Joseph was born in New Orleans, Louisiana on October 19, 1909 to Joseph Paul Haggerty (1889-1973) and Isabel Lewis (1889-1958). He had a younger brother, Donald Haggerty (1912-2002) and a sister, Kathleen Haggerty (1916-1988). The Haggerty family travelled across the U.S. doing vaudeville and stock shows until they settled in Los Angeles ca. 1920. He did a one-year service with the Navy as a hospital corpsman in San Diego in 1930. Later in December 1930, Joseph married his first wife Rosalie Beechler (1911-1984) and had one son, Gerald Shannon Haggerty (1932-1977). They divorced in the mid-1930s when Rose insisted that Joe quit his acting work with an ultimatum to either change jobs or leave her.
Joe continued to do acting and body-building in Los Angeles during the 1930s. He even managed a circus in the early 1940s. During World War II Joe served in the US Army Air Corps. He was a sergeant who specialized as a fitness trainer, stationed near Rapid City, South Dakota - today Ellsworth Air Force Base. During the war, the station was a training location for B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber units. While stationed in South Dakota, Joe met and married His second wife Bernice Ballew (1915-2005) in January 1944 and had one son, William J Haggerty (born 1945). They divorced in the early 1950s.
Joe later was a furniture mover until retirement, then afterward married his third wife Loraine Finlayson Fitzgerald (1913-1981) in Rockwell, Iowa in 1967. They settled in Santa Monica, California. After Loraine died, Joseph lived in desert communities such as Boron, California and Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. Joe was especially remembered by his grandchildren whom he occasionally visited, along with a song on the harmonica, an old story, a corny joke, or even a self-made painting. As he got older and weaker, Joe's son Billy took him to his care in Oxnard, California for the last couple years of his life. Joe died in Oxnard on November 5, 2000. He was cremated and his ashes were scattered in the Pacific Ocean.
Joe continued to do acting and body-building in Los Angeles during the 1930s. He even managed a circus in the early 1940s. During World War II Joe served in the US Army Air Corps. He was a sergeant who specialized as a fitness trainer, stationed near Rapid City, South Dakota - today Ellsworth Air Force Base. During the war, the station was a training location for B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber units. While stationed in South Dakota, Joe met and married His second wife Bernice Ballew (1915-2005) in January 1944 and had one son, William J Haggerty (born 1945). They divorced in the early 1950s.
Joe later was a furniture mover until retirement, then afterward married his third wife Loraine Finlayson Fitzgerald (1913-1981) in Rockwell, Iowa in 1967. They settled in Santa Monica, California. After Loraine died, Joseph lived in desert communities such as Boron, California and Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. Joe was especially remembered by his grandchildren whom he occasionally visited, along with a song on the harmonica, an old story, a corny joke, or even a self-made painting. As he got older and weaker, Joe's son Billy took him to his care in Oxnard, California for the last couple years of his life. Joe died in Oxnard on November 5, 2000. He was cremated and his ashes were scattered in the Pacific Ocean.
Joseph was born in New Orleans, Louisiana on October 19, 1909 to Joseph Paul Haggerty (1889-1973) and Isabel Lewis (1889-1958). He had a younger brother, Donald Haggerty (1912-2002) and a sister, Kathleen Haggerty (1916-1988). The Haggerty family travelled across the U.S. doing vaudeville and stock shows until they settled in Los Angeles ca. 1920. He did a one-year service with the Navy as a hospital corpsman in San Diego in 1930. Later in December 1930, Joseph married his first wife Rosalie Beechler (1911-1984) and had one son, Gerald Shannon Haggerty (1932-1977). They divorced in the mid-1930s when Rose insisted that Joe quit his acting work with an ultimatum to either change jobs or leave her.
Joe continued to do acting and body-building in Los Angeles during the 1930s. He even managed a circus in the early 1940s. During World War II Joe served in the US Army Air Corps. He was a sergeant who specialized as a fitness trainer, stationed near Rapid City, South Dakota - today Ellsworth Air Force Base. During the war, the station was a training location for B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber units. While stationed in South Dakota, Joe met and married His second wife Bernice Ballew (1915-2005) in January 1944 and had one son, William J Haggerty (born 1945). They divorced in the early 1950s.
Joe later was a furniture mover until retirement, then afterward married his third wife Loraine Finlayson Fitzgerald (1913-1981) in Rockwell, Iowa in 1967. They settled in Santa Monica, California. After Loraine died, Joseph lived in desert communities such as Boron, California and Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. Joe was especially remembered by his grandchildren whom he occasionally visited, along with a song on the harmonica, an old story, a corny joke, or even a self-made painting. As he got older and weaker, Joe's son Billy took him to his care in Oxnard, California for the last couple years of his life. Joe died in Oxnard on November 5, 2000. He was cremated and his ashes were scattered in the Pacific Ocean.
Joe continued to do acting and body-building in Los Angeles during the 1930s. He even managed a circus in the early 1940s. During World War II Joe served in the US Army Air Corps. He was a sergeant who specialized as a fitness trainer, stationed near Rapid City, South Dakota - today Ellsworth Air Force Base. During the war, the station was a training location for B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber units. While stationed in South Dakota, Joe met and married His second wife Bernice Ballew (1915-2005) in January 1944 and had one son, William J Haggerty (born 1945). They divorced in the early 1950s.
Joe later was a furniture mover until retirement, then afterward married his third wife Loraine Finlayson Fitzgerald (1913-1981) in Rockwell, Iowa in 1967. They settled in Santa Monica, California. After Loraine died, Joseph lived in desert communities such as Boron, California and Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. Joe was especially remembered by his grandchildren whom he occasionally visited, along with a song on the harmonica, an old story, a corny joke, or even a self-made painting. As he got older and weaker, Joe's son Billy took him to his care in Oxnard, California for the last couple years of his life. Joe died in Oxnard on November 5, 2000. He was cremated and his ashes were scattered in the Pacific Ocean.
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