A Man of Determination

This is the story of Joseph A. Voves, a remarkable Man of Determination. Despite insurmountable challenges in his life, Joe has always been determined to succeed and to thrive. Growing up the son of an elementary school principal in rural Czechoslovakia, he lived through the Nazi occupation of his homeland, narrowly escaped from the Communist secret police following World War II, became stateless, snuck into France illegally, then amazingly spent four years working for Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie as the general manager of the Ethiopian Hotel Co. Finally getting his entry visa into the United States along with his best friend, another Czech named Alois Hacaj, Joe decided to make his immigration an adventure. With Alois, he traveled across Equatorial Africa by Jeep during a time when native Africans were beginning to fight for independence from their European colonial masters. Arriving in the United States in 1959, he quickly adjusted to life in the country he loves. The multilingual Joe first became the maitre d of one of the finest restaurants in Westchester County, N.Y. It was there that he met Myra Marchak, his American wife whom he has been married to since 1963. However, always determined to succeed even further, he saw a demand and co-founded what became the largest supplier of metric nuts, bolts and other measuring devices in the United States. But Joe wasn't just determined that he and his family succeed. He also wanted to help others, so a major part of his life has been his membership in Rotary International, a 1.6 million-member civic organization whose motto is Service Above Self. As a member of Rotary, Joe has personally helped thousands of people whose circumstances made their ability to thrive questionable. With his determination, they improved their chances for a better life."