus in Hamburg. NY on a TBA date.

In lieu of flowers please make a cash donation to ALS ( https://www.als.org/)