Joseph L. Markley

Mishawaka-Joseph L. Markley, 94, passed away peacefully despite his battle against Covid-19.Born April 14, 1926, in New Castle, PA, he was the son of the late Maurice and Reggie (Kline) Markley. Four older sisters preceded him in death: Eleanor Gelfand, Helen Kohane, Betty Rosenberg, and Ruth Sevel.On April 1, 1951, Joe married the love of his life, Ruth Edelstein, with whom he celebrated 66 wonderful years before she passed in 2017. Left to cherish his memory are two daughters, Harmony Bentosino of Kapolei, Hawaii and Sandra (Danny) Levine of Mishawaka; and two grandchildren, Elizabeth Levine and Melissa (Joseph Gresham) Levine, both of Chicago.Joseph was a loving and devoted husband, father and grandfather. He was a hardworking man full of honesty and integrity. He had a great sense of humor even in his 90s. Even near the end of his life, he was cracking jokes with the nurses who were attending him.Joe served our country, driving a tank in Austria under the command of General Patton from 1944 -1947, when he was honorably discharged. Joe earned a bachelor’s degree from Lebanon Valley College. He returned to New Castle where he owned and operated the State Theater. Later, he and Ruth moved to Pittsburgh and attended Temple Emanuel. Joe was a devoted family man who cooked dinner regularly, did all the family shopping, and cared for his children. Joe worked as a salesman in the banking equipment industry. He realized that people of color were often unfairly treated by the local banks, and he was instrumental in getting a World Bank to open in Pittsburgh to address that need. Joe welcomed Sandra’s husband Danny into the family as a son. They moved to Houston when Joe was transferred and resided there for 10 years. They moved again, this time to New Orleans. They grew to love NOLA. They loved hosting visitors and showing them the sights. They invited their two grandchildren to visit independently, every year. The couple evacuated for Katrina and returned afterwards with steely determination to help the city recover. Joe was a regular attendee at religious services at Touro Synagogue. Ruth and Joe loved to travel. They went all over the world, visiting Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa. In 2011, the couple moved to South Bend, IN, to be close to their daughter Sandra. Joe became a regular service-goer at Temple Beth-El. Joe welcomed Missy’s husband Joey into the family as the grandson he had never had. Joe’s favorite hobby was going to the 4 Winds casino. He had a nice habit of winning more than he lost.The family gives heartfelt thanks to the wonderful staff at both Primrose Retirement Community and the Center for Hospice for their tender care and affection.Private Graveside services will be held on Friday, November 27, 2020 at Hebrew Orthodox Cemetery. The funeral will be recorded with Zoom.In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Temple Beth-El, 305 W. Madison St. South Bend, IN 46601, or to the Jewish Federation of St. Joseph Valley, 3202 Shalom Way, South Bend, IN 46615.Join Zoom Funeral meeting at 1pm Friday.
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