Joseph R. Kozel, 86, of Perry, Ohio, passed away Tuesday, October 26, 2021. He was born October 17th, 1935 in Cleveland, Ohio. Joe is a former resident of Eastlake. He worked at PepsiCo in Twinsburg retiring in 1993. Father of two daughters, Sandra Fayne (Mike) and JoAnn Friedel (Phil), “Poppy” to Matthew Kozel, Coryn Frey (Darrick), and Mark Friedel. Great-Grandfather to Charlotte Frey and Nolan Frey. Joe was a U. S. Navy Veteran. He was preceded in death by his parents, Joseph and Rose (Juratovic) Kozel.

Joe’s daughters were blessed to be by his side when he began his peaceful journey to his next life. He was a simple, hardworking guy who enjoyed home cooked meals, cheering on his beloved Ohio sport teams, and reminiscing about his days in the Navy and the many cars he owned throughout his lifetime. He requested no celebration services. His burial at Perry Cemetery will be a private family gathering.

If you wish to honor Joe today, please spend time with the ones you love and reach out to those you have not seen in a while. Many thanks to his many caregivers, neighbors, and friends who checked in on him over the years. He was blessed to be loved by so many.

In lieu of flowers, the family request donations in his honor to Hospice of the Western Reserve, P.O. Box 72101, Cleveland, OH 44192, or via email: donate@hospicewr.org

The Behm family Funeral home is assisting the Kozel family with arrangements at this time. Condolences and full obituary are available at www.behmfuneral.com