Joseph "Joe" Tulkoff

Joseph “Joe” Tulkoff, a longtime resident of Marietta, Georgia, passed away on January 27, 2026, at the age of ninety-six. Born May 28, 1929, in Ashland, Kentucky to Robert and Sophie Tulkoff, Joe’s industrious spirit was evident from the start. He graduated from Ashland High School as an ROTC officer in 1946 and continued his education at Ashland Junior College while serving inthe Kentucky National Guard. Joe worked a variety of jobs in his youth, none morecherished than as a deckhand an Ohio River steamboat. The now legendary Belle of Louisville, a National Historic Landmark built in 1914, still graces the river today—and Joe remained forever proud to be part of her enduring legacy. In 1948, Joe moved south to attend the Georgia Institute of Technology. In Atlanta, he met the love of his life, Marjorie Harris. The two were wed on January 11, 1951, beginning an extraordinary partnership of seventy-five years. Six months into theirmarriage, Joe began working as a manufacturing engineer at the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation. For the next two years, he balanced a full-time job on the swing shift with his studies at Tech—a testament to his characteristic drive—earning his bachelor’sdegree in industrial engineering in 1953. Joe enjoyed a distinguished thirty-eight-year career at Lockheed, retiring in 1989 as Director of Manufacturing Technology. He was a true pioneer of the industrial computer age, spearheading the development of manufacturing technologies that revolutionized the aerospace industry. A landmark achievement was GENPLAN, a first-of-its-kind generative process planning system. Ahead of its time, the system used early artificial intelligence to create shop floor work instructions and assembly plans to manufacture the world’s most advanced aircraft. Joe’s strategic vision and leadership saved Lockheed hundreds of millions of dollars and was instrumental in securing and sustaining multi-billion-dollar contracts for iconic aircraft, including the C-130 Hercules, C-141 Starlifter, and C-5 Galaxy. Joe became a global authority on manufacturing technology. Representing Lockheed, he advised the Department of Defense and NATO, delivered speeches to numerous organizations worldwide, and held leadership roles in professional societies and industry coalitions. Joe also served on Georgia Tech’s Industrial and Systems Engineering Advisory Board and instructed a graduate-level engineering course there. A highly decorated leader in his field, Joe was honored with the prestigious SME 1984Aerospace Manufacturing Award and earned the esteemed distinction of Fellow within the Institute of Industrial Engineers. After retiring from Lockheed, Joe’s "industrious spirit" never waned. He channeled his expertise into successful entrepreneurial ventures—his most enduring, partnering with a fellow retiree to develop specialized equipment for the bulk materials industry. Whether in a gold mine, a rock quarry, or on the tarmac of Hartsfield-Jackson airport helping construct its fifth runway, he thrived in these rugged environments, well into his eighties. Never far from his Lockheed roots, Joe remained active in the Lockheed Martin Retirees Association, enjoying the camaraderie at the weekly meetings and volunteeringalongside life-long friends. Joe was honored to lead the group’s ongoing support for theUSO Center at Hartsfield-Jackson. There, he and his fellow retirees took great pride inwelcoming thousands of traveling U.S. service members with genuine hospitality and heartfelt gratitude. For all his professional triumphs, Joe’s greatest legacy is his family. He was a man of deep devotion, predeceased by his daughter, Debbie Petree, and his brothers, Myer and Milton. He is survived by his beloved wife of seventy-five years, Marjorie; his children, David Tulkoff and Carolyn (Tom) Mergens; and his sister, Zelda Cheifetz. His memory will be cherished by his grandchildren, Laurie McLaughlin, Hank (Stephanie) Petree, and Lindsey Tulkoff; his great-grandchildren, Max, Kathryn, Agnes, and Jackson; and many cherished nieces and nephews. Family and friends are invited to a Celebration of Life on March 22 at 1:00 pm in the Joe Mack Wilson Ballroom of the Marietta Hotel & Conference Center, 500 Powder Springs St, Marietta, GA 30064. A casual lunch will follow—a time to visit, share memories, and honor a truly well-lived life. For those planning to stay for lunch, please RSVP by March 18 to CelebrateJoe96@gmail.com. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Aviation History & Technology Center or USO Georgia, honoring Joe’s lifelong passions for flight and service.

Joseph "Joe" Tulkoff

May 28, 1929 - January 27, 2026