Top reinsman, Joe Marsh Jr., dies at age 82

Joe Marsh, Jr., one of harness racing's top drivers from the "glory days" of harness racing, passed away peacefully on June 27 after a long illness. He was 82-years-old.

Born on June 20, 1934 at Cadiz, Ohio, Joe Marsh, Jr. followed in the footsteps of his father, beginning as a groom in 1952, and entering the driving ranks in 1959, when he batted .316 against all other North American drivers, placing him 12th in the nation.

He soon became one of the leading drivers on the continent, competing at Roosevelt, Yonkers, Liberty Bell, Washington Park, Hazel Park, Wolverine, The Meadows, as well as Sportsman's Park, Maywood, Aurora Downs and Hollywood Park.

Marsh Jr. and his son Ron Marsh share membership in the "5,000 win club" as the only father-son driving team in harness racing history to achieve that elite status.

Joe drove 5,882 winners to the tune of $36,401,271, and also had the longest streak (35 years) of driving at least 100 winners per season, from 1960 through 1994, and from1978-1992 had consecutive one million-dollar plus seasons. Some of his top horses include: Careless Time, Tarport Hap, Sir Dalrae, Follow That Star, Rambling Willie, Jiffy Boy and Pacific Dream.

Marsh also held the distinction of being the first American driver to win the World Driving Championship in 1974. He also represented the U.S. in 1973, 1974, 1975 & 1987, and over the years won driving titles in Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Michigan. In fact, he won nine consecutive driving titles at all Chicago area racetracks from 1971through 1973, and as a result of that was voted 1973 Horsemen of the Year by Harness Horseman International.

Besides steering racehorses in California, Florida, New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, Joe drove in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Europe. From 1972-1973 Joe finished second to Herve Fillion in North American dash wins, and was also voted Chicago Driver of the Year in 1972.

Marsh captured numerous stakes races, and trained and/or drove some of the top horses in the country in some of harness racing's major events for five decades. He won seven American National events and finished third in the Little Brown Jug once.

Marsh was proceeded in death by his wife Marge, and is survived by his sisters Donna Dusseau and Patricia Snide and four sons: Ronnie, Ed (Maureen), Robert (Niki), & Dan, and a daughter, Susie Litchfield (Jay). He is survived by grandchildren Deadra, Brad, Ryan, Tara, Chris, Frankie, Eric and Adam; and great-grandchildren include Brooke, Brandon, Mackenzie, Eddie, Logan and Cadence.