Members of the Lions Club of Kingstown-SVG were recently thrown into a state of sadness, when news of the death of Joe Scheinkoenig was received.{{more}}

The funeral for the Mobile Medical Mission Hospital’s Director was held on Wednesday at Holy Apostles Catholic Church in the State of Wisconsin, USA. He was accorded full military honours.

Major General Joe, a retired US Army General, was a frequent member of the annual Eye Care Mission to St Vincent, now in its 37th year. He coordinated the arrangements with the Kingstown Lions Club in 2010 and 2011. This year, General Joe, even though he was not in good health, jointly coordinated the Mission with Mr Jeff Prichard and Dr Robert Fisch, a longstanding Optometrist with the Mission. In 2010, Joe introduced the computerization of the eye glasses data, which is being used to expedite the delivery of spectacles.

Joe, as he was affectionately known, was the consummate humanitarian who ensured the Eye Care Mission brought a variety of gifts for the children who received eye glasses each year, and the yearly donation of free medical supplies to the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital. This jovial character will be greatly missed by the Lions and Leo Clubs in St Vincent, as well as a wide cross section of visually impaired and other persons in St Vincent and the Grenadines.