Joseph David Lorenz passed away Tuesday, November 1st, 2022, at his home in Crestview, FL after a

five-year battle with multiple myeloma. His family was gathered together, and Judy, his beloved wife of 32years, comforted him as he passed from this life to the next.

 

Joe was born October 5th, 1948, to Herman & Helen (née Shemerdiak) Lorenz in McKees Rocks, PA,

the youngest of three children. He spent his early life in and around McKees Rocks and Pittsburgh, PA,

before moving to Florida in 1966 to pursue his education. He earned his BBA in Accounting from the

University of Miami in 1970 and completed his Juris Doctorate at the University of Florida College of Law in 1973.

 

Joe was a dedicated member of the legal profession in Okaloosa and Walton Counties for 48 years, and

was honored to practice alongside his former partners and dear friends, Greg Lungstrum and Jack

Heflin. Among many other involvments, he was instrumental in the formation of the Family Mediation

Program for Okaloosa and Walton Counties as well the Ben Gordon Family Visitation Center, and served

as contract attorney for the Northwest Florida State College Board of Trustees from 1978 to 2012. He

believed in the importance of service to his community, and demonstrated that belief by volunteering his

legal expertise through many local and regional entities, including the Okaloosa-Walton Legal Aid

Corporation, Legal Services of North Florida, Okaloosa County Child Protection Team, and the Veterans

Consortium Pro Bono Program. As a result of his dedication and service, Joe received the Florida Bar

President's Pro Bono Service Award for the First Judicial Circuit in 1998 and again in 2017, recognizing

his exceptional pro bono work in domestic cases, and was recently recognized for outstanding

contributions to the legal community by the Okaloosa Bar Association through the Liberty Bell Award.

 

Joe further served his community through participation with the Historical Society of Okaloosa and

Walton Counties, the Fort Walton Beach Jaycees, Child Guardian's Inc., and Boy Scouts of America,

Troop 506, among others.

 

He was active in his church community at First United Methodist Church of Ft. Walton Beach through

worship, service on various committees, and participation in, and facilitator for, Disciple Bible Study. Joe

loved the youth of FWBFUMC and enjoyed volunteering as a parent leader. He often said he learned

more about Jesus from the young men in his group than they learned from him. He was a leader on

multiple out-of-state and local mission trips with the FWBFUMC youth group.

 

In February 1999 he made his Walk to Emmaus and was forever changed through a personal encounter

with the risen Christ. He was an active member of Beachside Emmaus/Chrysalis Community and Blue

Lake Emmaus/Chrysalis Community. He happily served as a speaker and as support staff and was

honored to be Lay Director of Chrysalis Flight #72 / Journey #21 and Blue Lake Emmaus Walk #223.

 

Joe loved spending time with his church family, golfing with the guys, and fishing the Blackwater River

with friends and family. Other than his relationship with Christ, nothing gave him more joy than his

children, Chris, Kathryn, and Olivia. He was devoted to helping them make their best lives, and passed

from this place knowing he had done his job.

 

Joe was preceded in death by his parents, Herman and Helen, and his beloved sister Kathryn Lorenz

Serapiglia. He is survived by his wife Judy, his brother Bob (Joann), his stepson Chris (Kathey), his two

daughters Kathryn (Taylor) and Olivia, and his grandson, Sidney, along with several nieces, nephews,

cousins and other extended family in Pittsburgh.

 

Our family would like to extend our sincere thanks, appreciation, and love to the members of the

FWBFUMC congregation for their never-ending love, support, and prayers; to the devoted doctors and

staff of Emerald Coast Cancer Center for their excellent care and kindness; to Dr. Fritz Van Rhee and

staff at the Myeloma Clinic in the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer institute at University of Arkansas for

Medical Sciences for their consistent dedication to Joe and his health; and, finally, to John and Kym Lang

who loved and cared for Joe as much as we did.

 

A memorial service will be held Saturday, November 5th, 2022, Ft. Walton Beach First United Methodist

Church. Visitation will begin at 1pm, and the service will begin at 2pm. Whitehurst Powell Funeral Home,

Crestview is in care of the arrangements. In lieu of flowers, please make donations in Joe's name to the

building fund of First United Methodist Church of FWB or Goodness Village via

www.goodnessvillage.org providing affordable extended housing for UAMS patients.

 

Arrangements are entrusted to Whitehurst Powell Funeral Home in Crestview. Guest book and condolences are available online at www.whitehurstpowellfuneralhome.com