Joe Moore Empson, 86, passed away peacefully Thursday morning, May 29, 2025.
Joe was born May 1, 1939 to the late Blanche Marie Donohoe Empson and Julian Moore Empson. He was also preceded in death by his sister June Marie Empson Futrell.
Joe received his Bachelor of Pharmacy degree from University of Tennessee in 1961. He spent his entire business career working in Ashland City as a pharmacist and pharmacy owner for 44 years. The family owned pharmacy served the people of Ashland City for 72 years. He and his sister June were among the eight pharmacists in their family.
In addition to the pharmacy business, Joe served as Cheatham County Director for Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation from 1990 until 2000 and as Chairman of the Board for the last 4 years. In 1999 he was an organizer and served as Board Chairman of the newly formed Community Bank of Cheatham County until 2011.
Joe loved to fish for small mouth bass and took trips to the Quetico Provincial Park Ontario Canada and the Boundary Waters Minnesota camping and canoeing the waters of Canada for 19 years. Joe became an avid golfer in his later years and spent 25 winters in Naples, Florida.
Joe is survived by his high school sweetheart and wife of 66 years, Janie Sanders Empson. She was his partner in all aspects of his life. Joe is also survived by his son Craig and his wife Patrice, daughter Rhonda Jo Empson Dodson and her husband Mark, sister Susie and her husband Channing, sister-in-love Sue Sanders Oliver-Reker, and 5 grandchildren, Kane, Gabi, and Isabella Dodson, Trey (Joanna) and Bryant (Anna) Shearon, and 6 great-grandchildren, Jolie, Easton, Ford, Fiona, Everly, and Reason Shearon.
Funeral service will be Friday, June 6, 2025, at 1pm in the Chapel of Cheatham County Funeral Home with David Costello officiating. Burial will follow in Will Smith Cemetery in Ashland City, Tennessee, with Hugh Atkins officiating. Visitation with the family will be Friday before the service from 10am until service hour of 1pm.
Serving as active pallbearers are Kane Dodson, Trey Shearon, Bryant Shearon, Tracey Oliver, Ken Futrell, and Lanny Morrison. Honorary pallbearers are James Ray (Skip) Sanders, Terry Sanders, Sue Sanders Oliver-Reker, Penny Sanders Hughes, Andy Futrell, Trent Futrell, Ed and Nancy Lancaster, David and Sally Costello, Ron and Joy Tepner, Fred and Gayle Holladay, Cindy Claud, Jim (Termite) Bradley, Johnny Melton, Harry and Mary Lambirth.
The family requests in lieu of flowers, donations be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or to the Ashland City Bethesda Center.
Cheatham County Funeral Home LLC 615-792-2552 online condolences may be made at cheathamcountyfh.com.
This obituary was published by Cheatham County Funeral Home.
This obituary was published by Obituaries provided free for the community.
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