Joseph A.

Sherrod

On February 6, 2021, Joseph Allan Sherrod passed at the age of 88. He was born on January 22, 1933 in Tampa, FL. At the age of 3, his family moved back to Pavo, GA where the Sherrod half of his family had lived for several generations. He graduated from Pavo High School in 1950 where he was a standout member of the basketball team by averaging scoring over 20 points per game during his junior and senior seasons. After graduation, he went to the University of Georgia for 2 years before hearing the call to become a minister. He then transferred to Bob Jones University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1956. He then went to New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and graduated with a Bachelor of Divinity degree in 1959. While in New Orleans he met and married Mattie English in 1957, the same year she graduated from Charity Hospital Nursing School. They moved to Indianapolis, IN in 1959 and started Suburban Baptist Church and remained there until 1968. He and Mattie moved back to Thomas County where he became the Pastor of Eastside Baptist Church in Thomasville and Mattie worked as an RN at Archbold Memorial Hospital for the next 47 years. In 1970 he became a full time Evangelist and was also the Vice President of Baptist International Missions that was being run by his close friend and Minister Dr. Monroe Parker. He also worked part-time in the winter with his father, James Sherrod at Sherrod's Tax Service in Pavo, GA. He was married to Mattie for over 63 years, who survives. He is also survived by;  a son, Tim, a daughter, Alaina Tomlinson (Clark), and a sister Stella (Jerry), six grandchildren; Brittany Sherrod, Krysten Sherrod (Eddie), Taylor Sherrod, Ryan Sherrod, Nicholas Sherrod, and Ethan Tomlinson, along with nieces, Lisa, Susan and Jenifer, a nephew Thomas and several cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents James and Annie Sherrod, a brother Neil (Betty) and brothers-in-law, Tom, Casey, Harry, Dennis and Clinton English. There will be Graveside Services at Salem Baptist Church Cemetery on Saturday, February 13th at 2:00pm where his great-grandfather (James Sherrod) gave the land for the church to be built and his other great-grandfather (Rev. A.C. Stephenson) started the church and became the first Pastor.