Joe Marshall Huckaby, Jr.

Mr. Joe Marshall Huckaby, age 101, died Monday, February 24, 2025, at The Bridge Assisted Living of Columbia. 

A funeral service will be held on Saturday, March 8, 2025, at 12:00pm at Heritage Funeral Home with John Vaughan and Jerry Elder officiating. Entombment will follow in Maury Memorial Gardens Mausoleum. The family will visit with friends on Saturday from 10:00am until the service time at the funeral home. Heritage Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements. 

Mr. Huckaby was born January 9, 1924, in Maury County, Tennessee and was the son of the late Joe M. Huckaby, Sr. and the late Eula Ring Huckaby. He was one of nine children. He was preceded in death by four brothers and three sisters and is survived by his sister, Juanita Hie of Columbia, TN. He was a lifelong member of the Church of Christ and currently a member of Graymere Church of Christ. He was known and loved for his kind and loving spirit and always giving back to others.

He attended Nicholson School and began his career with Monsanto Chemical Co. in 1945 and retired in 1981. He was a self-taught “handyman” and could fix and repair so many things. He loved to preserve the past for the future generations, and this was never more evident in his restoration of old homes in the Columbia historical district. 

Mr. Huckaby enjoyed traveling and cruising with his wife and family and was blessed to see so many parts of the United States as well as Europe. He loved his family and was always present for us and taught us all that hard work pays off.

Mr. Huckaby and his wife, Irene Johnson Huckaby, recently celebrated their 80th anniversary on December 23, 2024. He was very blessed to celebrate this milestone as well as being recognized as a Centurion of Tennessee from Gov. Bill Lee and was always thankful to God for these blessings. He was a man of little words but a man of many talents. 

Lovingly called Gran by his grandchildren and great grandchildren, he is survived by his wife, Irene Johnson Huckaby, daughters, Judith (Wayne) Everett of Columbia, TN and Connie (Joe) Bedwell of Columbia, TN, daughter-in-law, Jane Huckaby of Austin, TX, grandchildren, Nathan (Lena) McAdams, Mackenzie (Ashby) Green, Joe M. (Julia Nicholson) Bedwell, Adam (Tyler) Bedwell, Carrie (Drew) McCullough, David Huckaby, Mary (David) Fields, Brad (Kim) Everett, and Brian (Laura) Everett; and eighteen great grandchildren.

Along with his parents he was preceded in death by his son, Joe Stanley Huckaby, grandson, Conner Marshall Huckaby, granddaughter-in-law, Sarah-Jane Shields Bedwell, and four brothers and three sisters.

Active pallbearers will be Nathan McAdams, William McAdams, Joe M. Bedwell, Adam Bedwell, David Huckaby, Wayne Everett, and Tony Hie. Honorary pallbearers will be the retired employees of Monsanto Chemical Company.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Columbia Academy: Joe and Irene Huckaby Endowment; 1101 West 7th Street Columbia, TN 38401.