Joseph Mathias Roland

Joseph Mathias Roland, 73, passed away Thursday, November 7th doing what he loved--surfing the waves off Ponte Vedra Beach. A life-long resident of the Jacksonville Beach area, Joseph was born in Atlantic Beach on November 12th, 1950 to Mathias Roland and Rose Bradley Roland, the oldest of five children. At 13 he started surfing and fell in love with the sport. He traveled the United States and internationally, competing in surfing contests and leaving his mark on the surfing community. By 17 he won the East Coast Surfing Championship, and in 1998 he was inducted into the East Coast Surfing Hall of Fame. Joseph never stopped surfing, seizing any opportunity to ride the waves.

In his early twenties, while living in a tent on the beach in New Zealand, he had a spiritual experience that led him to Jesus Christ, a calling that would define the rest of his life. He was a founding member of EPIC Surf Ministries, ministered to inmates at Lawtey Correctional Facility, and served on the worship team at Beaches Chapel for many years. Joseph was a talented musician who played numerous instruments including the acoustic and electric guitar, violin, and flute, which he played in EPIC and at church services. Joseph held a BA in Political Science and a BS in Computer Science from the University of North Florida. In addition to his professional surfing career, he designed and sold surfboards, worked at his father’s seafood company, and spent 27 years as a software developer for the City of Jacksonville before retiring in 2016.

Joseph was hitchhiking one day after a surf session in 1974 when Jennifer Permenter spotted him near Atlantic Boulevard and picked him up. She quickly ran out of gas, so she gave him $5 and he walked a mile to the nearest gas station. After what felt like a long time he finally returned, gas can in tow, and they exchanged numbers. They married in 1978 and were together the rest of their lives.

Joseph was an extraordinarily kind, humble, gentle, and caring person. He had an infectious smile and a child-like sense of wonder. His lighthearted humor, dedication to his faith and curiosity about the world endeared him to everyone who knew him. He was an encyclopedia of meteorological information and could always tell you the latest buoy wave height measurement, tide times, and weather forecast models. He was a loving husband and the perfect dad. Although we grieve his passing, we know that he truly lived his life without regrets.

Joseph is survived by his beloved wife Jennifer Roland, and his son Nathan Roland. He’s also survived by his siblings Vincent, Brad(Priscilla), Paul Roland, and Laura(Albin) Koch; his siblings-in-law Nancy(David) Blake, Lisa(Steve) Travis, Jay(Stacey) Permenter, and David(Klara) Permenter; and his nieces and nephews Brandon Roland, Laine Roland, Ashley Des Enfants, Nell Roland, Kelly Smith, Laura Noah, Stephen Blake, Kristen Travis, Melissa Payne, Samantha Permenter, John Permenter, Ayla Permenter, and Zalan Permenter. A service to honor Joseph’s life will be held on Tuesday, November 19 at 10 am at Community Presbyterian in Atlantic Beach, with a paddle-out ceremony on Saturday, November 23.

In lieu of flowers, please designate memorial contributions to BEAM Headquarters at 850 6th Avenue South, #400, Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250 or at jaxbeam.org