Joe Garland Wilson

Joe Garland Wilson transitioned to glory on Friday September 9,2022 at home, surrounded by his family after facing a long season of illness. Garland was born in Savannah, Ga on December 22,1949 to the late James Kelly and Vivian Porter Wilson. They moved to the Isle of Hope in his third-grade year and he remained there until his passing, living on the same street, just down the road from his boyhood home. He was a graduate of H.V. Jenkins high school, proudly walking with the class of 1968. He was drafted later that year into the U.S. Army where he trained at Ft. Benning and was sent into the Vietnam campaign with his mighty 101st Airborne Infantry division. There he served proudly until his medical discharge due to rheumatic fever, nearly taking his life.

Garland returned to the states and married his sweetheart in 1970, Regina, where the raised two children, and they lived the next 52 years together until his death. He worked most of his life around boats in the yards of Thunderbolt Marina, building tugboats on the Savannah River at Diamond Manufacturing, working later at the Isle of Hope Marina repair shops, then moving to warehousing running the largest warehouse on the east coast for Yokohama Tire Corporation at the Ga Ports.

Some of Garland’s proudest accomplishments are his two children and extended family. He also helped to organize the first little league baseball in the area for the Isle of Hope, appropriately naming it the Bulldogs. He served his community unselfishly for 44 years as a firefighter with the Isle of Hope Volunteer Fire Dept, holding the rank of Captain for the last 25 of those years. He was a life member of the Isle of Hope Baptist Church where he served on the Deacon council advocating for the works of Jesus Christ to all he met. Garland was an avid outdoorsman spending countless days and nights in the rivers and woods of Georgia fishing, shrimping, crabbing, and hunting. There wasn’t a fish he couldn’t fry, an oyster he couldn’t steam, a shrimp or crab he couldn’t boil to perfection when called upon. Garland loved to share his skills with others.

If you knew him, you know Garland as a man with a big smile always on his face, quick to share a joke, the first to talk to you in the room, a man to welcome you in and make you comfortable and had the loudest whistle of any man you’ve ever met! He proudly helped to shepherd 3 amazing grandchildren, 2 special nieces and countless extended family in his time before his illness weakened him. Garland loved people, never met a stranger, and would invite you over for a meal to chat and tell stories. Garland, Dad, GarGar, will be so dearly missed, but we know he walks with the Lord and the ones who have gone before him.

He was preceded in death by his parents James K. and Vivian, and brother Reese Wilson. He is survived by his wife Regina, Son Marcus (Cayla), daughter Casi (Sean) Dees, sisters Twindell (Noel) Amory and Wynell Wilson, brother Theron Wilson, Vickie Dubberly (Barry) Vonbergen who was basically a daughter to him, three grandchildren (Brooklyn and Aiden Wilson; Julia Dees) 2 special nieces Katelyn and Caroline Vonbergen, and numerous other family members.

Visitation will be Wednesday, September 14, 2022 from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m. at Baker McCullough Funeral Home, Hodgson Memorial Chapel (7415 Hodgson Memorial Chapel Savannah, GA 31406).

A funeral service will be held Thursday, September 15, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. at Isle of Hope Baptist Church.

Interment will follow in Georgia Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Glennville.

Honorary pallbearers will be the deacons of Isle of Hope Baptist Church and members of the Isle of Hope Fire Department.

Remembrances may be made to the Isle of Hope Baptist Church – Vision of Hope Fund in his name and the Wreaths Across America campaign honoring all US Military heroes.