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Joseph Beebe Marvel, had illustrious career

April 24, 2017

Joseph Beebe Marvel, originally from Lewes, died Sunday, April 16, 2017, at the age of 77 years following a brief stay at Banner Baywood Medical Center in Mesa, Ariz. Joseph was born June 3, 1939, at Beebe Hospital, the same hospital that was co-founded by his grandfather and his grandfather's brother.

He is survived and missed by his wife of 45 years, Carolyn Marvel; son and daughter-in-law, Owen and Sigrid Marvel of Larchmont, N.Y.; daughter and son-in-law, Kimberly and Robert Mouton of Austin, Texas; and two beautiful granddaughters, Sienna and Marquesa. He is also survived by his brother, Dr. James P. Marvel Jr. of Lewes. He was preceded in death by his parents, Elizabeth Beebe and James P. Marvel.

Joe grew up in Newark. He later resided in both Brooklyn, N.Y., and Mesa, while visiting the Lewes area with his family throughout his lifetime.

He graduated from the University of Delaware with a degree in American Studies in 1961 as an Army ROTC Distinguished Military Graduate. It was there that he pledged the Kappa Alpha fraternity. After college, he completed basic training and intelligence school, later serving as a special agent in Army Intelligence in Iowa. Joe went on to obtain his master’s degree in education at Southern Illinois University in 1966, and was inducted into Phi Kappa Phi and Phi Delta Kappa.

Joe trained as a psychoanalyst, certified through the Alfred Adler Training Institute. His career employment began at NYU, where he worked as the head resident for men and assistant director of student activities. This was followed by 20 years as a registrar for the State University of New York Educational Opportunity Center in Brooklyn. He retired from the EOC only to begin working for St. Francis College in the registrar's office. And after retiring from SFC, he went on to work at Kingsborough College, where he worked until his passing.

He married Carolyn Ann Ellis in 1971 at the United Nations Chapel and went on to have two children and two grandchildren. He suffered a major heart attack in the fall of 1993 and made a remarkable recovery. Even in his final days, he was proud to remind everyone that he had 23 more years than was expected.

He loved to play both bridge and tennis. Joe would strike up a conversation with anyone on the street and loved to tell jokes at gatherings. He was a New Yorker through-and-through, and loved going all over the city to get his favorite treats, visit museums and gardens, and support the arts.

Of his Delaware days, he loved riding the waves at Cape Henlopen State Park, crabbing in Bethany Beach, family time at Funland, lazy Sundays at the bay in Lewes, lunch with his mother at the Captain’s Table, and much more.

Joe wished to be cremated. Carolyn will keep some of his ashes close by, and Joe always liked the thought of his ashes being scattered at Corfe Castle in the English Countryside. The family will host a celebration of his life in New York at Ethical Culture in May, a small celebration in Delaware later this summer, and a local ceremony in Mesa in the fall.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Joseph Marvel's name to the Brooklyn Botanical Garden 718-623-7200, Thirteen 212-560-6924, or a charity of your choosing.

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