Roll Call Tribute

Joe T. Maddux 

January 13, 1936 - March 14, 2025 

Joe T. Maddux passed away March 14, 2025. 

Joe Travis Maddux, “J.T.” was born January 13th, 1936 in Canyon, Texas. He grew up on a ranch with his parents and two sisters, tending to crops and cattle, and attending school. Joe’s early HAM radio hobby led him to pursue electrical engineering, and after high school he attended Texas A&M University, where he played the trombone in the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band Corps of Cadets, making lifelong friendships with a number of bandmates. He then studied at the University of Texas at Austin to receive his master’s degree in Electrical Engineering.

After college, Joe moved to the San Francisco Bay Area to work for Sylvania in Mountain View, where he met Karen Wiens. They had their first date on November 21st, 1963. They were engaged by February, and married on March 7, 1964. After a brief honeymoon, Joe left for the Middle East on assignment. It was 3 months before Karen was able to join him near Instanbul, Turkey, where they spent the first months of their marriage. Once Joe’s assignment was complete, they began their 2nd honeymoon, touring through Europe for a month, visiting the cities of Rome, Vienna, Frankfurt, Paris, and London, before returning home to Mountain View, California.

In 1964, Joe went to work for a small start-up company in Sunnyvale, called Electromagnetic Systems Laboratories, or “E.S.L.,” founded in part by future defense secretary William Perry. The company grew, and so did Joe’s family, with the arrival of son David in 1965, and daughter Amy in 1968. Joe moved his family from Mountain View to San Jose in 1968, where son Jeremy was later born in 1973.

Dedicated to his job but always the family man, Joe was involved with his kids at church, first teaching Eager Beavers, and later helping with Boys Brigade on Wednesday nights. He also spent many Sundays in the sound booth at his church, recording sermons and duplicating cassette tapes. Joe’s summers always included a family vacation to the mountains or the coast, either in the Ford station wagon, or later in the Ford van, pulling the travel trailer to favorite destinations at Pismo Beach, Mt. Lassen, Eagle Lake, Yosemite, and Big Trees State Park. There were also cross-country trips to Texas to see relatives, and a multi-state tour in the summer of 1982 through 9 western states. Joe loved hiking and camping, but no matter the destination, there was always one common activity. . .FISHING.

Always active and fit, Joe was a cyclist starting in the late 60s, telling stories of riding from Mountain View, up La Honda grade or Page Mill Rd to Skyline Blvd, and then flying down the descent, spun out in his biggest gear. He also was an avid runner, training during his lunch hour at the office. He and other fellow employees at ESL formed a team and competed against other tech companies in several Bay-to-Breakers races in San Francisco. Later he competed in several marathons, achieving a sub-3-hour personal best at the Paul Masson marathon in 1976.

In 1979, Joe and Karen wanted to escape the hustle and bustle of the Bay Area and decided to move their family to Arnold, in Calaveras County. Big Trees State Park was practically in their backyard. He continued to work at ESL, making the commute with friend and co-worker Max Frederick. He retired 1993, which led to cruises and more cross country car travel. Joe was a HAM radio buff for his entire life. 

Joe passed away peacefully at home in Angels Camp, California on March 14, 2025, surrounded by family, at the age of 89. He was preceded in death by his mother and father, Monroe and Opal Maddux, and his sisters, Betty Killebrew and Martha Maddux. Joe is survived by his wife, Karen Maddux, to whom he was married for 62 years; his children Dave (Allegra ) Maddux, Amy (Aaron) Ladd, and Jeremy (Michelle) Maddux, eight grandchildren, one great-grandchild, and many nieces and nephews and friends.