Joseph G. Veit, Jr.

California businessman and Wisconsin transplant Joseph “Joe” G. Veit, Jr., 88, died on May 19, 2025, in Baraboo, WI. Born on May 6, 1937, in Douglaston, Long Island, NY, Joe was known as “Brother” to his parents, sisters, and extended family. Joe attended Fordham University and St John's University in New York, then married and started a family, moving from NY to Georgia. He began his career with United States Leasing Corporation, transferring to its San Francisco headquarters in 1967, before establishing his own equipment and computer leasing business in Sausalito, CA. After living in Belvedere, Joe spent the following 30 years in the beach communities of Stinson Beach and Bolinas in Marin County.

In West Marin, Joe led an active and social community life. He was elected to the Stinson Beach county water board, served on the board of West Marin Senior Services, and volunteered at the Audubon bird sanctuary. Joe was a self-taught jazz pianist, performing Great American songbook standards at clubs, fundraisers, private gatherings, and Mondays at the Sand Dollar Restaurant in Stinson Beach, frequently with his son, vocalist Bob Veit.

A keen sportsman, Joe was among the very first windsurfer enthusiasts, launching from Chrissy Field by the Golden Gate Bridge. He mountain biked Mt Tamalpais's most challenging trails and was an avid powder skier of Tahoe, Jackson Hole, and the Bugaboos in British Columbia (often via helicopter). He completed his formal education at Dominican University in San Rafael, earning his B.A. in English and literature, a testament to his love of words, language, and wit.

Joe moved to Baraboo, WI, following his marriage in 2001 to Wisconsin native Kathleen “Kathy” Ann Blakeslee, an accomplished landscape designer and botanist. He continued performing on piano, playing weekly at Con Amici Wine Bar and other venues. Joe caught Kathy's passion for horticulture, and together they started a small farm on their rural property, selling their harvest at Madison Farmers Market. In their lush garden, friends would gather for morning coffee, bird-watching, reading, and the crossword puzzle. In 2019, a tragic early-morning fire took his beloved Kathy's life and destroyed their home. The people Joe loved—his family and the Blakeslees, caring friends, and the Baraboo community—all united to support him in the aftermath. After some time spent in California with his son Tom and his family, Joe rejoined his Wisconsin friends for his final years.

Joe's older sisters, Joan Veit Siddle and Edith Berthen, predeceased him. He is survived by sister Isabel “Betse” Rose Downey of Florida; children Thomas M. Veit (Sandra), Mary E. Chase, and Robert J. Veit of California; grandchildren Katherine E. Bielefield, John T., Christopher A., and John J. Veit, and Amanda E. Preston; great-grandchildren Evelyn Autumn and Camille Grace; loving nieces and nephews; and scores of devoted friends and fellow musicians. His laughter and good spirits, charm, generosity, and delight in living are sorely missed.