In Memory of Joseph A. Bourdeau

Joseph "Joe" Albert Bourdeau, FSA 1997, MAAA 1987, age 62, of John's Creek, Georgia, peacefully entered into the presence of his Lord and Savior on Monday, July 24, 2023 at his home surrounded by his loving family and friends.  Joe was a member of St. Benedict Catholic Church in John’s Creek.

Joe was born October 20, 1960, in College Park, GA, to his beloved parents Maurice and Hilda Bourdeau. He was a graduate of M.D. Collins High School, and earned a Bachelor's degree in Mathematics and Actuarial Science from Georgia State University. Joe worked for several decades at Willis Towers Watson.

A lover of travel, Joe spent his life exploring the world, and enjoyed making new friends at every stop.  As a young man, he traveled extensively with his mother, and later lead his own family and friends on many more adventures. During his time on earth he had many hobbies, always surrounding himself with beauty and life. At various times, in various climates he grew pecans, grapefruit, pineapples, pears, and even managed a few mangoes and oranges. He kept tropical fish and ferrets, and was begrudgingly adored by a number of cats and small critters.

Joe was a man of the ocean, and although he was a terrible fisherman, he loved spending time on the water, as well as scuba diving beneath its waves. His curiosity drove him to learn what was beneath everything. He had taken his father's Volkswagen apart a hundred times, and its air-cooled engine has outlived him, much to his pride. He listened attentively to children, read skeptically the plaques at historical sites, and never listened to a single GPS direction. More than anything, Joe loved his family, and served as a rock and mentor for everyone around him. A great man in all ways, Joe touched the lives so many people, and changed the world for the better in a million small ways every day.

He will be eternally missed by the love of his life and wife of 36 years, Pat Downey Bourdeau; cherished daughter, Madeline Rose Bourdeau, and her partner Hunter; his treasured son Joseph Albert Bourdeau II and his partner Ilana; his beloved sisters and in-laws Carol and Ray Foster, Barbara and Charles Draper, and Judy Brown; their honored mother Hilda Hamby Bourdeau; as well as a host of nieces, nephews, extended family and dear friends.

Contributions in Joe’s memory may be made to Cystic Fibrosis, https://www.cff.org/donate or to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital