Joseph Baldassano, Jr. was born in Bethesda, MD on May 30, 1954. He was the 4th of 6 children born to Joseph, Sr and Marie. His early childhood and teen years were spent in Rockville, MD. He enlisted in the US Army in 1976 and served with the 561st Military Police Company at Ft Myer, VA. He proudly served in the Honor Platoon, which is responsible for security at high profile and dignitary events, such as the Inaugural Parade for President Jimmy Carter.

Joe met his wife, Jane Steinkamp, while both were serving in the US Army. They married in 1978, and were parents of a daughter, Brandi, and a son, Justin. After their discharge from the military, they relocated to Nebraska, where Joe continued his career and education in law enforcement. He served as a police officer in Aurora and a Cass County deputy sheriff before utilizing the GI Bill to obtain a degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 1990. He worked in the Nebraska Department of Corrections as a Caseworker, Parole Officer, Parole Hearing officer, Administration Assistant, Assistant Warden, and Acting Warden of Community Corrections before retiring in 2016. He then worked as a Deputy for Gage County Sheriff’s office until 2017 when he finally permanently retired.

Joe enjoyed traveling, and he and Jane rode their Harley Davidson motorcycles all over the United States, visiting many National Parks. After retiring from the biker years, he still pursued traveling wherever and whenever he could. The trip of a lifetime was to the Galapagos Islands, where he swam with sea lions, trekked among giant tortoises, and walked the exact ground as his hero, Charles Darwin. This trip lasted only a week, but resulted in lifelong friendships with fellow travelers.

Joe passed away on March 25, 2024 after a brief, but valiant fight with cancer. He is survived by wife of 45 years, Jane, and children, Joseph and Michael of Maryland, Brandi of Seward, and Justin of Lincoln. The apples of his eyes are his grandchildren, Savannah, Camden, and Emma. He is also survived by two sisters, Carol and Vicki, and two brothers, Michael and Stephen. He was preceded in death by his parents, and brother, Philip.

Private family services will be held at a later date. Interment will be at the Omaha National Cemetery.

To leave a condolence please use the form below.