Joe Mercer Strickland, 66, passed away on Monday, June 7, 2021, at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. He was born on December 24, 1954, in Anniston, AL to Berford Joe (BJ) and Mary Frances Mercer Strickland.
His survivors include his parents, BJ and Fran Strickland; his brother, David Strickland; one son, Joe Mercer Strickland, Jr.; one daughter, Sarah Strickland Wilhite (Bruce); three grandchildren, Owen, Kathryn, and Sullivan Wilhite; two nieces, Hope Strickland and Hannah Strickland; and numerous extended family members and friends who loved him dearly.
Joe graduated from Huntsville High School in 1973. As a Boy Scout, he worked diligently until he earned the rank of Eagle Scout in 1973. After high school graduation, Joe worked and attended college simultaneously and received a bachelor’s degree from Athens State University in 1979. Joe spent many years as an award-winning salesman in the automotive industry and as a manager in the grocery business. He most recently worked as a facilities manager in Tennessee.
Always an athlete and outdoorsman, Joe cherished hunting trips with family, playing softball with friends, and finding victory in the boxing ring as a young adult. In recent years, he found peace living in the mountains of Tennessee. Joe loved sharing a good meal in the fellowship of friends and family and hearing a funny joke. He enjoyed telling jokes even more and his laughter was contagious. Joe had a way of making friends wherever he went and was the first to offer a kind word or a smile to anyone he met.
Most importantly, Joe was a baptized believer and follower of Jesus Christ. Even in the darkest of times, Joe’s faith in God never wavered. Joe loved God and his family with his whole heart. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him.
A private graveside service was held to honor Joe’s life on June 14 at Maple Hill Cemetery in Huntsville, AL.
