Joseph Crovatt Titus (Joe), 76, of Tifton and Las Vegas, Nevada, passed away peacefully during the early morning of July 24, 2007 in Las Vegas. Funeral services will be held at the First Presbyterian Church in Tifton at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, July 31, 2007. Dr. William Christman will officiate with burial to follow in Oak Ridge Cemetery. The family will receive friends on Monday, July 30, 2007, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Bowen-Donaldson Home for Funerals. A memorial service will be held in Las Vegas in September.
Joe was born in Thomasville on December 5, 1930. After a stint in the U.S. Air Force, which included time at Nellis Air Force Base, he settled with his wife and girls in Tifton, Georgia. There he served as Director of the Tift County Building Department and ran a number of businesses, including motels, restaurants, and convenience stores. He followed his daughters to the Las Vegas Valley in March 1986 to become Director of the Department of Building and Safety for the City of Henderson. He retired from that position in October 1997, having presided over the department’s growth from 11 to over 40 employees and having helped to guide Henderson’s tremendous expansion.
Joe was a member of the International Conference of Building Officials and served as its president twice. He also belonged to several other building and code professional associations. After retirement, Joe divided his time between Tifton and Las Vegas.
Joe was known for his stories about the South and about human nature. He was passionate in his beliefs and generous with everything he had. He loved to cook; his favorite song was Blue Bayou; and he always had at least one ol’ dog following him around.
He will be remembered and always loved by his surviving family: Betty Cathones Titus, his wife of 58 years; daughters Dina Titus and Rho Titus Hudson; their husbands, Thomas C. Wright and Bill Hudson, respectively; a sister, Mary Daley; a brother, Theo Titus, Jr.; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Joe was very proud of his two daughters, both of Las Vegas. Dina is a professor of political science at UNLV and minority leader of the Nevada State Senate; and Rho is a professor of education at Nevada State College and a board member of the Agassi Preparatory Academy.