March 04 1963 February 05 2020
Joe’s Obituary Joseph Clarke “Joe” Watkins, 56, of Loganville passed unexpectedly early Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020. He died of natural causes. Joe would boast, “I sell gas and hot dogs for a living” as an assistant manager at QuikTrip convenience store. He liked to wear visors, drank his Bud Light on ice (don’t worry, he married his designated driver), and had the power to make people laugh until their face hurt. His family and friends will remember his quick-witted humor, upbeat nature, and talent for storytelling. “He made everything fun,” said his wife of 34 years Lynn Johnson Watkins. Including his wife, he leaves behind his son Robert Terrell “Robby” Watkins (Kari Watkins) of Orange Park, FL and grandchildren Elliott Meaux “Little Buddy” Watkins and Vivian Renee “Pretty Lady” Watkins, whom he adored. Joe was the youngest “little darling” of Robert L. “Murph” Watkins and Kathryn Ann “Jody” Watkins born March 4, 1963 in Tampa, FL. He spent his formative years in Milledgeville with four older siblings. He met his bride Lynn, the love of his life, in sixth grade on Bus No. 12 and technically, never broke up with her. They married Dec. 14, 1985, and had one son in 1988. Joe played basketball and matchmaker for his sisters while at Georgia Military College High School, where he graduated in 1981. He continued on to play basketball for two years at Piedmont College in Demorest, GA, and then returned to Milledgeville, where he graduated with a business degree from Georgia College. There he sparked an early interest in the culinary arts while cooking for Gramps and other veterans at “The Rat Shack.” Joe later went on to compete in three much-anticipated, blind-taste cook-off challenges against the family’s only professionally trained chef and won for best gluten-free pasta in January 2014. Joe rooted for University of Georgia football and North Carolina basketball. He cherished his family tradition at the Masters Tournament in Augusta and loved arguing the finer points of athleticism with his brothers and brothers-in-law. He insisted Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback of all time (just look at how many Super Bowl rings he’s got—way more than Peyton Manning). His favorite singer was Harold Jenkins. Joe lived for Tuesday date nights with Lynn. Their goal was to travel to all 50 states (only three were left). In fact, he never stopped dating his wife and always wished young couples all the happiness he had found. To be as lucky as he was, “you should marry your best friend,” he would say. Joe always did what he believed was right, spoke well of people, and lived his life true to his values. He taught his son Robby that if “you stand for nothing, you’ll fall for anything,” and that throughout life, you’ll be fortunate to meet a handful of people who inspire you to be your best. Among those people for him, Joe always started with his father. He was “UJ,” short for Uncle Joe, to many nieces and nephews. When they began having children, he became “UJ the Great.” “I can’t remember how he got the nickname or if it was self-proclaimed,” nephew John Dolac Jr., 36, said. “I do know he lived up to the name.” Although legend says he once fended off a bear with only his Pentagon contraband pocketknife, it’s because, “he loved his family and was always there to help whenever he was called upon.” In addition to his parents, Joe is preceded in death by his maternal grandparents James Edward Noonan and Kathryn Marie Noonan, paternal grandmother Louise Pope, and mother-in-law Vivian Johnson. He is also survived by his siblings: Robert Watkins (Lynn) of Decatur, GA, Kathy Marelle (Joe) of Lawrenceville, Patti Dolac (John) of Land O’ Lakes, FL, and Danny Watkins (Paula) of Daphne, AL; uncle Terry Noonan (Kenna) of Okeechobee, FL; cousin Benny Noonan of Orlando, FL; father-in-law Terry Johnson and sister-in-law Kim Johnson Henderson of Hiram, GA; five nephews: Joey Marelle, John Dolac Jr., Tony Marelle, J.T. Watkins, and Terry Henderson; and five nieces: Katie Davis, Mary Pat Hunter, Sydney Caldwell, Laura Watkins, and Elizabeth Watkins. The family will receive friends from 11:30 until 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 8 at Moores Funeral Home, 301 S. Wayne Street, Milledgeville. A funeral Mass follows at 1 p.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 110 N. Jefferson Street. Interment is at Baldwin Memorial Gardens. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to one of Joe’s favorite charities: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or Georgia Military College Foundation. Moores Funeral Home & Crematory has charge of arrangements. Read More
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Joe Watkins March 04 1963 February 05 2020.
Death notice for the town of: Ashdown, state: Arkansas