Joe Royal, 67, of Ocilla, Georgia, died Friday, December 3, 2021, at Irwin County Hospital in Ocilla, Georgia.
Funeral services will be held 2 PM, Sunday, December 5, 2021, at Frank Primitive Baptist Church in Irwin County, Georgia, with Elder Edward McIntyre and the Rev. Larry Johnson officiating. Eulogies will be given by J.T. Fletcher and Louie Fletcher. Interment will follow in Whitley Cemetery, Irwin County. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service in the sanctuary on Sunday.
Mr. Royal was born June 15, 1954, in Irwin County, Georgia, to the late James Shinholster & Dorothy Josephine Harden Royal. He was a 1974 graduate of Irwin County High School. He was a longtime farmer and was a fixture at Ronny’s BBQ. He always had a smile on his face and would share a kind word or a joke with everyone he saw. He enjoyed bringing joy to others. An avid fox hunter, Mr. Royal was an inductee in the Florida State Fox Hunters Association’s Hall of Fame. He was a strong supporter of Georgia sports teams including the Bulldogs and the Atlanta Braves. He was a member of Frank Primitive Baptist Church where he coached church-league softball in the 1970s.
He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Teresa Hogan Royal of Ocilla; and two daughters: Brandi & Steven Pitts of Fitzgerald and Josie Royal & John Bartell of Hemingway, South Carolina. He was a beloved “Pa” to his two grandsons: Kayden Pitts and Kase Pitts. He is also survived by siblings: Mary Frances & Ronny Cantrell of Fitzgerald, Betty Laura Walker of Tifton, Charlotte Herrington of Milledgeville, and Katie Arrington of Tifton and two sisters-in-law: Patricia Seagroves Royal and Mokana Royal Clements. Many nieces and nephews also survive. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by three brothers: Seaborn J. Royal, William Erston “Billy” Royal, and James Whitley “Whit” Royal and his wife Evelyn Roberts Royal and a sister, Dorothy Royal Grimsley and her husband Pat Grimsley; and three brothers-in-law: Bobby Walker, Larry Herrington, and James Arrington.
The family suggests those desiring to send memorials may send them to Frank Primitive Baptist Church, c/o Walter Sumner, P.O. Box 112, Ocilla, GA 31774 or to Whitley Cemetery, c/o Mike Mobley, P.O. Box 2259, Moultrie, GA 31776-2259.