Joseph M. Stark

Joseph M. Stark of Bucks County, PA, passed away on November 27, 2025, at the age of 64. Born on October 15, 1961, at St. Francis Hospital, in Trenton, NJ, Joseph was a loyal and caring son, brother, uncle, and friend. He was committed to helping others which he did through his life as a defense attorney. We will miss him dearly.

Joseph earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice from Temple University in 1984, graduating with honors, and a Juris Doctor degree from the Delaware Law School of Widener University in 1989.

Joseph practiced criminal law in Bucks County. He was an intelligent, creative, yet humble attorney with a deeply competitive nature. This combination made him a formidable advocate on behalf of his clients, and for those who struggled to pay, he always worked out a lower fee. He was in it to help others especially those who were struggling.

Joseph was an outstanding athlete from a young age, excelling at baseball and then basketball where he consolidated his talents and played for Neshaminy High School and beyond as a longstanding and vital member of Team Brownsville. He was commonly recognized as the toughest player on the court, even after a debilitating knee injury, he played through constant pain without complaint.  He did it for love of the game and for his friends.

When not on the basketball court or the courtroom, you could find Joseph on one of the many boats he owned and tinkered with over the years, tending to his flourishing vegetable garden, cooking for his friends, or hiking to good fishing spots in the mountains; and wherever he traveled, Joe was with his dog. His Giant Schnauzer, Gretl, was a loving and stubborn companion for 12-years. Life with Gretl was a daily battle of wills and she proved to be perhaps Joe’s only true intellectual equal. Following Gretl, his beautiful standard schnauzer, Maria, became Joe's best friend for his remaining years.

Joseph read widely and was ready to debate nearly any topic. His sardonic but not unkind sense of humor was always in play, and though he would most often intellectually pin his opponents, he would immediately let them up for air and together enjoy a good laugh.

In the final years of his life, Joseph experienced a reconnection to his Catholic faith, attending daily mass and praying the rosary regularly.

Joseph is survived by his sister, Marianna Stark; brother, Thomas Stark; dear friend, Monica Mills; brother-in-law, Dan Kimberg; niece, Grace Kimberg; sister-in-law, Joanne Hopkins; nephew, Andrew Stark; niece, Julia Stark; and his loyal companion, Maria. He was preceded in death by his mother, Bernice Stark; father, Joseph L. Stark; and brother, Michael Stark.

Visitation will be held at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church in Doylestown, PA, on December 4, 2025, from 9:00 AM to 9:45 AM, followed by a Mass at 10:00 AM. Joe's legacy of kindness, humor, and dedication to others will be cherished by all who knew him.

Donations in Joseph's honor can be made to the Bucks County SPCA at buckscountyspca.org.