Joseph William Negley

Joseph William Negley, 75, of Suwanee, Georgia passed away on Sunday, February 24, 2013 following a brief fight with cancer. Joe was born March 5, 1937 in North Versailles Township, Pennsylvania, the only child of Joseph Marko (Meglai) Negley and Elizabeth Ellen Ecker Negley. Joe was preceded in death by his wife of 53 years, Twanda Darlene Sloan Negley, who passed away in July of 2011. Joe will be deeply missed by his loving family including his four sons, Joseph L. Negley and his wife Debbie of Cumming, Georgia, Cary D. Negley and his wife Bettie of Savannah, Georgia, Eric W. Negley and his wife Beverly of Suwanee, Georgia, Michael W. Negley and his wife Rebel of Birmingham, Alabama. He is also survived by ten grandchildren: Madison and Joey of Cumming, Georgia, Mary Elizabeth, Carolyn, Carrie, and Michelle of Savannah, Georgia, Jeremey and his wife, Michael, of Gainesville, Georgia, Sunni and her husband, Keelan Parrish, of Birmingham, Alabama, and five great grandchildren, Braelynn, Kinslee, and Callahan Negley, and Jodi and Amos Parrish. Joe is also survived by his cousin, Pauline Ross of Washington State. Joe grew up in Pennsylvania, graduating from Turtle Creek High School in 1955. He attended Presbyterian College on a football scholarship and graduated in 1959. Joe served with distinction in the US Army in the Washington, D.C. area in a series of ordinance and intelligence postings. After discharge, Joe accepted a position with the US Postal Service in the division charged with deploying the first equipment to support automation of mail sorting. Joe accepted a position with A. B. Dick, and Company and over the course of almost twenty years rose through their leadership ranks holding a series of ever increasing important postings culminating as their National Sales Manager. His career entailed significant travel and constant relocations. One of these stops was Atlanta, Georgia. Joe, Twanda and the boys fell in love with Atlanta when they moved here in 1976, and though Joe's career would take him to other places, he would always find his way back to Atlanta. Joe's career continued with a series of senior executive positions at companies including Harris Corporation, Charles P. Young, Graphic Industries and many others. Though many of these positions carried national and international responsibilities, Joe chose to remain in Atlanta, commuting to New York and Chicago among other cities to fulfill his responsibilities. Joe was a proud booster of the Atlanta business community and was active in supporting it even after his retirement. Joe was a man of tremendous discipline and self-control. He prided himself on his career and his family. Joe loved jazz music, a properly made Manhattan, his family and traveling. A memorial service celebrating his life will be held Thursday, February 28, 2013 at 11:00AM at Parkway Presbyterian Church, 5830 Bethelview Road, Cumming, Georgia 30040. The family will be receiving friends starting at 10:00AM at Parkway on Thursday. In lieu of flowers, Joe has requested that remembrances be made to National Public Radio for their Classical/Jazz Music Division at Georgia Public Broadcasting, 260 14th Street NW, Atlanta, GA 30318. Joe and Twanda's remains will be inurned at Arlington National Cemetery at a future date.