Joseph J O'Rourke

Joseph J. O'Rourke, Emmy Award-winning sports director and producer passed away peacefully on December 23, 2016, after a long illness. He was 84.
He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Ann (Crehan) O'Rourke, of Middletown NJ; his 3 children, Joann Wojciechowicz and her husband, John, of Mashpee, MA, Tim O'Rourke and his wife, Cathy, of Milford, NJ, and Kathryn Buonacquista and her husband, Michael, of Middletown NJ; his 6 grandchildren, Caroline Wojciechowicz, Colleen, Joe, and Dan O'Rourke, and Julia and Patrick Buonacquista; a sister, Evelyn Crocker, of Quincy, MA; a brother, Dennis, of Foxboro MA; and numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents, Patrick and Aimee (Rogers) O'Rourke, his brothers, Russell and Patrick, and his sister, Kathleen O'Brien.
Born and raised in Boston, MA, Joe moved in 1961 to Fairfield, NJ, where he raised his family and lived for many years. He used his creativity along with his knowledge and passion for sports to build a career in live television broadcasting that spanned more than 45 years. During those years, Joe worked for Hughes Television Network, Madison Square Garden Network, SportsChannel, and various other networks and affiliates in telecasting games for Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League, the National Basketball Association, and the National Football League, as well as numerous golf tournaments for the PGA and LPGA, boxing events, and horse racing. He is best known for his work as the director and producer of telecasts for the New Jersey Devils and Nets, the New York Rangers, Knicks, Islanders, and Yankees, and the Houston Astros.
Joe graduated from Hyde Park High School, Boston, in 1950, served in the US Army, and was member of the Directors Guild of America.
Visitation will be on Thursday, December 29th, from 4 pm to 8 pm at Ippolito Stellato Funeral Home, 7 Two Bridges Road, Fairfield, NJ. A funeral mass will be held on Friday, December 30th at 10:00 am at St. Thomas More Church in Fairfield, NJ. Burial will take place at the Massachusetts National Cemetery at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Alzheimer's Foundation of America, 322 Eighth Avenue, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10001.