Joseph “Joe” Carl Dawidziak, long-time Redondo Beach resident, passed away on May 27, 2025 in Long Beach, CA, following open heart surgery.<br><br>Joe, the eldest of five children born to Claire and Joseph Dawidziak, was born August 16, 1946 in Huntington, NY. After graduation from Harborfields High School (’64), he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. He was assigned to Marine Barracks in Washington, D.C., where he participated in ceremonies, parades, funerals and security details for President Lyndon Johnson at Camp David.<br><br>Having joined the Marines to become a warrior in defense of his country, Joe requested a transfer to Vietnam. He was deployed to Vietnam in 1966, serving one combat tour. After separation from active duty in 1968, he completed a long, productive career in the Marine Corps Reserve, retiring in 2003 as a highly decorated CWO 4.<br><br>During the 1970s and 1980s, Joe was employed as a Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriff, an investigator for the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office and a private investigator.<br><br>Joe married Ann Maloney in 1983; their daughter, Claire, was born in 1987. Joe was a devoted husband, father and family man.<br><br>In 1991, Joe was elected to the Redondo Beach City Council. He remained active in municipal affairs, serving on the Redondo Beach Charter Review Commission in 2003.<br><br>Joe is survived by his wife, Ann; daughter, Claire; son-in-law, Kyle Pretsch; sister, Jane Dawidziak NY; brother, Michael Dawidziak (wife, Pam) NY; brother, Mark Dawidziak (wife, Sara) OH, and many other family members.<br><br>A funeral Mass for Joe will be celebrated at 1:00 pm on Saturday, June 28, 2025 at St. Lawrence Martyr Church, 1900 S. Prospect Ave, Redondo Beach, CA 90277.<br><br>In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to Wounded Warrior Project, Rottweiler Rescue of Los Angeles, or the charity of your choice.<div></div><br>