Joel Rott, age 51, of Brookings, died Wednesday, October 7, 2009, at the Dougherty Hospice House in Sioux Falls. He had lived his life to the fullest during his courageous nineteen month battle with brain cancer. Memorial services will be 10:30 A.M. Saturday, October 10, 2009, at Morningside Community Church in Brookings, with private family interment in Sunset Memorial Gardens in Aberdeen. Visitations will be from 4-7 P.M. Friday at Eidsness Funeral Home in Brookings.

Joel Allen Rott was born December 3, 1957, in Aberdeen, South Dakota, to Courtney and Janice (Braunstein) Rott. He attended school in Aberdeen and graduated from Aberdeen Central High School in 1976. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration in 1981. While in high school and college he worked his way up to courtesy supervisor at Kesslers Super Value. When he left Kesslers in 1982 he became part of the Riddles Jewelry chain, managing stores in South Dakota, Iowa, and Montana. He spent one year with Pillsbury/Bennigans, Denver, Colorado, and then moved on to management positions with Harms Oil Co. until 2004.

On August 30, 1986, he married Janet Kasper in Great Falls, Montana. After living one year in Denver, Colorado, the couple settled down in Aberdeen and raised a family, before relocating to Brookings in 2003. In 2004 Joel began work for Daktronics Inc. doing national account sales in the petroleum division where he was employed until his death.

Joel was a member of St. Mark Episcopal Church in Aberdeen, and enjoyed attending Morningside Community Church in Brookings. He served on the South Dakota Retailers Association Board of Directors, the Aberdeen Skate Committee Boarders or Bladers as project co-chairman, was a member of the National Association of Convenience Stores, the National Association of Truck Stop Operators, and the South Dakota Petroleum Marketers Association. He loved to golf, hunt, sing and play the guitar, and was an avid NSU and SDSU sports fan, but most of all Joel loved to spend time with his family and many friends.

Survivors include his wife, Janet; a son, Kyle; and daughter, Sydney, all of Brookings; his mother, Janice Rott, of Aberdeen, South Dakota; four sisters: Kerry (David) Neiderbaumer of Yale, South Dakota, Lee Ann (Royal) Tople of Mina, South Dakota, Cindy (James) Schumacher of Eureka, South Dakota, and Robin Pharis of Pierre, South Dakota; three brothers: Jerry (Connie) Rott of Lakeville, Minnesota, Jim Rott of Grayslake, Illinois, and Courtney (Jennifer) Rott, Jr. of Aberdeen, South Dakota; a grandmother, Mae Braunstein, of Aberdeen; mother-in-law, Beverly Kasper, of Bismarck, North Dakota; three sisters-in-law, Kristin (Rock) Stewart of Grafton, North Dakota, Patti (Al) Aldinger of Glendive, Montana, Joayne Goecke of Bismarck, North Dakota; and numerous loving aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. He was preceded in death by his father, Courtney A. Rott, Sr.; grandparents, Sam and Helen Rott; and grandfather, Anthony C. Braunstein.