Obituary of Joseph Powell Jr.

Joseph Powell passed away peacefully at home surrounded by family on Wednesday, April 1, 2020, at the young age of 95. He was born in Colp, IL on June 13, 1924, the son of the late Joseph and Evelyn (nee:Payne) Powell. But, spent most of his life in Racine, WI before moving to Indianapolis in June of 2013. Joe, affectionately known by most as “Papa Joe”, to the kids in his neighborhood as “the donut man” and to all of those he would speed by in his Town car on the streets of Racine, he was known by his personalized plate as, PJ13. He had a laugh that was contagious and never learned how to smile for pictures without practicing for three or four takes. If you followed his videos on Facebook, you saw him, weeding his garden, peddling away for 10 miles a day on his stationary bike, taking one or two mid-day naps or posing in front of a plate of beans or fried catfish and okra. He was spoiled by his loving and devoted wife, Mary Powell (Banks), who fixed his favorite meals almost every night for almost 30 years until she passed in March 2008. After her passing, he did his best to hold his own in the kitchen, deliberately overcooking everything, the more burnt the better. He was a US Army veteran of the Korean War, a retiree of American Motors (Chrysler), a volunteer with the American Legion and a long time member, Trustee and Food Pantry Director at Wayman AME Church in Racine, where he was known to try and whisper to whomever was sitting next to him during services but, could be heard no matter where you were sitting in the sanctuary, causing Mary to always have to nudge or poke him. It didn’t help that he was hard of hearing for the past 20 plus years and didn’t want to wear a hearing aid because it wasn’t a good accessory to his assortment of suits and ties, which he wore daily, even while cycling and gardening. He had a remarkable memory, was full of stories and always shared his thoughts and opinions whether you asked for them or not. His heart was pure gold and he would do almost anything for his family, church and closest friends. His absence leaves us heartbroken but, we know where he is, is far better than being down here going through ‘social distancing”. Although he is preceded in death by his sisters Margaret Edmonds and Evelyn Powell who passed in September 2019, he tried his best to outlive everyone else. He is survived by his three children, Juanita Copeland of Charlotte, NC, Theresa Adair (Scott) of Indianapolis, and Demetrius Powell of Racine, WI. He will be sorely missed by his loving five grandchildren, Jason, Jennifer (Chris), Jessica (Lawrence), Stacy and Carlisa and his great-grandchildren, Brandon, Christian, Alexa, Caleb and Noah along with his dear nieces and nephews, Brenda (Rodney), Leroy, Beverly Lee, (Joe Barker), Kathy Willis, Joel and Jared Barker, and Ardie Thomas as well as many great nieces and nephews. There will not be a service, but friends and family are welcome to write their farewells, sentiments and fond memories (even humorous ones). He loved a good laugh.