The AMO National Executive Board has voted unanimously to dedicate the AMO membership meeting hall at union headquarters to the late AMO Deep-Sea Vice President Joseph Gremelsbacker, who died October 3 at his home in Hollywood, Florida, after a valiant eight-year struggle with cancer.

The board will work closely with Joe's daughter, Morgan, to arrange an official ceremony marking The Joe Gremelsbacker Memorial Auditorium timed to Morgan's effort to arrange a fitting farewell service asked of her by Joe in his last days.

Joseph Zigmund Gremelsbacker - who had logged nearly 40 years of service to the AMO membership - was elected to his official position in 2001, having already served on the AMO Executive Board since 1995. He was re-elected easily in each subsequent unionwide AMO election.

As Deep-Sea Vice President, Joe Gremelsbacker protected and promoted the professional and personal interests of AMO members effectively, representing engine and deck officers in disputes with AMO employers and in other matters, earning a reputation as an honest, dedicated AMO membership advocate.

As a seagoing AMO member since 1984, Joe sailed as a deck officer aboard the Bravado, the USNS Williams, USNS Bobo and USNS Lopez before coming ashore as an AMO representative in 1992.