Concord Monitor – “A giant in life”: With the death of Joe Kasper, a voice from Concord falls silent

Joe Kasper had a sign hanging on the door to his office.

“Be silly. Be funny. Be different. Be crazy. Be yourself,” it said. “Because life is too short to be anything but happy.”

It was a mantra that Kasper lived every day, his friends and family said.

“He had this zest for life,” said Tom Raffio, president and CEO of Northeast Delta Dental. He worked with Kasper for nearly 23 years and they became close. Almost ironically, Raffio said, Kasper was quick to remind people to make the most of life because it’s so short. “And he practiced what he preached.”

Kasper, 70, was director of corporate services at Northeast Delta Dental, a longtime member and past board chair of the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce and a dedicated community volunteer, particularly through his involvement with the Hudson Lions Club. He captivated others with his warmth, sense of humor, friendly and supportive nature and infectious joy.

He died Tuesday in an accident while riding his scooter on Clinton Street – one of two traffic fatalities in Concord within 24 hours and one of 11 people statewide killed in a series of fatal crashes over the past week. Ian McLauchlan, a 63-year-old from Warner, died at the scene when he crashed his motorcycle in Penacook.

“In his life there were so many people he helped or cared for,” Raffio said of Kasper. “He was not a big man, but in life he was a giant.”

Kasper has lived in Weare with his wife for 47 years. They have two grown-up children, Alex, 37, and Tiffany, 40, and two dogs.

“We laughed almost all the time,” said his wife, JoAnn Kasper. “We always had time to laugh. Even when we cried, we laughed afterwards.”

Kasper’s voice echoed throughout Concord. Those close to him said it was one of his most remarkable qualities.

“He was always the moderator,” said Tiffany Kasper.

“He loved the sound of his voice,” added her brother Ales. “And you couldn’t blame him, the man had a good voice.”

Kasper was a member of the Horseshoe Pond Chapter of Toastmasters, an international organization that helps people improve their public speaking skills, and the resident auctioneer for scholarship fundraisers for Leadership Greater Concord through the Chamber of Commerce. President Tim Sink described Kasper’s talent for entertaining the crowd while drawing more bids. As an announcer for Delta Dental’s Capital Area Race Series, Kasper immersed himself in the local running scene, Raffio said, learning the names and stories of various participants. He also hosted cabaret night for decades at Alvirne High School, where his two adult children were once students.

“He dreamed of being at a microphone,” said JoAnn Kasper.

Kasper plunged headlong into all areas of his life.

When JoAnn opened a daycare, he helped her. To the children, he was “Mr. Joe” – except at Christmas time, when he was “Santa Joe.” When he stopped by to bring JoAnn her coffee, the children would say to her, “Your best friend is here!”

He was a collector: of hats, dresses, ties – first traditional ones and then bow ties – of sauces and spices and of tools that he rarely used, his children said. On holidays he cooked too much, sang constantly and was a master of disguise.

“The things he loved,” Alex said, “he really loved.”

At work, Raffio said, Kasper was known for his supportive mentorship and hands-on involvement, and by planning employee events, he was instrumental in making the company’s large team still feel like a family.

As chairman of the Chamber’s board, Kasper aspired to – and succeeded in – growing the Chamber’s membership to the highest in the state, according to Sink. Even after his time on the board ended, he remained one of the group’s most supportive and active volunteers.

“The Chamber’s mission is to improve economic opportunity and quality of life. He cared deeply about that and truly believed in it,” Sink said. “He made our work fun. When the phone rang and you heard, ‘Joe Kasper is on line two,’ it was a really happy feeling.”

Kasper has been an active member of the Hudson Lions Club for most of his life, following in the footsteps of his father, who was also a Lion. The group presented him with a national award for his service less than two weeks ago. He also brought his own children. Together they cooked countless breakfasts, picked up trash on the side of the road and went to wrestling events.

“That was his favorite thing, Lions,” said JoAnn. “That was his favorite topic.”

Kasper’s death on Tuesday was a shock.

“He was so present. He never missed anything. He never had a bad moment,” Raffio said. When he didn’t show up for work Tuesday morning, Raffio knew something was wrong.

JoAnn said police described the crash to her as a “real accident”: Something on the road struck his front wheel, shaking the steering, and before he could regain control, he collided head-on with an oncoming truck. JoAnn said he loved that motorcycle and always wore a helmet.

In recent days, the Kasper family has received a flood of calls, emails and messages. In social media posts from organizations he belonged to, the comment columns were filled with sad messages of remembrance.

“He liked everyone he met and everyone liked him,” JoAnn said. “That’s one of the reasons this is so hard.”

Kasper was planning to retire later that year. He and JoAnn were often camping—they had a trip to Maine planned for that weekend.

“I feel like he’s sad that he’s not here. I think he would be sad that he was given promises that he couldn’t keep,” JoAnn said. “He wasn’t ready. We weren’t ready.”