Joe Gatewood

Mr. Joe Gatewood, age 78 of Middleton, Tennessee, passed from this life Monday morning, December 8, 2014 at Baptist East Hospital in Memphis.

Mr. Gatewood was born in Saulsbury, Tennessee on Friday, December 27, 1935 to the late Booker and Rachel Sexton Gatewood. On June 10, 1957, he was united in marriage to the former Helen Rainey, who survives, in Corinth, Mississippi. He served his country for two years on active duty in the United States Army and for four years in the U.S. Army Reserves. He retired from Glass Steel, Inc. after 16 years of service as a shipping foreman in Piperton, Tennessee. He also did security work for Dover Elevators, now Thyssen-Krupp Elevators, and for Murray Guard. He was a member of the First Baptist Church in Middleton.

Joe enjoyed being outside, gardening, and fishing, and he loved mowing the grass. He was a fan of the Univeristy of Memphis Tigers basketball team as well as the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team. Above all, he loved being with his family very much.

In addition to his wife, survivors include his daughter, Shelia G. Rhodes and husband Randy of Jackson; sons, Larry D. Gatewood and wife Tami of Collierville, David L. Gatewood of Middleton, and Joseph P. Gatewood, Jr. of Middleton; sisters, Dorothy Capshaw of Illinois, and Frances Rogers of Memphis; brother, W. D. Gatewood and wife Betty of Memphis; four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; two sisters, Geneva Paudart, and Mary Lou Capshaw; and two brothers, George Bernard Gatewood, and George Booker Gatewood.

Donations made in memory of Mr. Gatewood may be sent to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (www.stjude.org/donate) or to the American Heart Association (www.heart.org/donate).