FEDERALSBURG - Joseph W. Holecheck of Federalsburg, Md. passed away on Thursday, Sept. 19, 2013 at the University of Maryland Shock Trauma in Baltimore. He was 83. He was born Dec. 19, 1929 near Preston, Md., the son of the late Louis Charles Holecheck, Sr. and Marie F. Navratil Holecheck. He was a graduate of Hurlock High School Class of 1948. He was a life-long farmer who worked his beloved Hol-Mar farm for 63 years as a dairy and grain farmer. He was a member of the Farm Bureau, Harrington Moose Lodge 534, and the AARP of Salisbury. He was a former member of the Dairy Herd Improvement Association. He was a member of Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church in Secretary, and also attended Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Seaford. He was preceded in death by his wife of 56 years, Katherine "Kitty" Marousek Holecheck on July 27, 2007. Besides his parents and wife he was preceded in death by two sisters, Rose Holecheck and Lillian Wanex; and two brothers, Louis Holecheck, Jr. and Harry Holecheck. He is survived by two sisters, Alice Fralick (William) of High Springs, Fla., and Barbara Bramble (Marc) of Cambridge; a sister-in-law, Kathy Holecheck of Denver, Colo.; several nephews and nieces, Leonard, Robert and Jeffrey Wanex, Michael and Charles Holecheck, William and Anthony Fralick, Ruth Anne Edwards, Linda Bryan, Jennifer Ruark, and Melissa Clark; and numerous great nephews and nieces. A Mass of Christian Burial was held 12 p.m., Monday, Sept. 23, 2013 at Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church in Secretary with Rev. Joseph Simmons serving as celebrant. Interment followed in Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church Cemetery. A prayer service was held on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. at the Framptom Funeral Home in Federalsburg where friends called from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Memorial contributions may be made in his memory to the The Benedictine School, 14299 Benedictine Lane, Ridgley, MD 21660 or to Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church, PO Box 279, Secretary, MD 21664. To share memories with the family, please visit www.framptom.com.