Joseph Wallace Averette, Jr.

Mr. Joseph Wallace Averette, Jr., 89, of Hephzibah, GA, entered into rest on June 26,2020.

Wallace was born in Thomson, GA, on April 15, 1931. He was preceded in death by his parents Joseph and Adeline Averette, and two sisters, Annee McGahee and Eugenia Cason. He graduated from Thomson High School in 1949 and shortly thereafter joined the United States Navy serving during the Korean War aboard the USS BLACK (DD-666). Prior to his retirement in 1996, Wallace worked for Jefferson Electric Membership Corporation for 47 years. Following 15 years as a co-op employee in the Thomson District, he accepted Jefferson EMC’s first District Manager position, in the Richmond County community of Hephzibah. After transferring to the Hephzibah Jefferson EMC office, his wife, Bootsie, soon joined him at the Hephzibah office. The husband and wife team continued until 1996 when they both retired, following a total of 79 years as co-op employees. The family fondly remembers the days (and nights) when the lights would go out, and the home telephone would start ringing constantly. The only system of communication during those early days was to answer the phone and relay messages to Wallace who would sit in his Jefferson EMC truck in the driveway and talk to the men on his radio.

Since moving to Hephzibah in 1964, Wallace was an active and faithful member of the Hephzibah United Methodist Church and over the years served in many leadership roles. He loved his church. He once stated that God had placed him at that church and that is where he would worship for the remainder of his days. He served on the Hephzibah City Council for six years and as chairman and mayor for three of those years. As stated in The Town Crier, “His wonderful sense of humor has helped ease many tense moments—and provided just the little tad of levity which makes work seem a lot less burdensome. Wallace Averette, WE SALUTE YOU!”

He is survived by his loving wife of 67 years, Dicye Lucas (Bootsie) Averette; his son Joe (Erin) Averette, Anderson, SC; daughter Jan (Mike) O’Meara, Augusta, GA; daughter Dete (Mike) Crawford, Evans, GA; grandchildren, Joseph (Heidi) Averette, Marie (Ron) Marchant, Erin (Chris) Pettis, Lucas (Melanie) O’Meara, Jonathan (Ansley) Crawford, Stephen Crawford; and seven great-grandchildren, Addelyn Averette, Mac and Aline Marchant, Gray and Alice O’Meara, and Bodie and Liam Pettis. His children, Joe, Jan, and Dete consider themselves blessed to have had such a special Dad.

The family will honor their father’s wishes to wait and have a combined service with his loving wife.

Thomas Poteet & Son Funeral Directors, 214 Davis Rd., Augusta, GA 30907 (706) 364-8484. Please sign the guestbook at www.thomaspoteet.com