On Monday, November 14, 2022, Joe D. Gentry, Jr., father of 4 boys, grandfather of 8 and great grandfather of 10, passed away at the age of 86.Joe was born on January 15, 1936 in Luxora, Arkansas to Joe, Sr. and Bessie Arnett. Joe graduated from the University of Mississippi where he met and later married Carolyn Edwards.
After Carolyn passed in 2001, Joe married Carmel Walker in 2003, and they’ve been married ever since. Joe served in the United States Air Force for over 20 years before retiring as a Major. He had several different jobs after the military but the job he loved the most was establishing and running the drug rehabilitation program at the Polk County Jail in Bartow, Florida. Joe loved to play golf, watch football and baseball, especially the Dallas Cowboys and the St. Louis Cardinals.
He loved coaching youth baseball and football. He had a great smile, loved to meet and talk to people. He showed his affection by playfully teasing anyone about almost anything. Joe is best remembered for his homemade chocolate chip cookies. There was always a bowl of cookie dough in the refrigerator. He would eat a couple of fresh hot cookies and milk with his fruit of the season for breakfast and dessert before bed almost every day, as long as we (the boys) didn’t eat all the cookie dough.
Joe is survived by his wife, Carmel, his sisters, Clementine and Anita, his sons, Scott (Karen), Kyle, Cameron, and Eric (Theresa), his grandchildren Robyn, Kelli, Shelby, Logan, Blake, Dustin, and Savannah Lei and his 10 great grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his parents Joe Sr and Bessie, his wife of 43 years, Carolyn, and his granddaughter Savannah Marie Gentry.
His service will be held on Monday, November 21st at 10:00 A.M.. at the Clary Funeral Home in Alton, MO.
Joe will be buried 11:00 A.M. Saturday, December 3rd in Kissimmee, Florida at Osceola Memory Gardens Cemetery next to Carolyn and Savannah Marie.