Joseph Anthony Ames

Joseph Anthony Ames, 71, master chef and food technologist died May 26, 2008 in his Exeter Twp. residence.

His wife, Maryellen (Kellar) Ames, died March 31, 2004.

Born in Lee Park, PA, he was the son of the late Joseph Yakubaskas, Sr. and Albina (Lazausky) Yakubaskas.

He was a graduate of Wilkes Barre GAR in 1954.

Mr. Ames was a veteran of the U.S. Navy serving as a chef during the Korean Conflict and the Vietnam War. He was on the USS Independence during the Cuban Missile Crisis and also had stints on the USS Coates and the USS Valley Forge; he was stationed in the Great Lakes, Key West, Philadelphia, St. John's and Jonesville.

Mr. Ames served in the food industry for 60 years and as a food technologist for 40 years. After his military service, Ames was senior R&D manager for the Creamette Macaroni Company and developed the first "hamburger helper" type product; at Nestle Protein Foods division he was responsible for technical sales of the company's TVP soyfood products, and at the Golden Dipt Company he was technical sales manager for the eastern region. Later, he represented the phosphate line of BK Ladenburg div Hoechst-Celanese of Germany. He was president and founder of The Ames Co., Inc., for the last 25 years of his career.

Joe loved his work. The culmination of his career came in the form of FAB, a meat enhancer, that he developed and marketed at his www.theingredientstore.com. His reason for FAB was because he believed meat no longer had a high quality taste and he wanted everyday people to enjoy good tasting meat.

He was a member emeritus of the IFT, Institute of Food Technologists.

He is survived by three sons, Joseph A. Ames, Jr., husband of Joanne, and their son, Joseph A. Ames, III, Malvern; Robert E. Ames, Temple and William E. Ames, engaged to Erin Price, Bellfonte. There is one sister, Patricia (Yakubaskas), wife of John Williams, Hanover Twp., PA and their son, Jason. Joe is also survived by his companion, Gayle Kutz.

Services will be Saturday at 10:30 a.m. in Edward J. Kuhn Funeral Home, Inc., West Reading. Burial will be in Fernwood Cemetery, Lansdowne. Friends may call from 10 to 10:30 a.m. in the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Joseph's name may be made to, Pennsylvania Soldier's and Sailor's Home, 560 East 3rd Street, Erie, PA 16512. Online condolences may be recorded at www.kuhnfuneralhome.com