Joe "Marc" Marchant

Joe “Marc” Marchant, 67, of Monroe, formerly of Tifton, passed away on Wednesday, June 3, 2020, at Park Place Nursing and Rehab Center of Monroe, Georgia.

A private funeral service will be held at Albritton Funeral Directors with Dr. Todd Ware and Rev. John Gibbs, Jr., officiating. A eulogy will be given by his brother-in-law Rick Gove.  The burial will be Saturday, June 6, 2020 at 5:00 P.M. in Oakridge Cemetery and the community is invited to attend and practice social distancing.   Pallbearers will be nephews.

Known as Marc, he was born September 17, 1952 in Tift County.  He was born with Down syndrome, a tough way to start life, but he had the good fortune to be born the son of Amos and Hazel Fletcher Marchant.  They loved him, provided for him and fiercely protected him all of their days.  Every day Marc sat in a big recliner in the den watching TV and forming architecture with dominoes and playing cards.  He often raided the pantry and refrigerator when no one was around.  He rode to town each day with his dad, Amos to get a treat at the Dairy Queen and visit Tifton shopkeepers.  Almost everyone had a gift or gimmick ready for him. Marc was a longtime member of Zion Hope Baptist Church.

Life was good, but his world of dominoes, playing cards and sweet treats crumbled in 1992, when his mother died of complications from open heart surgery.

He lived for a year with his father Amos with lots of assistance from his brother Johnny and especially his sister-in-law Martha, to whom Marc became very attached.

In 1993, Marc moved to Monroe, Ga. to live with his sister Dianne and her husband Rick.

Marc began a new chapter of life, spending parts of weekdays at Unlimited Services in Monroe, an activity center for the developmentally challenged, where he learned arts and crafts, visited zoos and factories, attended movies and plays and even performed some assembly tasks for which he received compensation. His check was proudly displayed on the refrigerator for several weeks before it was cashed.

He belonged to a special Sunday school class at First Baptist Church of Monroe where he made new friends like himself.

He loved to watch TV from his easy chair and raided the pantry much like he did when he lived in Tifton.

Summers always featured trips to Panama City Beach with his brother, sister-in-law, nephews and nieces. Marc was the life of the party.

At other times, he’d visit his sister Suzanne, her husband Jerry, nieces and nephews for excursions near their home in Macon.

Marc spent the last three years of his life at Park Place Nursing Home in Monroe, where he was well-loved and often the center of attention because he was the only resident with Down syndrome. He also collected many hugs – preferably from the nurses!

It was a good life.  A life well lived.

Survivors include his sisters and brothers-in-law; Dianne and Rick Gove of Monroe, Suzanne and Jerry Boyd of Macon, and his brother and sister-in-law Johnny and Martha Marchant of Tifton along with his nieces, great nieces, nephews and great nephews; Jennifer and Keith Cromartie, Fletcher and Mary Wallace, Jay “Todd” and Nathalia Gleaton, Olivia Gleaton, Jeffery Gleaton, Matthew and Brittney Gove, Eleanor and Alexander Gove, Brooke and Durand Deal, Madeline Deal, SallyWryce Deal, Justin Marchant, Austin and Jessie Marchant, Paige and Jim Turner, Heather Obelgoner, Andrew Obelgoner, Matthew Obelgoner, Karrie Patrick, Brandon Yurak, Gentry Yurak, Corey Yurak, Travis Boyd, Lauren Boyd, Lindsey Boyd, Ryan Boyd, Jill Boyd, Shannon Patrick and Chloe Milner.

Albritton Funeral Directors is in charge of the arrangements.  You may sign the online guest register at www.albrittonfuneral.com.