Joe Lee Marcoux December 15, 1927 to December 28, 2019 Loving, Faithful, Confident, Optimistic, Friendly, Happy
Known as Joe Lee in his youth, he was the son of William and Clara Marcoux. Joe grew up and graduated High School in the small wheat farming town of Okeene, OK. As a boy he earned the Eagle Scout Award and camped at the Philmont Scout Ranch shortly after it was established. He played the trumpet and dreamed of being the next Harry James. He was also interested in photography and learned to develop and print his own pictures. Following high school graduation, Joe enlisted in the Army and was stationed at Fort Monmouth in New Jersey. Joe and his fellow G.I.s explored New York City on weekend leave. He loved to tell about experiencing the wonders of New York City from the perspective of a small town boy from Oklahoma. Joe served in the United States I Corp 8th Army in Japan at the end of WWII. During his service he was trained for the signal corp and played in the Army Band.
When he returned home from Japan, he married Jimsey Lou Baldwin of Enid, OK in December 1947. Joe loved to tell his family the story of how he and Jimsey met, fell in love and married. Joe and Jimsey raised a family of six children while living in Enid Oklahoma, Fort Smith Arkansas, Bartlesville Oklahoma and Tulsa Oklahoma. They celebrated their 60th Wedding Anniversary with their entire family at the McBirney Mansion in Tulsa, OK. Joe said goodbye to his beloved wife Jimsey in 2008 when she passed away from illness.
Joe managed rail freight for the Frisco Railroad and Cities Service Oil Company during the first half of his career. In 1962 he studied for and earned a license to practice Interstate Commerce Commission law. Later in his career he worked as a computer systems analyst and retired from Cities Service Oil Company in 1982.
Joe headed the Tulsa Area Catholic Committee for Scouting, helping boy and girl scouts develop a deeper appreciation of their faith. He was recognized by the Boy Scouts of America with the Silver Beaver Award for over 50 years of Service. Joe loved taking his family and members of Tulsa Boy Scout Troop # 81 on hiking and camping trips to the Rocky Mountains. He had a lifelong interest in vegetable gardening and late in life, his garden was one of his greatest joys. Joe also had an interest in the stock market and liked to research companies for investment opportunity. Joe and Jimsey were long time members of Saint Pius X Catholic Church. Joe was known to his grandchildren and great grandchildren as "Papa Joe". Late in life he was cared for by his loving son Joe W. Marcoux making it possible to live in his own home.
Preceded in death by: wife Jimsey Baldwin Marcoux of Tulsa; daughter Jeanine Standlee of Rye, CO; sisters Jean Burrows of Oklahoma City, OK and Maureen Horstketter of St. Louis, MO; and brother William H. Marcoux of Enid, OK.
Survived by: son Jim Marcoux and his wife Debbie of San Marcos, TX; son Mike Marcoux and his wife Karen of Katy, TX; son Joe W. Marcoux and his wife Amy of Tulsa; son Robert Marcoux and his wife Charlotte of Tulsa; son Paul Marcoux and his wife Tara of Tulsa; son-in-law Norm Standlee of Rye, CO; twelve grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren.
Joe loved God and his family above all else. His strong faith in God sustained him throughout life. He often told his family, "I feel like I and the luckiest man on Earth". He is also remembered as saying "my dear wife Jimsey is my greatest blessing". He often told us that he saw goodness in each member of his family and we should always believe in our own goodness. In tough times he told us "all one needs to do is the best they can and then just put your faith in God".
Dad never drew attention to his many accomplishments. He always said that everything good in his life was because of his dear wife Jimsey. How wonderful it is that they are together again in heaven.