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Joel Milburn Hughes, Sr. was born March 31, 1934 in Bainbridge, Ga, the son of Bernie Claude Hughes and Mildred Glover Hughes. He passed away Wednesday, December 20, 2023.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 2:00 pm on Saturday, January 13, 2024 at First Christian Church with Minister Michael McCrickard officiating. A private interment will be at Oak City Cemetery. Online visitors may sign the guest register at www.iveyfuneral.com. Memorial donations can be made to First Christian Church, P.O. Box 907, Bainbridge, GA 39818.

Joel was raised in Bainbridge GA and has many amusing stories about his early years in Bainbridge, such as riding his bicycle for his paper route, delivering papers to Juke joints on Broad St, stopping by the dairy on Shotwell St to get a cup of cottage cheese, and being chased by the Nussbaums bulldog. He also loved traveling to Wakulla Springs to see the elephants swimming during the filming of a Tarzan movie; blocking off Calhoun St for hockey games; being scared by swamp gas then a ghost at Smiths Landing; and catching bats at the Climax caves then letting them loose in the Ritz Theater. Joel also told about smuggling libations into friends weddings. Joel played football for the Bearcats and graduated from Bainbridge High in 1954. He then attended Georgia Southwestern College, then became Specialist 4th class in the Army Infantry at Fort Rucker. He drove an ambulance for Ivey Funeral Home, was a firefighter in Bainbridge, sold insurance for Liberty National and Douglas Insurance, was president of Bainbridge Jaycees, Rescue Chief in the local Civil Defense, sold cars at Robinson Motors, then worked as a carpenter in his son, Jodys, business. His retirement years were spent boating on the Flint River with his beloved dogs, keeping up his beautifully landscaped yard, tinkering on the pontoon boat and driving his red 1929 Ford Model A pickup. Joel spent his entire life as an active member of Bainbridge First Christian Church.

Joel is survived by his son, Joel “Jody” Milburn Hughes, Jr. (Lisa) of Bainbridge; daughter, Sammie Faith Hughes (husband Bobby Inlow) of Crawfordville FL; sister, Martha Hughes Palcowski of Longwood FL; brother, David (Elaine) of Tallahassee, FL; grandchildren, Alex Hughes (Savannah) of Panama City FL, Madison Hughes Flores (Adrian) of Williamsburg VA, and Libby Inlow of Crawfordville FL; great grandchildren, Finn Hughes and soon Baby Flores; nieces and nephews, his First Christian Church Family, Rolenstro buddies, and his dog, Charlotte. In addition to his parents, Joel is preceded in death by his brother, Burnie Glover Hughes.