Latvis, Joseph Francis, born on July 24, 1917 in Lawrence, Massachusetts and died on September 7, 2011 in Plant City, Florida. Faithful son of Frank and Tefilia Latvis and brother to Aldona and John, he served his nation and the cause of freedom courageously in the U.S. Navy for 23 years. His distinguished military service spanned WW II in the perilous Pacific and North African Theaters, for which he was highly decorated. He married his beloved wife Melba Marline Herman on December 8, 1945 and raised two loving sons, Joseph Michael and Paul Peter. Daughter-in-law Nancy Ingersoll Bullen became the daughter they cherished as their own. Following his retirement from the Navy as a chief petty officer in 1958, he was employed as an expediter with Raytheon Missile Systems Division in Andover, Mass. Melba and Joe both retired from Raytheon in 1982 whereupon they relocated to Plant City to join their sons, who had previously homesteaded in the Tampa Bay area. The honorable life of Joseph Francis Latvis will be memorialized in a military ceremony on September 21, 2011 at 1:30 pm at the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, Florida. His devoted wife of 65 years, a singer with the USO throughout WW II, will recite the Navy Hymn in homage to this unassuming heroic figure. His personal legacy will be cherished in the hearts and minds of his adoring family and the many friends he fostered who recognized his quiet strength of character and genuine wishes for the best in life to all he met. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Heart Association, the Alzheimer's Association, or the charity of your choice.