Dr. Joseph M. Esposito

Obituary Dr. Joseph Milo Esposito, 78, of Morehead City, NC, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on Friday, July 7, 2023, at the Crystal Coast Hospice House in Newport. A Funeral Mass will be held on Thursday, July 27, 2023, at 11:00 AM at St. Egbert Catholic Church, 1706 Evans St., Morehead City, NC 28557, followed by a reception in the church hall. Joe was born on September 25, 1944, in Trenton, NJ, the first child of the late Irene Michaloski Esposito and Anthony Sebastian Esposito. He was a saxophone player and 1962 graduate of Notre Dame Catholic High School in Lawrence Township, NJ; a biology/zoology major, soccer player and 1966 graduate of Mount St. Marys College in Emmitsburg, MD; and 1970 medical school graduate from the University of Osteopathic Medicine and Health Sciences in Des Moines, Iowa. Joe became a dedicated physician, family and military man. In the 1970s, Joe served as a family physician in remote rural communities in Iowa and Ohio before entering the Navy in 1975. Joe was a Naval Medical Officer in Norfolk, VA, and designed the medical unit as a commissioned officer aboard the USS Virginia (nuclear guided missile cruiser). He later trained as an Otolaryngology resident at Bethesda Naval Hospital, and served at the Naval Hospital at Camp LeJeune, NC, until 1982. After his Naval career, Dr. Esposito faithfully served Carteret County residents as an Ear, Nose and Throat physician and Head & Neck surgeon. He often handled acute emergency surgeries at (what was then called) Carteret General Hospital into the wee hours of the night. He was Chief of Staff at the hospital in 1990-1991 until the Naval Reserves called him up for active duty during Desert Storm, where he completed his service as a Commander and then returned to private practice in Morehead City. As many have said, "he loved his patients, and they knew it." Perhaps one of his most remarkable accomplishments was always putting others first. Joe was a jazz aficionado, Ray Charles devotee, sports enthusiast, avid fisherman, outdoorsman and master gardener. Joe was also a lifelong Roman Catholic and an active parishioner of St. Egbert Catholic Church in Morehead City. Loved by family, neighbors and friends, Joe will be remembered for many things, including his quick wit, inimitable storytelling, and acerbic comments (mostly with the best of intentions). He loved telling stories about his children and grandchildren, and their latest accomplishments, embellishing them as only he knew how. Joe was a big believer in the adage "teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." He was a teacher to his children, his patients, his medical colleagues, and frankly anyone willing to listen, especially if they wanted to go fishing. He is survived by his daughter, Rachel Esposito Beaulieu (Tom) of Raleigh, NC, and his son, Luke Anthony Esposito (Alena) of Clinton, MA; their mother, Elizabeth Klunk Esposito of PA; his sisters, Courtney Nance Esposito of Lawrence Township, NJ, and Kate Meredith Esposito of Philadelphia, PA; and his four grandchildren: Addelyn, Elodie, Nathan, and Victoria. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Egbert Catholic School, 1705 Evans St., Morehead City, NC 28557. Most of all, plant a tree, take a kid fishing and "pass it on." Condolences and life tributes may be sent to the family at www.noebrooks.net Arrangements by Noe-Brooks Funeral Home, Morehead City, NC. Services Funeral Mass Thursday July 27, 2023 11:00 AM St. Egbert Catholic Church (Morehead City) 1706 Evans S Morehead City, NC 28557