Joseph Rawden Obituary
February 24, 1939-October 31, 2024
Joseph Hewes Rawden was born in Detroit Michigan to Virginia Nutwell Fiske and
Cecil Edward Rawden. He was the middle child of 5 and was raised in Detroit, although the
family did move to Australia for one year for his fathers work as an engineer for Ford Motor
Company.
Joseph was a graduate of Michigan State University with a degree in business
management. While in school he worked at the Kellogg Center at the university, where his
love of the restaurant business was born.
After graduation, Joseph went on to be the general manager at one of the
restaurants in the Chateau Louise Hotel and Resort, in Dundee Illinois . It is here where he
met his first wife and the mother of his children Barbara Ann Seyller, who was the singer at
the resort. During his first year of marriage he lived at the famed Ocean Club on Paradise
Island in the Bahamas and worked as the manager of the Cafe Martinique, where a scene
from the James Bond movie Thunderball was filmed. Discovering he was going to be a
father, he and his wife returned back to Elgin IL and that is where his daughter Stephanie
Anne Rawden was born.
The next step in his career was a move to Santa Anna CA to open a Lums Hot Dog
franchise. Although Lums was not a success, he was successful in having a son, Christian
Hewes Rawden, during his short time in California.
Leaving California, he headed to Cincinnati Ohio, where he began his long,
accomplished career with McDonalds. Working as the Director of Operations for a
franchisee named Lou Groen, who is credited with creating the Filet-O-Fish sandwich.
Showing an aptitude for the McDonalds business, Joseph was approached by Ed Rensi,
(who later went on to be president of McDonalds USA), to become a franchisee for the
brand. He purchased his first restaurant on Lancaster Ave in Reading Pennsylvania in 1972.
Joseph grew that first restaurant into a very successful McDonalds business and went on
to open and own several additional locations throughout his career. Not only was he a
great businessman, he was generous with his knowledge and skills, launching and
mentoring the careers of several McDonalds operators. His most notable proteges being
his one time Director of Operations Robert Hughes who is the now the owner of multiple
McDonalds restaurants, and his son and daughter, Christian and Stephanie who currently
own several restaurants as well. Knowing he played such a large role in building the
foundation for their success was a huge point of well deserved pride for him.
In 1984 he met the love he would spend the rest of his life with, Beth Maloney. They
fell in love on the tennis court, one of the many passions they shared. They married in
Marbella, Spain, in an intimate ceremony for two.
Joseph and Beth spent their life together creating several beautiful homes on the
Mail Line just outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and finally settling in their current
home in Bonita Springs. Anyone who has met them knows they both have a keen sense of
style and taste. They both loved dogs and their house was never without at least one.
Cooking and entertaining was a source of joy for them both, and their houses were the
backdrop of many an elegant dinner party and more than a few late night soirees. No
matter the event, they were always the center of entertainment for their large group of
friends. They traveled the world together, seeing beautiful places, drinking fine wine, eating
delicious meals, and laughing with wonderful friends.
Although never a great golfer, Joe dedicated many of his years in Bonita Bay trying to
master the sport. The game of golf can be frustrating to learn, but he truly enjoyed the
friendship and comradely that came with his many hours on the course.
As his back issues made him slow down in his later years he still enjoyed the
company of his friends playing gin at the club.
Joseph is survived by his dedicated and life love Beth, his children Christian and
Stephanie and his sister Missy Stefanos, along with his nieces and nephews Rebecca
Rawden(David DeSwart), Marcus Rawden(Virginia), Travis and Michael Stefanos. He is
preceded in death by his parents and his brothers Michael, David, and Fiske.
A Celebration of Life will be held at the Bonita Bay Club, 26660 Country Club Dr. Bonita
Spring FL, 34134 on November 18, 2024 at 5:30pm in the evening. We look forward to
sharing stories a memories of Joseph with his friends and colleagues.
*In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Ronald McDonald House of Philadelphia.
