his last building appears to be a small speculative house venture in 1941, and though he briefly assisted with an extension to the ladies` gallery at the st kilda synagogue in 1957–1958, he appears to have lived out a quiet retirement before his death at his home in toorak on 28 may 1977 aged 93. his wife rachel henrietta plottel had died in toorak two years previously on 2 january 1975, aged 88. joseph's parents' names were given as philip plottel and sarah hyams, while rachel henrietta plottel's parents' names were given as maurice gross and celine isaacson.