Jacksonville - Joe Harry Sumrall, age 84, joined his Lord in Heaven on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, following a brief illness at his home in Jacksonville, TX. Joe was born the 3rd of 6 children on September 8, 1941, to Harry Mondell Sumrall and Jimmie Ann Boutwell Sumrall. He grew up in the Landrum Community near Ovett in Jones County, MS surrounded by extended family and great friends. After graduating from Ellisville High School, Joe enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and went to basic training at Lackland Air Force Base. As soon as he finished basic, he married his high school sweetheart, Alice Faye Rayborn on October 1, 1962. They had been married for almost 64 years at the time of his passing.

Joe served his country at Walker AFB in Roswell, NM in the 6th Strategic Aerospace Wing (SAC) working on guided missiles in underground silos. Following his discharge as an Airman First Class E-4, they moved to Tulsa, OK, where Joe earned his aircraft mechanic license from Spartan College of Aeronautics. He hired on at Braniff International Airways in Dallas in 1967 and was blessed with a daughter in 1968. After leaving Braniff in 1978, Joe moved to American Airlines and then to American Eagle. He ran his own contractor/remodeling business from 1982-1988 before joining Southwest Airlines, serving as a mechanic, lead, and mentor for 25 years. Upon retiring in 2013, they moved to Jacksonville, TX to enjoy country life.

Joe was a wonderful husband and father, a loyal friend, and a man with a level of wisdom, intuition, and dry humor that is rare. The only thing he loved more than his wife, daughter, and ketchup was his Savior, Jesus Christ. Joe and Alice were long-time members of MacArthur Blvd. Baptist Church in Irving, Texas and then First Baptist Church of Jacksonville, TX before becoming founding members of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Jacksonville.

Joe is survived by the love of his life, Alice, his daughter Brooke and husband James Sharp of Grand Prairie, TX, granddaughter Morgan Sharp and husband Aaron Ganaway and grandson Griffin Sharp, all of Crowley, TX, sister Faye Sibley of Ellisville, MS, sister Carol (Jimmy) Dobson of Ovett, MS, brother Larry (Jackie) Sumrall of Ovett, sister Lorrie (Gary) Tanner of Ellisville, and Glenn and Eva McMahan of Hattiesburg, MS. Joe was loved by numerous in-laws, nieces, nephews, their spouses and children, and wonderful friends. The family is comforted by the knowledge that Joe has been reunited in Heaven with his parents, his sister, Nona Sumrall Ingram, and so many loved ones who went before, but mainly that Joe has now seen God face to face.

The family welcomed visitors from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM on Monday, May 18, 2026, which was followed by a service at Autry Funeral Home in Jacksonville, Texas. Burial was at Meador Cemetery, also in Jacksonville.