Joseph Austin Fogarty was born on 8 March 1930 in Chicago, Illinois and was the third of four children born to Patrick Dennis and Katherine (Clifford) Fogarty. His siblings were: William Patrick Fogarty, Mary Therese Fogarty Smith, and Kay Fogarty Busam. Besides his parents, his older brother, William, preceded him in death. Joseph attended Saint Sabina Grammar School in Chicago from 1935-44, then went on to high school at Saint Leo High School, graduating in 1948. From 1950-52 he attended Loyola University in Chicago and Saint Mary's College in Winona, Minnesota but did not earn a degree at either institution as his discernment led him to the Dominican Order and the Province of Saint Albert the Great.

Joseph received the Dominican habit and began the novitiate on 30 August 1952 at Saint Peter Martyr Priory being received by Father Vincent R. Hughes, O.P., prior. He was given the religious name of Charles. One year later on 31 August 1953 he professed his first vows also at Saint Peter Martyr Priory in the hands of Father George Kinsella, O.P. He began his studies for the priesthood at the Dominican House of Studies (Aquinas Institute of Philosophy), River Forest, Illinois earning a B.A. in Philosophy in 1956. This same year on 31 August 1956 Father Patrick M.J. Clancy, O.P., received his solemn vows at Saint Thomas Aquinas Priory in River Forest.

Father Joseph was then assigned to Saint Rose Priory in Dubuque, Iowa, where he continued his studies in Theology. He was ordained to the priesthood there on 23 May 1959 by Archbishop Leo Binz. The next year, known as the "young dad," year was spent in Dubuque as he completed his studies. His first assignment was in Kansas City, Missouri living at Holy Name Parish and working as a chaplain at Queen of the World Hospital and teaching part-time at Avila College in Kansas City, Missouri and Saint Mary's College in Xavier, Kansas.

Teaching English at Fenwick High School in Oak Park, Illinois was his next assignment from 1964-78, which he enjoyed very much. Over the years, Father Fogarty also earned the following degrees: 1970 an M.A. in English from DePaul University; 1979 an M.A. in Religious Studies from Providence College and in 1984 an M.A. in Liturgical Studies from the University of Notre Dame.

For one year, 1979-80, he taught Religious Studies at Edgewood College in Madison, WI, then was associate pastor of Saint Philip Parish in Bemidji, Minnesota for a short time. From 1981-84 he was the chaplain for the Dominican Sisters in Grand Rapids, Michigan. For the next four years (1984-88) he lived at Saint Albert the Great Priory in Minneapolis, Minnesota and was involved in a variety of ministries in the hospital and parishes. He then moved to the Diocese of Gary in Indiana and was the Diocesan Director of the Office of Liturgy from 1988-92. For the next year he was chaplain for the Dominican Nuns at Blessed Sacrament Monastery in Farmington Hills, Michigan before moving to the "Mound" and serving as chaplain for the Dominican Sisters Congregation of the Most Holy Rosary in Sinsinawa, Wisconsin for six years (1994-2000). He was called back to parish ministry and served as parochial vicar at Saint Gertrude Parish in St. Clair Shores, Michigan from 2000- 03.

In 2003 he was transferred to Saint Pius V Priory in Chicago on limited service. His health being good he moved to Springfield, Illinois where he lived and worked on a limited basis at the Dominican Sisters Motherhouse there for a year. Then he relocated to Blessed Sacrament Priory in Madison, Wisconsin and lived there remaining on limited service. As his health continued to decline it was more difficult to maneuver stairs, so he was transferred back to the Assisted Living Center at Saint Pius V Priory in Chicago in 2011 where he lived for several years before being admitted to Resurrection Life Center nursing facility.

Over the next year at Resurrection Life Center, his health continued to decline until his peaceful death on 26 January 2016. Services were held at Saint Vincent Ferrer Church in River Forest, Illinois on Saturday, January 30, 2016. Mass of Christian Burial was at 10:00AM preceded by Sung Morning Prayer at 9:00AM. Several relatives attended, however his sister, Mary, in California, to whom he was very close, was unable to travel for the funeral services. Father James V. Marchionda, O.P., Prior Provincial, presided and Father Richard LaPata, O.P., his classmate, preached. Funeral arrangements were handled by Smith-Corcoran Funeral Home. He was buried in the Dominican Section at All Saints Cemetery in Des Plaines, Illinois.