William “Joe” Bega, Jr., age 67, Inverness, FL passed away September 21, 2023 at Advent Health Center in Orlando.
Joe was born in Bloomington, IN on October 2, 1955 to the late William and Ruth (Sappenfield) Bega, Sr. and came to Florida in 1973 from Linton, IN. He proudly served our country in the U.S. Navy and was the owner and operator of Apopka Marine in Inverness for 42 years. He grew Apopka Marine to be a nationally recognized Yamaha marine dealership.
Left to cherish his memory is his wife of 48 years, Linda (Derewenko) Bega; his daughter, Janet Bega of Inverness; his sister, Carol Mullins of Bloomington, IN; 1 grandchild, Camryn and Linda’s parents George and Carol Derewenko of Inverness.
To say Joe loved the outdoors is an understatement. He enjoyed a lifetime of hiking, hunting, traveling, diving and fishing with his family and friends. Any hobby he took on, he did with great passion. Exotic family trips that spanned the world are a tradition that will be greatly missed. The last decade drew him to pursue a passion and hobby that not everyone understood, but they did get an education on it! He became dedicated to land conservation and reforestation based on rebuilding the longleaf pine ecosystem. He was committed to this project and he leaves behind big shoes for his family to fill in carrying on his legacy.
Joe was strong willed and stubborn at times, but he also had an enormous heart and wonderful sense of humor. He had a contagious zest for life and adventure. He was generous, loyal and brave. He was clever and full to the brim with knowledge gained through all of his life experiences. He will be remembered for all the heart he shared with his family and friends. He will be missed dearly.
There will be a Celebration of Life on Monday, October 2, 2023, Joe’s birthday, at The Swampwater Farm at The Cove from 5:00 – 8:00 PM. The address is 1242 South Cove Camp Road, Inverness, FL. Family and friends are cordially invited to attend and recall their memories of Joe and his family. The Chas. E. Davis Funeral Home With Crematory is assisting the family.
In lieu of flowers please make a monetary or nonmonetary donation in memoriam to Citrus United Basket https://citrusunitedbasketonline.org/donations.html
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