Joe Wayne Johnson

Joe Wayne Johnson, 80, a resident of Rutledge, Alabama, passed away at Southeast Health in Dothan, Alabama on Monday, June 19th, 2023. A graveside service for Joe will be held at 2 PM on Wednesday, June 21st, in Rutledge Cemetery with Rev. Dunford Cole and Turners Funeral Home of Luverne directing. Family and friends will meet in the cemetery at the service time.

Joe was just the kind of man whose life is almost impossible to compress into a statement on paper, but his family is going to give it their best! He had a true servant's heart for his beloved community of Rutledge. He served as the mayor and on the town council for many years and he was one of the first volunteer firemen there. In fact, he earned the nickname "the Chief" during his time with the fire department and it stuck for the rest of his life. He was a kind and generous man who was well-known for his selfless and humble heart. Helping others was one of his true passions in life and the world was certainly a much better place because of it.

Joe was the proud owner of Rutledge Mercantile for many years and later went on to become the manager of Renfroe Pecan. That last one fit him to a T because he simply loved working with pecans. He was well known for his ability to make anything from delicious food to Christmas ornaments from pecans! Did I mention he could cook, because Joe could definitely cook! He made sure to have a hot breakfast waiting for his cherished wife, Prissy, every morning and always made sure there was a full spread of awesome food for his family every Sunday for dinner. It's undeniable that his fried okra was one of their favorite dishes. In fact, it was a dish that rarely made it to the table intact as quite a few children and grandchildren would hover nearby as he was cooking to "taste test" it! In fact, he actually handled almost all of the catering provided by Prissy's business over the years.

Joe cherished his friendships that he made during his life, and he met many of them every morning to catch up on the "town news" (because we all know men never gossip). In his free time, he loved to hunt and fish, and he lovingly tended to his garden over the years and shared its bounty with family and friends. Joe had a talent for being able to make something useful from things most people would throw away. Just give him some duct tape, zip ties, aluminum cans, and nails (didn't matter if they were the same size) and he was good to go. And, if you needed some random knowledge, Joe was your man. He loved to compile as many facts as he could because you never knew when that might come in handy, which included knowing exactly how many seeds there were in a watermelon!

Joe always made time for everyone in his life, but his favorite job of all time was that of being everyone's "Pops." He met and married the love of his life, Priscilla, in 1965 and until he breathed his last, there was no other hand he wanted to hold close. Together they raised three beloved children who gave them the best gift of all, their grandchildren. The grandchildren first gave him the name "Pops" and it wasn't long before everyone just adapted to it. He always, without fail, put his family first and made sure they knew just how special they all were to him. His children and grandchildren always knew, no matter what the activity was, Pops was going to be in the stands cheering them on. There was nothing more rewarding to him than his role in their lives, and he will always hold an irreplaceable place in their lives and hearts. Words cannot properly express how much he was loved nor how much he will be missed by all of them, however, they know he has now gone on to his heavenly reward, which hopefully will look like his favorite place in the world, Pearl River and Biloxi Beach!

Joe was preceded in death by his parents, James Cullen & Jimmie Lois Gibson Johnson, and brother-in-law, Mike Morgan. He is survived by his loving wife of 58 years, Prissy Johnson; children, Joe Wayne (Lesa) Johnson Jr, Jackie (Paten) Powell, Jamie Johnson, and Allen (Cathy) Luckie; grandchildren, Errin (Mallie) Johnson, Trey Johnson, Tyler Powell, Tobey Powell, and Macon Johnson; great-grandchildren, Emerson Johnson and Ellison Johnson; siblings, Jimmie (Connie) Johnson Jr, John David Johnson, Cheryl (Joe) Bagents, Janice Morgan, and Jerry (Kris) Johnson; and a host of nieces, nephews, extended family members, and friends.

Active pallbearers will be Gary Johnson, Tony Johnson, Justin Morgan, Jonathan Bagents, Lance Claybrook, Chris Johnson, and Jimbo Campbell. Honorary pallbearers will be John D. Johnson, Wendell Butts, Glenn Murry, Dan Jackson, Buddy Broadway, Mack Snell, Lomax Tomlin, and Charles Sport.