Joseph “Joe” Edward Dew Sr. passed away at TriStar NorthCrest Medical Center on Sunday afternoon, Jan. 7, 2024. His wife and daughter were at his bedside. He was 89.
Joe was born on April 30, 1934 in Dayton, Kentucky to William Waldo Dew and Thelma Dittus Dew.
He grew up there playing on the streets of the small town. He met and married the love of his life, Charleen Genevieve Testerman, in his hometown. And the two of them used Dayton as a launch pad for a life that led them in 1969 to Springfield.
Joe had studied industrial engineering at the University of Louisville and later finished his undergraduate degree at Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville.
In Springfield, Joe became the plant superintendent at Southern Heel Co. and later stepped up to become the general manager at Vulcan Corp. in Clarksville, Tennessee. He left Vulcan in 1992 and spent a few years as director of operations for Datrek, a local maker of golf bags and accessories.
Joe spent most of his faith life at Oakland Baptist Church where he served in a variety of roles including deacon, treasurer and Sunday school teacher.
After he retired, Joe and Charleen spent a lot of their time traveling to explore the Southwest and to learn more history about Native Americans, a real passion for Joe. They also took time to visit grandchildren, and later great-grandchildren, in Jackson, Tennessee; Benton, Kentucky; and Raleigh, North Carolina.
Joe is survived by Charleen, his wife of 68 years. His two sons, Joseph Dew Jr. (wife Myra Teasley) of Morrisville, NC., and Mark T. Dew (wife Sylvia Dew) of Jackson, Tennessee; daughter, Toni Dew of Springfield; sister Naomi Dew Melia of Batesville, Ind.; granddaughters Amanda Dew Smith (and husband Clayton) of Jackson and Chasity Mann Sink (and husband James) of Clarksville; and grandsons Brian J. Dew (and wife Hannah) of Benton, Ky., and Bryson H. Dew, of Morrisville, NC.
Survivors also include five great-grandsons and two great-granddaughters. His brother, William W. Dew Jr., passed away in Sacramento, CA., in 2010.
His body will be cremated and his family plans a private memorial service in the spring. Robertson County Funeral Home is handling arrangements. https://www.robertsoncountyfuneralhome.com
In lieu of flowers, please make memorial donations to: The Miracle League of the Triangle, P.O. Box 4193, Cary, NC 27519, or through this link https://www.mygiving.net/donate/Main-Donation-Page
For more obituaries visit https://robertsoncountysource.com/obituaries/
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