Josef Fleischmann
March 8, 1934- June 12, 2023
Josef lived a long and happy life and lived each day to the fullest. He always had a twinkle in his eye when he shared a smile and a story with multitudes of friends & acquaintances. Josef was a successful character from his days of running a bakery, to starting a farm, to the legacy of St Josef’s Winery.
A funeral mass will be held on Tuesday, June 27th @ St Patrick’s Church in Canby. Following a private burial service there will be a celebration of life at St Josef’s Winery from 1-4pm. Please bring a photo to share on a bulletin board full of memories.
Josef was born in Hungary where is grandfather had a small winery. After the war the family were sent to a refugee camp and he then grew up in Southern Germany. Josef learned the baking trade in the German apprenticeship program and after a few years moved to the USA. He met his wife Lilli in the German community of Chicago and worked as a bakery supervisor for Sara Lee.
Opportunity for new adventures brought them out for a visit to Oregon in April of 1969. Seeing the verdant green and uncrowded roads (after months of winter in Chicago) they proclaimed it Shangri-La and made plans to go west. Josef put a blind bid in on a farm between Canby and Aurora (blind bid since Lilli didn’t know about it) in May, and was surprised when it was accepted late in October. They made the move with a 3-year-old and new-born on a mattress in the back of the car to a small farm house on a dirt road in the heart of the Willamette Valley.
Josef started a European style bake shop inside the Weizer’s Supermarket in Lake Oswego. He soon founded his own bakery in downtown Canby where he was known for his hard rolls and donuts. Josef and Lilli also farmed in their spare time, with cows, cauliflower, berries and vegetables among the products. But Josef dreamed of more.
He had been making wine in the basement by driving to friends’ vineyards in Lodi and bringing back grapes in the back of a pickup truck. He soon got pretty good and his wife Lilli convinced him to plant grapes in 1978. Long before the Willamette Valley became a famous wine area Josef & Lilli knew it was an ideal place for an aspiring vintner.
He continued making wine in the basement and in 1983 the winery was born. He originally wanted to name it as a tribute to his grandfather- St Michael- but that name was already taken. His friends said that all the other states already had a “Saint” winery- and that he could become the first ‘Saint’ in Oregon.
Always hard working & industrious he strived to be successful. Through the years the farm and the winery flourished. Winning both local and national awards as one of Oregon’s Wine Pioneers. Josef was always independent and self-believing. While the industry morphed into $70 collectable bottles of wine; Josef thought that wines should be easy to enjoy and affordable. He loved the fact that for a time you could go to almost any store in Oregon and buy one of his wines.
Josef loved hosting people and having a good time. He always had a smile in his eyes and a keen wit. They converted an old barn into a winery and tasting room. He started the first Grapestomping Festival in the NW, complete with a 50-gallon bucket of grapes and German music, a tradition that still goes on today.
Josef died peacefully in his sleep. He is survived by his wife Lilli, daughter Tara & son Kirk and two Grandsons. And literally thousands of friends and acquaintances since nearly everybody in the area can say “Oh sure- I know Joe”. A deservedly well-loved man.
