- Date Of Birth: July 11, 1945
- Date Of Death: February 7, 2018
- State: Georgia
Joe was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, on July 11, 1945, to Hilma Louise (Helm) and William Thomas (TC) Child. The youngest of four children, Joe moved to Newnan, Georgia, with his parents in 1959 and graduated from Newnan High School in 1963. He earned his bachelor’s degree in business from Auburn University in 1967, where he was member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity, and his Doctorate from Samford University in 2009. Joe began his professional career in the corporate sector with IBM, John Harlan, and J.P. Stevens. He eventually found his calling as a teacher/educator, and he returned to Newnan High School as a Special Education Teacher and Assistant Coach of the NHS Golf Team from 2006 to 2017.
Joe is preceded in death by Patricia Payne Child, his wife of sixteen years, and his brother William Thomas Child. Joe is survived and celebrated by his wife of twenty-nine years Martha Lee Child; his four children Kingman, Marlowe, Mandy, and Casey; his three step-children Lee, Park, and Mattie; and his fifteen grandchildren Whitney, Derrick, Charlie, Patti, Brooks, Betsy, Porter, Cameron, Grier, Forrest, McRae, Mary, Sister, Magnolia, and Jona. He is also survived by his brother Robert Edward Child and his sister Margaret Child.
Joe will be remembered by all who knew him for his unflappable spirit and his joy for life. He was a world traveler, a constant learner, a loving husband, and an unforgettable father and grandfather. He had an inexhaustible wit and a mastery of colorful language. He was known as Dr. Child to his students, Dad and Big Joe to his children, Padre to his oldest friends, Geeters to the Phis, Jo Jo to his grandchildren, and The Man to his loving wife Sugar.
