Joseph Michael Dougherty, 60 years old, of Dubuque, passed away on Monday, October 19th, 2026.

A private family interment will be at St. John’s the Baptist Cemetery in Centralia, Iowa.

Joseph or more commonly known as “Joe,” was born on January 28th, 1966, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Joe’s parents were Donald and Ethel Dougherty. He was the second oldest of five siblings and grew up on a farm in Peosta. Joe graduated from Western Dubuque High School and obtained his Bachelors of Art Degree in Business Management from Loras College in Dubuque. He worked numerous jobs which included Cycare Systems, Inc. in Dubuque for about 20 years.

Joe will be remembered as a great friend to many he met for the way he was always ready to help anyone in need. He left a lasting impression on friends, family, and everyone fortunate enough to know him. A devoted fan of the Chicago Bears, Philadelphia 76er’s, and New York Yankees, he loved cheering on his teams. Joe loved family and cherished all of his nieces and nephews. He will be greatly missed.

Joe is survived by his mother, Ethel Dougherty of Dyersville; his siblings, Dan Dougherty of Dubuque, Lisa (Todd) Stiles of Robins, Tim (Jenny) Dougherty of Mount Vernon, Lori (Bryan) Armstrong of Atkin; and all of his nieces and nephews Bryce, Emily, Ava, Elizabeth, Katherine, and Joshua.

Joe is preceded in death by his father, Donald Dougherty and daughter, Sophia Jeanette Dougherty.

A special heartfelt thank you goes out to the Leonard Funeral Home, especially Edward Leonard, Deacon James Koetz, Corporal Joel Cross of the Dubuque Police Department, and Dubuque Law Enforcement Chaplain Mark Smith for helping us during this difficult time. Your help is greatly appreciated.

“Dying is not the end, it is just the beginning. Death is a continuation of life. This is the meaning of eternal life; It is where our soul goes to God, to speak to God, To continue loving Him with greater love because in Heaven we shall be able to love him with our whole heart and our soul because we only surrender our body in death – our heart and our soul live forever. When we die we are going to be with God, And with all those we have known who have gone before us: Our family and our friends will be there waiting for us.”

— Saint Teresa of Calcutta