Joe Henry Earman Sr., 84, died May 4, 2010.
He was born in Washington, D.C., and was a lifelong resident of Vero Beach. He enlisted in the Army Air Force at 17 and served in the Pacific Theater from 1942 until the end of the war.
Upon returning to Vero Beach after the war he worked for his father, Joe S. Earman, at the Indian River Citrus Bank. In 1949, he founded and was president of Earman Oil Co. until selling it in 1980.
He also served as president of Vero Beach Ice and Storage and Blue Crystal Water and Ice Co. He was founder of Vero Chemical Distributors and was part owner with Jim Coffey of the Interstate 95/State Road 60 Union 76 Truck Stop.
He also had other businesses throughout the Treasure Coast. In 1986, he served as general manager of the Wolf Laurel Golf and Ski Resort in Mars Hill, N.C. He was past president of the Vero Beach/Indian River County Chamber of Commerce and received the Jaycees Distinguished Service Award in 1959. He also was past president of the Florida Petroleum Marketers Association in 1968 to 1969, past president of the Wolf Laurel Property Owners Association and Blue Mountain Country Club and was past member of the Vero Beach Country Club.
He was the first director of the Indian River County Civil Defense and served during hurricanes and the Cuban Missile Crisis. He also served on the Indian River Memorial Hospital District Board of Trustees from 1966 through 1970, and was chairman for three of those years. From 1981 to 1989, he served on the Florida Inland Navigation District and served a term as its vice chairman.
He also was the former chairman of the Indian River County Democratic Executive Committee from 1977 to 1979. He served as a political adviser to Florida Gov. Reuben Askew from 1972 to 1980 and as an energy adviser to President Jimmy Carter.
He was one of the original founders of the 100 Club of Indian River County. He also was the founder of the Swine Club, a hunting club he established with friends at the Charles T. Scott Ranch in Okeechobee County. He attended Woodberry Forest Prep School in Virginia, Vero Beach High School, University of Miami and the University of Florida.
Survivors include his wife of 59 years, Gladys Holmes Earman; daughters, Mary Beth Waddell of Jensen Beach and Gail Frierson of Easley, S.C.; son, Joseph H. Earman Jr. of Vero Beach; sister, Georgeanne Russell of Ashland, Ky.; brother, William A. Earman of Vero Beach; six grandchildren; and one great-grandchild on the way.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimers/Parkinsons Foundation of Indian River County, 2300 Fifth Ave., Vero Beach, FL 32960.
A memorial service will be at 11 a.m. May 7 at the First United Methodist Church in Vero Beach, with the Rev. Richard Flick officiating.
Arrangements are by Thomas S. Lowther Funeral Home and Crematory in Vero Beach. A guest book is available at lowtherfuneralhome.com.
