Edward Marlin Defoor

Edward Marlin DeFoor passed away on December 30, 2014 at age 76. He was born in Birmingham, Alabama and moved to Jacksonville, Florida at around the age of three. His life was fascinating. Only a bit can be mentioned here. He once said he believed he has worn someone’s uniform for most of his life. There was the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts, Civil Air Patrol, U.S. Marine Corps, Florida Wildlife Officer and Jacksonville Police Officer. While in the Marine Corps he was assigned to an engineer unit in Orlando, Florida where he taught explosive demolitions. He and two of his marine buddies took leave from the Marine Corps and went on a Soldier of Fortune Expedition to the jungles of South America. They traveled 900 miles in a dugout canoe ending up on the Amazon River at Leticia, Colombia. Deciding it was a great experience, but not a great life, they returned to the United States. He loved the out-of-doors and got a job working with Game Biologists with the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission. As an accomplished photographer and artist, he soon became Chief of their Audio-Visual Section where he produced artwork, photos, and films for their Information and Education Officers. He also did the artwork for several billboards. He then returned to Jacksonville and went to work for the Sheriff’s office, where after 25 years there he retired. During his time there, he became an Evidence Technician and later a Bomb Technician and Arson Investigator assigned to the Intelligence Unit. He had peripheral duties of monitoring cults, sects and deviant movements. He instructed at the police academy to recruits and veteran evidence technicians in bomb related subjects. For several years, he was the only Bomb Technician the Sheriff’s Office had. He said, over the years he lost count of how many bombs he disarmed, but it was about two or three homemade bombs per year. The bulk of call-outs were to military munitions or hoaxes. He later got a partner, John Sheddan, who helped lighten the load. He was a Life Member of the International Association of Bomb Technicians and investigators. He produced a Florida Chapter News Bulletin for them. He was qualified as an expert witness in Bomb Technology in County, State and Federal Courts. He was a member of many organizations, a life member in most. They include: The American Legion Post 88; Benefactor and Golden Eagles Member of the National Rifle Association of America; Ionic Lodge 101 Free and Accepted Masons; Scottish Rite F. & A.M., S.J.; Morocco Temple of Shriners International; Fraternal Order of Police; Retired and Disabled Police of America and Retired City Employees of Jacksonville. In his later years, Ed was disabled and had difficulty getting around. He was attended by a devoted care giver, T.J. Davis, who saw to it that in his waning years, he was made more comfortable. They became very close friends during these years. Ed was not only a patriot, but a humanitarian as well. He loved animals and he donated to the A.S.P.C.A. Being a veteran himself, he also donated to Wounded Warrior Projects. He also gave generously to his two favorite projects, The Masons and The NRA. There were other philanthropies he gave to; however he preferred they remain private. He was a kind and generous man. His friends will miss him dearly. He is survived by his son, Jon Wade DeFoor who resides in Jacksonville. At his request there will be no funeral. His remains will be cremated and along with his mother and father’s ashes buried along-side his grandfather, Joseph Marlin DeFoor’s grave located in Morrow, GA. It is a Masonic Memorial to the male members of this branch of the DeFoor family, who reportedly migrated from France to America shortly before the revolutionary war and settled here in the south.