Marez, Joe R.

Joe R. Marez

Services have been held.

Joe R. Marez died Monday, Dec. 15, 2003, of complications from a heart attack.

He was born Sept. 27, 1931, in Encino.

He joined the U.S. Army when he was 16 and fought in the Korean War. He was wounded in the Battle of Chipyong-Ni and was given the Purple Heart and the Silver Star, family members said.

He later fought in Vietnam, where he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, they said, and he was awarded the Combat Infantryman’s Badge for both conflicts.

He retired from military service in 1968 and began another career at McNeil Island Correctional Facility, where he retired in 1995.

After his second retirement, he became Honorary First Sergeant and Acting Sergeant Major, B Company, First Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Marez, his wife, Elouise, and a daughter, Valerie.

Survivors include two daughters, Crestina, of Tacoma, Wash., and Tina Nystrom, of Olympia, Wash.; three sons, Mark, of Fontana, Calif., Anthony, of Vancouver, Wash., and Kevin, of San Diego, Calif.; two brothers, Jacob Marez Jr. (and wife Ally), of Portales, and Rosialio Marez (Tina), of El Paso, Texas; four sisters, Dolores Gutierrez (Adam), of Portales, Rita (Clyde), Diana Romero and Judy Fitzgerald (Larry), all of Clovis; several grandchildren; great-grandchildren; and many friends.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the 1st BN, 23rd Inf., Family Support Group, Fort Lewis, WA 98433.

Arrangements were by Mountain View Funeral Home and Memorial Park of Tacoma, Wash.