Joel Ralph Stryker, Jr.

Joel R. Stryker Jr. passed away on July 31, 2026 at the age of 84, in Brookhaven, GA, surrounded by his loving family.

Joel was a builder. He worked summers as a carpenter in his youth, received a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from Drexel University in 1968, and led his own construction company, Stryker Construction, from 1972-1975, building the spec homes with his own two hands. He built for his young family, renovating a 1935 “fixer-upper” in Melrose Park, PA himself for them to grow up in, and constructing an addition.

From 1975-1989 he served as the head of construction for Friedman Ventures, the family real-estate development business founded by his mother-in-law, and led building projects in Pennsylvania, Florida, and California. Following a move to Florida, he worked as a Broker Associate for The Fitzgerald Group until his retirement in 2024.

Joel was an engineer, receiving a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Drexel in 1965 and working as an engineer for the Philadelphia Electric Company (PECO) from 1968-1972 on atomic energy projects.

Joel was an early adopter of technology. He used CB radios to keep in touch with family, brought home one of the first video camcorders, recording his children’s birthday parties, and set up a home computer, floppy discs and all, well before such a thing was widespread.

Joel was a lover of motorboats, and during summers on Long Beach Island, NJ (LBI), he would spend hours at sea with the family fishing for flounder or cruising the bay with a vodka and tonic in hand. He made it very clear, however, that he was not a beach lover, and would make only one annual appearance at the beach on LBI, to mark the close of the summer season. He would show up in a tuxedo-printed t-shirt, carrying a cooler of cocktails for all.

Joel was a jokester. His humor ranged from the wry to the ribald, and when his spirits were especially high his family knew to head for high ground, for he was prone to casting one fully clothed into the pool, or the lagoon.

Joel cared deeply for his family. In his later years, he traveled frequently to spend time with his 3 daughters, 5 granddaughters and a step-granddaughter. He is survived by his daughters Wendy Stryker (son-in-law Richard Robbins and granddaughters Ava and Ella Stryker-Robbins), Beth Stryker (son-in-law Hussein Saddique and step-granddaughter Lara Saddique), and Jo Stryker (son-in-law Ivan Rasnik, and granddaughters Isadora, Maia and Nina Rasnik-Stryker).

A private memorial for family is being planned to take place on LBI on the anniversary of his death.