Joseph Edward Rawson

Joseph Edward Rawson, 61, of Fairfax, Virginia passed away on May 6, 2026, unexpectedly of natural causes. Joe was born on July 13, 1964, to Joe and Carol Tamosunas in Worcester, Massachusetts. When his mother remarried, Joe took his stepfather John Rawson’s surname. His teenage years were spent in Groveland, Massachusetts and he worked at his family’s Donut Grove bakery. Joe excelled in academics at Pentucket Regional High School in West Newbury. He was a member of the marching band and acted in the school plays, “The Sound of Music” and “Guys and Dolls.” After graduating in 1982, Joe went on to study at George Washington University in Washington, DC. There he was active in their Catholic student group at the Newman
Center. He graduated with a B.A. in International Affairs in 1986. He worked for the Federal Election Commission in D.C. Joe briefly considered a vocation as a Dominican friar at St. Gertrude Priory in Cincinnati, OH. He returned to the Boston area where he worked for many years with the Massachusetts Association of Realtors as an education coordinator. A move to Providence, Rhode Island found Joe active as a volunteer with St. Peter’s and St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church where he served on the vestry, eventually as Senior Warden. Joe received his Master’s Degree in Library and Information Sciences from the University of Rhode Island in 2001. He was a librarian for Providence Public Library and, later, the University of Maryland’s University College (now UMGC) for many years. In 2010 Joe joined St. Paul’s Parish K Street Episcopal. Joe served on the diocesan search committee that selected Rev. Dr. Marian Budde as the ninth Bishop of the Diocese of Washington.  Joe married Thomas Turner in a ceremony at All Souls Episcopal in D.C. in 2011. His final church home was Falls Church Episcopal in Falls Church, VA. Joe had recently been warmly welcomed as the new Director of Administration at Emmaus United Church of Christ in Vienna, Virginia.

Joe was predeceased by his stepfather John Rawson. Joe is survived by his husband of 14 years, Thomas Turner of Fairfax. He is also survived by his mother Carol Rawson of Salem, New Hampshire, his sister Lynn (Jim) Bergeron and nieces Ella, Callie and Caitlin of Newton, NH and his uncle John Mulvihill (Regina) of Odessa, FL. And he is survived by his father Joseph Tamosunas (Cindi) of South Yarmouth, MA.

Joe enjoyed international travel with a special fondness for Cape Town, South Africa. In the U.S. he fell in love with Galveston.

Joe cherished his cat Seneca. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests remembrances to your local animal rescue shelter.

Funeral services will be at Falls Church Episcopal, 115 E Fairfax St., Falls Church, VA on Saturday, May 23, receiving guests in the historic church at 12:30 pm with services beginning at 1:00.