Joseph "Joey" Louis Lorich

life story

Thank you to all who were a part of Joey's life. We pray that as you grieve with us you remember the wonderful man that he was.

-The Lorichs

Remembering Joey

Joey passed away on Friday, October 17th, in Orlando, Florida.

He was born on May 11th, 1987, to his parents, Mike and Kerry, in Miami, Florida, where he grew up. Two years later, he became a proud older brother to his sister, Cody.

Growing up, Joey loved spending time with his friends whether it was a day on the lake, a trip to the movies, playing Magic: The Gathering, or just hanging out. Following in the footsteps of his grandfather and uncles, Joey became an Eagle Scout. His years in scouting helped shape the man he became and brought him lifelong friendships.

He was a loving son, brother, and uncle, always greeting his niece with misty eyes and a tender ”Hi sweet girl.”

Like his dad, Joey was a true handy-man and could fix just about anything around the house. He was always working on a new project or improvement, often calling his dad for advice and then, in typical Joey fashion, finding a way to make it even better. Like his mom, Joey had a huge heart and a playful sense of humor. He loved his friends and family deeply and unconditionally. He was always quick with a pun or a well-timed movie reference.

Mike and Kerry are so proud of the man he grew up to be.

From a young age, Joey’s love and talent for technology were clear. At age six, he would spend hours programming his father’s Commodore 64 computer only to have to reprogram it all again the next time it was turned on. When asked on a kindergarten homework assignment what he wanted to do when he grew up, Joey wrote “compuders,” and his passion never wavered.

At twelve, he launched his own successful web design business, JL Web Designs, creating websites for local businesses and helping family and friends with various projects. As a high school freshman, he talked his way into a computer programming class reserved for upperclassmen. Joey went on to graduate from the University of Central Florida with a double major in Computer Science and Information Technology.

Joey’s professional journey reflected his endless curiosity, creativity, and drive. He began as a software engineering intern at Lockheed Martin and went on to hold leadership roles at CloudSpace, UniKey, Microsoft, Wind River, and Exein. Titles never mattered much to him; what mattered was creating and solving problems. Joey moved effortlessly between complex technical work, meaningful collaboration, and visionary thinking. He deeply connected with teammates and customers alike. His tenacity showed in his constant pursuit of balance, blending technical excellence with thoughtful organization, always approaching challenges with a genuine desire to understand, support, and lift up those around him. He also had an extraordinary ability to recall and apply knowledge from his wide range of experience, weaving insights from every chapter of his career into whatever problem he was solving next. He did all of it with brilliance and humility.

At 24, Joey was diagnosed with testicular cancer. He bravely underwent chemotherapy and recently celebrated 14 years cancer-free. He used his story to encourage and inspire others.

Joey loved food, cooking, and discovering unique restaurants. During the COVID shutdown, he became determined to master the perfect omelet. He often sent photos of the beautiful meals and fancy coffees he made—to the envy and hunger of everyone who saw them.

He loved animals his own and everyone else’s. In college, his roommate’s cat spent more time in Joey’s room than anywhere else in the apartment. His dogs, Jakson and Grace, his “babies,” as he called them, were a huge joy in his life and frequent stars of his Instagram feed.

Joey was one of the most thoughtful friends anyone could ask for. He always remembered the little things. If you mentioned liking something, he’d remember and surprise you with it later, sometimes for a special occasion, sometimes just on a random Tuesday. Once, after joking with a friend about Clippy from Microsoft Word, he found a Clippy figurine at a conference and mailed it straight to their front door. He was also a man of grand gestures, flying across the country to surprise his little sister Cody on her 30th birthday.

He loved to laugh and loved making others laugh. His best friend called him an “expert meme curator”. Like with everything else in his life he had an incredible memory. Bringing up the funny, random moments that bonded people, and would reference old jokes years later to make you laugh just as hard as you did the first time.

His absence leaves a gaping hole in our hearts. He is loved, he is missed.

memorial service

TBD

A celebration of Joey’s life will be held at a later date. His parents would like to give everyone who loved him time to make arrangements to join in celebrating his life.

(There is a service planned in Orlando, but his family will not be participating.)