Joseph Thomas Elsbernd Born in San Francisco on October 15, 1945, to the late Raymond and Dona Elsbernd. Loving husband to Margaret, cherished father to Sean (Jennifer) and Meghann Jo, and doting grandfather to Michael Thomas. Brother to William (Avelina) and Diane (Roland). Playful master to his adored dogs Blarney and O'Malley. Graduate of St. Paul's Elementary, St. Ignatius College Prep, and the University of San Francisco. Served the Archdiocese of San Francisco as an educator for 40 years. Beloved school principal at St. Paul's, St. Michael's, and for the last 23 years at St. Thomas More. His greatest pleasure was raising his son and daughter. Joe and Margaret found great joy in watching their children grow into successful adults even after many missed basketball shots and multiple slips on the Irish Dance floor. Sean and Meghann's current success in life was a joy to his heart. Joe made a point to be home on Tuesday afternoons to watch Sean at meetings of the Board of Supervisors, paying careful attention to see if his son cast the right votes and always laughing as Sean slapped the microphone around. Joe found great joy in hearing stories from Meghann about the daily events in her classroom and was so proud of her work towards her Doctorate in Education at USF. Joe loved to plan family vacations, particularly from one end of Ireland to the other, taking time to visit the families of the exchange students the Elsbernds housed from Gonzaga College, Dublin, Ireland. His recent joys have been family dinners with his daughter-in-law Jennifer and new grandson Michael, and road trips with his wife and daughter where he entertained them with one story and joke after another. He loved sharing fresh cracked crab, while watching a 49er game with his dear friend Father Mario Farana, tabulating tuition payments for 38 years with his right and left hand Sister Patricia Rogers, sharing organizational duties for a variety of school related activities with Eileen Ramos (except for his office!), and working with hundreds of teachers to educate generations of San Franciscans. His cancer diagnosis did not diminish his ability to continue to bring humor into every situation. Joe had tremendous skills in leading endeavors from crab feeds to the newly constructed gymnasium, library, and pre-school at St. Thomas More. His legacy not only includes his family, but also the thousands of students within whom he instilled a joy to learn and the value of mutual respect. The Elsbernd family would like to thank their friends, family, and the Saint Thomas More School Community for their love and support and a special thank you to Sheila Purcell for all she has done for the family. A Memorial Mass will be Celebrated at St. Paul's Church, 221 Valley Street, on Saturday, November 14th at 11:30 a.m. A reception will follow. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the St. Thomas More School Building Fund and the St. Paul's Preservation Fund. Online Condolences may be made at www.duggansserra.com.