Joel Maeks, age 86, formerly of Lexington, passed away peacefully at his home at Newbury Court, Concord, on 03/02/2021, after a long illness.  He is survived by his loving wife, Jane Duffy Beswick, and by many dear friends.   Joel, son of George and Fanny Max, was born in Queens, NY.   He graduated from Cornell University,  was a Fulbright Scholar at the Royal College of London, and then earned his PhD in Electrical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.  Joel's professional life was spent at GTE, Lincoln Lab, and the MITRE Corporation where he worked on Communications Systems.  An avid reader, skier, hiker, camper, and a nature lover, Joel enjoyed many travel adventures throughout his life.  He was a long-time member of the Appalachian Mountain Club and of First Parish in Lexington.   He was a quiet, unassuming man with a big heart and a wonderful sense of humor and warm smile.  Many thanks to his caretaker team of the past two years. Funeral arrangements will be private.  Donations in his memory may be made to the Nature Conservancy (nature.org), the Parkinson's Foundation (parkinson.org) or Care Dimensions Hospice (caredimensions.org/giving/).