Former Marietta Mayor Joe Matthews passed away Sunday. Matthews, a lifelong Marietta native, served in the United States Marine Corps from 1956 to 1958. After returning home, he joined the Marietta Fire Department in 1966. And was named Firefighter of the Year in 1989. He retired from the department in 1990 after 24 years of service. Current Marietta Mayor Josh Schlicher talked about the legacy left behind by Matthews.

 "It was always said that Joe knew everyone's name in town, their families, and their cousins. He was definitely a character in town who was positive for everyone. I don't know anyone that I've ever encountered who hasn't had anything good to say about Joe. You know, he's just always had a positive impact on the community."

In November 1991, Matthews was elected the 54th mayor of Marietta. He served five terms over two stents from 1992 to 2003 and later returned to the role from 2012 through 2019, making him the city's longest-serving mayor. Matthews was praised for his community service, receiving multiple honors, including "Community Leader of the Year" in 1995 and "Citizen of the Year" in 2011.