Joseph
E. Mortimer Jr., the longtime, iconic, pro-life
activist leader who founded and served as publisher of the Voices for
the Unborn newspaper for nearly three decades, passed away on Friday at the age of 80. VFTU has subscribers and
distributors nationwide and in 11 countries.
Mortimer served as host of the Voices for the Unborn
radio and TV programs. He also compiled and
published a directory of 6,000 pro-life organizations.
Mortimer’s
article “The 17 Percent Factor,” in which he pointed out the
connection between abortion and reports by automobile manufactures and
other businesses of drops in sales of “17 percent,” opened the
eyes of many Americans to the disastrous economic consequences that
50 million abortions has had upon America.
Mortimer is survived by his wife, Barbara, their sons and
daughters, Joseph ‘Joey’ Mortimer III, Jim Mortimer, Douglas Mortimer,
Barbara ‘Barbie’ Bjorn and Kathy Petrie; and sisters Peggy Venticinque
and Phyllis Bailey. Mortimer was co-owner and proprietor of Select
Jewelers in Feasterville, Penn., the proceeds of which substantially
underwrote VFTU and many other pro-life endeavors.
Friends and relatives are invited to St.
Christopher’s Roman Catholic Church in Philadelphia on Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. A funeral mass will be held at 10:30 a.m.
