Alexander Marek, 87, a resident of Gary, Indiana, passed away on October 16, 2023. He was born on May 12th, 1936, to Joseph and Sophia Marek in East Chicago, where he was raised until graduating from Roosevelt High School. After high school, Alex joined the United States Navy for 8 years beginning in 1954 as a petty officer where he met his dear friend Norm Elam. On June 7th 1957, he married the love of his life, Janice Drummond.

Alex dedicated thirty years of his life to Inland Steel working in mobile repair maintenance, until he finally ended that career path as a supervisor. He also obtained a Bachelor’s Degree from Purdue University.

Never being able to sit still, Alex was very active as a member of the Garfield Masonic Lodge in Highland Indiana. When not busy with that, he was a passionate Boy Scout Leader, creative and handy wood worker, mechanic of cars, and an avid camper where many years were spent at Broken Arrow Campground in Winamac. His selfless acts didn’t end there as he was also involved in the Methodist church as a missionary and helped to build houses in Louisiana. He also loved to uphold Polish and family traditions, carve the turkey every Thanksgiving, watch the 5 o’clock news, and go to the grocery store twice a week to get the newspaper.

His family obsessed over his homemade apple pancakes, his silly jokes, and his endless stories of the adventures he had gone on in his lifetime. If you were ever lost, you could rely on his picture-perfect memory which was better than any map could direct you. His favorite foods were hot dogs and potato chips, but it was more likely you would see him with a hot cup of coffee with light cream and two teaspoons of sugar because he liked it sweet.

Above all, his greatest passion and love was for his family.

Alexander is survived by his devoted wife of over 66 years, Janice Marek; his sister, Patricia (Jerry) Vogelsang; and three children: Alan Marek, Lisa Marek, and David (Cathy) Marek. He also leaves behind three grandchildren: Adam Bigger, Alexandria Marek, and Sarah (Aaron) Kaniuk.