Joseph "Joe" S. Azar

Columbia - A funeral service for Joseph Saleem Azar, 68, of Columbia will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 9th, 2019 at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, 1100 Sumter St. in Columbia, followed by a graveside service at Elmwood Cemetery at 12-12:45. A Celebration of Life will follow at the American Legion Hall, 200 Pickens St. in Columbia, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. A businessman and community activist, Joseph “Joe” S. Azar was born April 12, 1951, to the late Jose Salem Azar and late Evelyn Mary Azar in Columbia, SC. He lost his battle with cancer on September 15, 2019. Joseph attended the public schools of Columbia, SC, graduating from Columbia High in 1969. He then enrolled at the University of South Carolina to study physics. But even as a young college student, Joseph felt the pull to become an entrepreneur. Mr. Azar was very fortunate that he was able to take two of his great passions in life, music, and cycling, and turn them into a livelihood. By the age of 22, he'd created two businesses that reflected those passions. As a youngster, Joseph could be seen riding his bicycle everywhere. He loved it. As a 19-year-old college sophomore, armed with a toolbox and $150 saved from cutting lawns and doing odd jobs, Joseph opened The Cyclist. It quickly grew into a popular shop for both budding and serious cycling enthusiasts. For musical expression, Joseph played string bass, both orchestral and bluegrass, but enjoyed all kinds of music. He was also fascinated by home stereo equipment and its burgeoning industry. So in 1972, while still a college student, he opened Upstairs Audio, which served the needs of the everyday music lover as well as devoted audiophiles. It quickly developed an excellent reputation for it's dedicated, knowledgeable staff, and for the quality of the products. The business lives on today in its second-floor Five Points location as Upstairs Audio and Video. Joseph Azar had a third driving passion: service to his community. For decades he volunteered his time, his huge heart, his keen intellect, and his seemingly boundless energy while working to improve the quality of life for the citizens of his hometown, Columbia, SC. Joseph volunteered as a high school sports coach and was a past board member of the Columbia Sertoma Club and the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA). He also founded Rolling Readers of the Midlands, a non-profit children’s literacy program for Richland and Lexington counties. Mr. Azar's dedication to the people of Columbia led him into local politics where he ran for both mayor and city council. Azar often said that whether he won or not, other politicians and the Columbia voters would be exposed to his ideas, which would help drive discourse and promote change for the better. Joseph was purely passionate about public service. He was tireless. He was even tireless until the last few days of his life. His friends and caregivers were stunned by his attentiveness and acuity even toward the end. He believed in volunteerism; he believed in activism and charity; he believed in supporting free enterprise, and he felt like Columbia could be better. He hated mental laziness and mediocrity on the part of those in positions of power. Joseph enjoyed learning new things, meeting new people and genuinely cared for those he was involved with. He learned his customer service skills from his grandfather, George Alexander, who was a successful retail clothing and real estate businessman in Columbia. His empathy for people was gleaned from his mother, Evelyn (Alexander) Azar, who raised her young son by herself, predeceased him, and passed on Joseph’s attributes of volunteerism, faith, confidence, fortitude, devotion, and love. Mr. Azar was a decades-long acolyte and lifelong member of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, also serving as usher and service greeter. Mr. Azar was predeceased by his maternal grandparents George and Malvena Alexander, his mother Evelyn Mary Azar, all of Columbia, and his father Jose Salem Azar. He is survived by cousins in California, Florida, New York, Nevada, and North Carolina. In lieu of flowers, the Azar Legal Justice foundation will soon be accepting tax-deductible contributions to continue Joseph’s lifelong passion to help the underserved.