Maj. Joseph “Joe” Nathaniel Toup, PhD, USAF (Ret.)

Maj. Joseph “Joe” Nathaniel Toup, PhD, USAF (Ret.) passed away on Sunday, December 8, 2024, at the age of 57.

Joe was born on February 2, 1967, in Salisbury, Maryland. He attended Cumberland County schools and graduated in 1986. After high school, Joe proudly enlisted in United States Air Force. During his military career, Joe rose through the ranks and was commissioned as an officer in 2001.

His love for aviation and commitment to service led him to earn an Associates in Applied Science in Avionic Systems Technology from the Community College of the Air Force in 1997, followed by a Bachelor’s in Management of Technical Operations from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 2001. Joe went on to earn a Master of Aeronautical Science from Embry-Riddle in 2008 before achieving his PhD in Business Administration from Trident University International in 2022.

In addition to his professional and educational pursuits, Joe had a special knack for working with his hands. He spent many weekends and evenings immersed in his projects fixing automobiles, building and repairing computers, and working on airplanes. In addition to his many passions, Joe loved being outdoors. He especially enjoyed fishing, hunting, camping, and going to the beach. Above all, Joe cherished the time spent with his loved ones.

Left to cherished his memory are his wife, Nora Toup; children, Val Luna and June Castellano; mother, Carolyn Raye Grunder-Gresham; brother, Jesse Gresham. Joe is also survived by his aunts and uncles, Bambi Grander and Kent Grander, Sandy Grunden and Cody Grunden, and his cousins, Alisha Foore and Jerrod and Brittany Belanger, as well as numerous extended beloved family members and friends.

Visitation will be Tuesday, December 17, 2024, from 11:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. at McCullough Funeral Home. A funeral service will immediately follow at 12:00 p.m. in the chapel of McCullough Funeral Home. Afterward, Maj. Joseph “JT” Nathaniel Toup, PhD, USAF (Ret.) will be laid to rest in Andersonville National Cemetery.

For friends unable to attend at this time, the service will be streamed live at https://www.youtube.com/@McCulloughFuneralHome via the McCullough Funeral Home’s YouTube page

Go to www.mcculloughfh.com to sign the Online Registry for the family. McCullough Funeral Home and Crematory has the privilege of being entrusted with these arrangements.