Faith, family, and friends formed the foundation of Marlin Johnny Athearn’s life for 68 years. He passed away unexpectedly from a stroke on Aug. 20, 2025 at the Orlando VA Medical Center in Lake Nona, after a brief but serious illness. He was from New Smyrna Beach.
A native Floridian, Marlin was born Dec. 21, 1956, at the former Fish Memorial Hospital in New Smyrna Beach. He was the middle child of three children born to William Isaac and Juanita Marie Athearn. Marlin’s father was in the United States Navy and the young family lived in New Smyrna Beach for several years, then moved away; first to Rhode Island, then Kentucky, back to Orlando, Florida, and then to the island of Puerto Rico. As a youth in Puerto Rico, Marlin snorkeled, played in the island’s jungles, played Little League baseball, and swam on his school’s swim team. Marlin’s family later moved to Virginia, where he continued competing on school swim teams and enjoyed playing football with other kids. Marlin’s love of football grew as he did, and when he and his family moved back to New Smyrna Beach, he played positions on both offensive and defensive lines of the New Smyrna Beach Barracudas football team.
He graduated in 1976 from New Smyrna Beach Senior High School and earned a full football scholarship to The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, in Charleston. There, was position of center. Marlin graduated from The Citadel in 1980 and was commissioned into the United States Army as a Second Lieutenant, serving as a field artillery officer. He was stationed in Germany for three years and played on an Army rugby team. He was then transferred back to the United States and stationed at Fort Ord, a former Army base on Monterey Bay in California, where he served for five years. Marlin was honorably discharged as a Captain after eight years of military service and later attained the rank of Major in the U.S. Army Reserve. In addition, he graduated from the U.S. Army’s Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, after two years of study.
In 1988, Marlin began his second career as a Physical Education teacher and football coach in the Volusia County School System. He retired from that calling in December 2020, after teaching for 32 years.
In 1992, Marlin met his wife and love of his life, Donna, while she owned and operated a “floating galley” called South of the Mouth Café, anchored off the eastern end of Chicken Island and serving up hot food and cold drinks to hungry boaters. They began a close friendship that bloomed into a blissful marriage of 30 years. Marlin was passionate about teaching, whether it involved football, beekeeping, karate, fishing, diving, spear fishing or pickleball. He was an avid pickleball player and a member of the New Smyrna Beach Pickleball Club. He also earned a 2nd degree black belt in karate and took classes at the United Fighting Arts Federation’s annual International Training Conference and World Championships in Las Vegas, Nevada, which is associated with martial artist and actor Chuck Norris.
Along the way, Marlin established a successful dive business called South of the Mouth Underwater Services, in which he cleaned barnacles from a variety of recreational boats. He developed a love of bees and beekeeping, too, and became a Master Beekeeper after studying in the University of Florida’s Beekeeping Program. Marlin was one of the founding members of the Beekeepers of Volusia County club and previously served as its President. He and Donna were a familiar sight at local festivals and community events, marketing their local honeys and honey products.
Marlin and Donna joined Edgewater Alliance Church 10 years ago, and he taught adult classes on the Old and New Testaments there. He also facilitated the Men’s Breakfast Ministry and was a Church Elder and member of the Alliance Church governing board. During Marlin and Donna’s early years at Edgewater Alliance Church, they participated in educational ministry trips to Israel and Turkey called “Walking the Text” (of the Bible). It was during the trip to Israel that Marlin was baptized in the Northern Jordan River. That marked a turning point in his journey of faith, and he began teaching classes at the Alliance Church shortly after. In a video Marlin and Donna recorded this year to congratulate the church on its 50th anniversary, Marlin observed, “Fifty years is a long time. But I really appreciate it that Alliance Church has brought me from a sidelined Christian, to a teacher, and now an Elder. It is amazing.”
Marlin was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his wife Donna of New Smyrna Beach; son Adam of Deltona, Florida; brother Steven (Nancy) Athearn and sister Tina Athearn, both of Milton, Florida; cousin Robert (Barbara) Brown, of Jacksonville, Florida; and a niece, Samantha Smith of Tacoma, Washington.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Edgewater Alliance Church, 310 N. Ridgewood Ave, Edgewater, FL 32132. Checks should be made payable to the church and designated for “Marlin’s Fund.” An online giving option will be available as well, at https://edgewateralliance.churchcenter.com/giving, by clicking on the drop-down box and selecting “Benevolent Fund.” There will be an option to designate the donation for “Marlin’s Fund.” All contributions will go toward helping young ministers and students travel to Israel and Turkey and participate in future “Walking the Text” ministries.