Donald Benjamin Maddox, age 71, passed away on December 20, 2024, in Port St. Joe.

Donnie was born to David Benjamin and Sara Duke Maddox on January 26, 1953, in Port St. Joe, the third of four children. He was predeceased by his parents and nephew, Jonathan P. Pierce, and is survived by his immediate family members: Charlotte Maddox Pierce, David C. Maddox, Eva Maddox Davis and her husband Cecil and their daughters, Katherine Davis and Ashleigh Davis Vargas, and his best friend and special family friend, Beverly Beard Maddox.

Donnie grew up in St. Joe and enjoyed the simple pleasures of small town life – riding his bike all around town, being in Cub Scouts, playing Little League Baseball, and participating in church activities. He especially enjoyed spending time at his grandparents’ home on the Bay where he and his friends rode horses, played with their many animals, explored sea life in the Bay, and fed their cows on the Cape.

Donnie was a very talented musician who played trombone in the high school band where he served as band captain his senior year. He attended the Florida State University Summer Music Camp in high school to further his musical skills. Although he managed to avoid taking formal piano lessons through many creative efforts, he was a gifted pianist who played the piano for enjoyment and composed music. Donnie also played the piano and keyboard in local bands with his friends.

He graduated from Port St. Joe High School in 1971 and from Marion Military Institute, Marion, Alabama, in 1973, where he was a member of the White Knights Precision Drill Team. One of Donnie’s more ambitious undertakings was to swim across St. Joe Bay in September 1987 to raise funds for the Muscular Dystrophy Marathon. He trained daily, and accompanied by his friends in a support boat, accomplished his goal. He also was a member of the local Jaycees and enjoyed working with their community projects.

In his professional life, Donnie worked in the offshore oil and gas exploration industry in the Gulf of Mexico, California, and the Sinai Peninsula. After retirement, he returned to his home town and the company of family and friends with whom he was raised.

Visitation and services will be held at the Holly Hill Cemetery Pavillion on Monday, January 6, 2025. Visitation will begin at 1:00 p.m. EST followed by a service at 2:00 p.m. EST.