Joe "Joe Mama" Middleton

67, passed away on Monday, February 9, 2026, at his home.  He was preceded in death by his parents, James and Mamie Poole Middleton, and a brother, Ellis Middleton.  Joe was just a good ole country boy to his core.  He loved hunting, fishing, the river, and riding the “blues”.  He was rarely without a cooler full of beer and a can nearby.  A die-hard Nascar & Georgia Bulldogs fan, he always said, “Georgia born, Georgia bred, and when I die, I’ll be Georgia dead.”

He was the hardest working man his family knew.  He rose at the crack of dawn, worked long days in the heat without complaint for the better part of his life.  And he was the most loyal person you might have ever been lucky to meet.  He would give the shirt off his back without hesitation.  Joe never met a stranger and was the life of every party.  He told the same jokes hundreds of times but somehow everyone still laughed.

Most of all, he was genuine, Joe was Joe Mama everywhere he went, whether it was Friday night or Sunday morning.  He didn’t change for anyone or pretend to be something he wasn’t, another trait he passed on to his kids.  What you saw was exactly what you got, a real, honest, loyal, good man.  But of all that, he was most proud to be called Papa.  He loved his children and grandchildren fiercely.  The loyalty, grit, humor, and unshakable authenticity he lived by are now carried forward through them.  His legacy isn’t just in stories told around a campfire or jokes repeated one more time – it lives on in the character of the family he built and loved so deeply.

Survivors are his companion, Tracy Gordon of Ludowici; daughters, Brandi Middleton (Cameron Simpson) of Ludowici and Stephanie Rubio (Xavier) of Pace, FL; son, James “Matt” Middleton of Pace, FL; sister, Susan Middleton-Dietzen (Charles) of Harker Heights, TX; brothers, Billy Middleton of Townsend and Emmitt Middleton of Ludowici; grandchildren, Jojo, Cooper, Delyla, and Leighanna; several nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be held on Friday, February 13, from 5-7 PM at Howard Funeral Home.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, February 14, at 11 AM at the funeral home.  Rev. Eric Rentz will be officiating.

Burial will follow in Middleton Memorial Cemetery.

Active pallbearers will be Jim “Buttercat” Manning, Leonard Poole, Lamar Poole, Joseph “Jaybird” Middleton, Arthur “Little Artie” Anderson, Jr., and Bruce Ballance.

Remembrances are suggested to Cerebral Palsy Foundation, at

give.ucp.org/campaign/737369/donate

Family and friends may sign the online register at www.howardfuneralga.com.

Arrangements are under the direction of Howard Funeral Home of Ludowici.

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