Alexander J. Kotarba, 94, of Umatilla passed away on Monday, May 15, 2017. Born in Chicago, Illinois, and the son of Polish immigrants, he was one of six children. In his early teens he worked for the Civilian Conservation Corps in Wisconsin to help support his family. In 1940 he enlisted in the United States Navy, initially serving in the Pacific and in the North Atlantic. With the outbreak of war he saw action in the South Pacific, the Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea. After the conflict he was posted to Wallops Island Naval Air Station in Virginia where he met his first wife Lois Mariner. They were married in 1947. His last assignment was Chief Boatswain’s Mate on the Admiral’s ship in Tsingtao, China. This was the last port in China controlled by western interests before the communist takeover in 1949. Alexander and his new wife settled on Maryland’s Eastern Shore and raised two son. They were married for 43 years. He was employed as a metal craftsman and fabricated architectural details for many landmark buildings. Lois died from Alzheimer's disease in 1990. Alexander cared for her the last seven years of their marriage. In 1995 Alexander married Cheryl Burton Hartwell and later that year they moved to Umatilla Florida where he became a member of the Seventh Day Adventist Church. He is survived by his loving wife of 21 years: Cheryl Kotarba, Umatilla, FL; sons: Joseph (Louise) Kotarba, DE, Michael (Kathleen) Kotarba, MD; granddaughter: Amanda (Joseph) Maslak, Charlotte, NC; 2 great granddaughters: Gemma & Olivia Maslak, Charlotte, NC. A graveside service will be held at Florida National Cemetery on Friday, May 26 at 1:30 pm A Memorial Service will take place at the Umatilla Seventh Day Adventist Church on Sunday, May 28th at 2:30 pm