Mirko Marweg left Columbus for Atlanta more than 30 years ago. Even so, his ties to the New Hope area and Mississippi remained strong, said his son, Andre Coleman.
Marweg, 58, was one of two Delta Airlines maintenance mechanics who died early Tuesday morning near the Atlanta airport when a tire that was being disassembled exploded.
The horrific explosion left his body unrecognizable. It was a token of his connection to Mississippi that was used to identify Marweg – a Mississippi State lanyard Marweg wore with his work credentials.
“I guess you could say dad was a different kind of dog,” Coleman said. “You know, it’s all Georgia Bulldogs around here, but dad was a Mississippi State Bulldog and was proud of it.”
Marweg was born in Germany, but after his mother married Percy Gibson, a soldier stationed in Germany, the family moved to New Hope.
“I’m not sure how old (Marweg) was when he came here, but he was probably 8 to 10 years old,” Coleman said. “He always considered (New Hope) his hometown.”
Marweg graduated from New Hope High School in 1984, then served four years in the U.S. Air Force. He returned to Mississippi to study at Mississippi State.
“He still has a lot of family (in Mississippi), including two children from his first marriage, Morgan and Mercedes,” said Coleman, who graduated from Columbus High School but now lives in Georgia. “He got remarried to my mom, Scottie. So he has relatives from our family still in Mississippi, too.”
Scottie and Mirko had been married for 28 years at the time of his death.
Coleman described his relationship with his father as close.
“I live in Lithonia and he lived in Stone Mountain, which is pretty close, so we did get to spend time with each other,” Coleman said.
The father and son bonded over working on engines, including Coleman’s motorcycle.
“My dad could fix anything,” Coleman said. “Some people just have natural instincts for that and are mechanically inclined. They just know what to do. Other people have to be taught. My dad was the first type, but I didn’t get that from him. I had to be taught, and dad taught me just about everything.”
Marweg had mentioned to his son that he was planning to retire soon after spending more than 20 years with Delta Airlines.
“He didn’t say what he wanted to do after that, but I know he would have stayed busy and found something he liked to do,” Coleman said. “Losing him so suddenly, it’s hard to really take in right now. He was a great dad. I’m grateful for all the things he taught me.”
Slim Smith is a columnist and feature writer for The Dispatch. His email address is [email protected].
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