Any of You Uxbridge Area Guys Know Joe Proia?

[Tony C.]

The letters to the Editor in the December issue of American Motorcyclist had a letter from Bob Haigis of Uxbridge about the passing of Joe Proia. I immediately recognized the name. Joe was a motorcycle instructor. He owned Ironstone Ventures, an MSF certified instruction firm. I learned how to ride from Joe in July 1998. The letter stated he suffered a fatal attack before going of the road on his bike. Very sad.  

https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/thesunchronicle/obituary.aspx?n=joseph-m-proia&pid=193876261&fhid=2722

[Ken aka Oil Burner]

I didn't know him personally, but we have mutual friends. I did see this on the New England Riders FB page when it happened. He was riding home from Rice-O-Rama when it happened. My friend Bill posted this comment to one of the post about Joe's passing: "Bill Gifford: i think it was 2 emts in a car or truck behind him, didn't think they were on bikes, but i could be wrong. joe and i and a couple other guys rode to rice o rama that morning. when we left to head back joe decided he wanted to ride home directly. the rest of us took the long way home. the last i saw joe was from the back as he took off for home. he was part of our saturday lunch bunch. he will be missed for sure. talked to his wife jane yestrerday, our prayers go out to her."

I wonder if he wasn't feeling well prior to having the attack. Maybe, since he split off from the group to head directly for home.

[Orca]

I was on a ride with Joe at very day. 
Bill Gifford was a longtime friend of Joe and we rode to Rice a rama in Spencer that day.  It was the first time I met Joe.  There was a total of four of us that rode out to Spencer that morning we walked around the motorcycle swap meet and on the way back Joe wanted to take a different ride home then the rest of us.  On the way back from Route 9 three of us took a right on Route 31 to head south and Joe went straight to take a right on route 56 to head home.  Unfortunately he never made it home. 

[DanL]

I had gone to Joe a couple of times to learn as much as I could after I got back on to a motorcycle.  Even though I was older then him, he was a great teacher and will be missed.