Joseph William Marx

Lieutenant-Commander (Ret.) Joseph William Marx, age 60, of Ft. Walton Beach, FL., died Friday, April 12, 2019 at home after a long battle with cancer.  Joe was born on August 8, 1958 in Fort Wayne, IN.  Upon graduation from George Washington University in 1981, he received his commissioning through Aviation Officer Candidate School, Pensacola as a Naval Flight Officer in the United States Navy.  Joe served on the U.S.S. John F Kennedy during Desert Storm as an Assistant Navigator, and also at Headquarters Norad U.S. Space Command, Colorado Springs, CO.  He earned his Master’s in Systems Engineering from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and later served as an Aviation Engineer.  After retiring from the Navy, Joe worked as a system engineer for Lucent Technologies, and then went on to teach middle school and high school math, science, and Bible for 17 years.  He loved spending time with his children and grandchildren, and especially enjoyed sailing, hiking, fishing, camping, and being near the water.  A man of great faith in God, he enjoyed teaching Sunday school, and mentoring others to walk in trust of the Lord.  Joe is survived by his wife of 37 years, Kelly, and their four children: McLain (David), Ryan, Joseph, and Amy; three grandchildren, Bradley, Sara, and Katie; his mother, Janet Marx; his four brothers, Kurt (Jacinta), Steve (Christy), Tony (Susan), and Michael; stepmother, Bev Marx, and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.  He is preceded in death by his father, James Marx.  A visitation will be held this Saturday, April 20, 2019 at 1:30 P.M. at Emerald Coast Funeral Home 161 Racetrack Rd. NW, Ft. Walton Beach, FL 32547 followed by a service at 2:00 P.M.  Interment will take place at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date.  

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