Max W. Daniels

Max W. Daniels died November 1, 2020 in Wall Township, New Jersey.  Max W. Daniels was born on October 14, 1917 to Gratten and Bertha Daniels in Shelby, North Carolina.

When Max was 6 years old, he was baptized by Rev. O. J. Allen in the Muddy Fork Creek in Cleveland County, North Carolina.  Max attended Bangs Ave. Grammar School and Asbury Park High School.  He became a member of the Royal Buddies where he played baseball and basketball.  Later in his 20’s, Max Daniels married Marion Dickerson and they had one daughter, Anita.

In 1943, Max was drafted into the United States Marine Corp.  His Platoon was stationed at Montford Point, North Carolina during World War II.  He was honorably discharged from the US Marine Corp in 1946.

In 1956, Max Daniels became Post Commander of the American Legion Post #266 and was able to arrange for the United States Congressman Adam Clayton Powell to come to speak to the post members.

In 1981, Max retired from the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Department after becoming the first Civil Service African-American lieutenant in that department.

Max Daniels was an active member of the Montford Point Marines Chapter #1 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 

On June 27, 2012, Max Daniels received the Congressional Gold Medal as a Montford Point Marine.

Max Daniels is survived by his daughter, Anita Clark, son-in-law, James E. Clark, Jr.,  his grandson, James E. Clark, III (Marlean), his granddaughter, Deanna Owens (Tony), his great grandchildren, Tony Owens, Jr., Christopher Owens, Christina Owens, Brian Clark and James E. Clark, IV, his aunt Ruby Oates, his nephews, Laurence Downey, Ronald Daniels, Gregory Downey, and Kevin Downey, his niece Suzanne Carrington and his cousins, The Rev. Bernard D. Oates and Fred Oates, Jr.

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