Joseph “Joe” Benjamin Cross was born on September 21, 1978 to Richard and Barbara Cross in Columbia, SC. He lived an extraordinary and inspirational life and was an adored son, brother, and nephew. Joe was born with a little known syndrome known as CHARGE syndrome, which led to some challenges for Joe and his family. All the little mountains that Joe encountered in his life were made into little anthills to him, and instead of Joe’s disability defining him, it did greatly influence the person he became. Joe’s attitude about life was inspiring and full of determination. He always had a “can do” attitude that spread to every facet of his life, and he demonstrated that one can achieve greatness despite all odds. Joe was a very gifted individual, and was active in Boy Scouts of America while growing up. Joe achieved the elite rank of Eagle Scout. He attended primary school in the Columbia, SC area and finished high school at a LIFE program in Massachusetts designed to foster independent living skills for adults with physical and intellectual disabilities. Joe was also fortunate enough to experience a little bit of college life while attending UAB for a few years. Joe then moved back to Columbia where he worked for the Palmetto Smiles family. He was very proud of his independence and lived quite the social life. He enjoyed participating in Seven Oaks Therapeutic Recreation programs, Carolina Actors with Special Talents (CAST), and Special Olympics basketball and golf. He also enjoyed gaming, walking, traveling, and gaming, and he loved Clemson football. He was the curator of family home movies, and he had a love of reading, journaling and dancing. His kindness was contagious, and his life will serve as a continuous reminder for how we can all strive to be better brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, husbands and wives, and children of God.

Joe passed on from this life on May 4, 2019, leaving a legacy of kindness and compassion. Joe never met a stranger and was loved by everyone who knew him. A little bit of Joe lives on in all of us who knew and loved him, and we can only hope to spread a little bit of his joy through living our lives more like Joe lived his. While his death does not make sense to us, we are deeply grateful for the foundation’s ability to continue spreading Joe’s legacy of love and passion for life by improving the lives of other adults with special needs by using the funds to support projects and programs that enhance the everyday lives of individuals with special needs.