Hon. Joseph McGovern

Glennville,

Joseph Dennis McGovern, age 74, passed away on Monday, August 24, 2020 after a battle with the Corona Virus at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta.  He was born in Philadelphia on October 22, 1945 to James and Virginia McGovern, the oldest child of four.  He was preceded in death by his parents and siblings.  Joe grew up in Maple Shade, N.J. and graduated from Merchantville High School.

The Vietnam War was raging by 1965.  He enlisted in the Army and earned his wings as an Army Helicopter Pilot.  Joe served with the 117th Assault Helicopter Company of the 10th Combat Aviation Battalion in Vietnam.  He flew the UH-10 Bell Huey logging 1200 combat flight hours and receiving 24 awards of the Air Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal and the Vietnam Campaign Medal.  Joe was a life member of the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association and he attended annual reunions on the 4th of July in major US cities. Joe served a second tour in Vietnam flying with the 18th Aviation Company.

Joe was stationed at Fort Stewart and lived in Glennville in 1971.  He met Alice Smith and they were married August 22, 1971 in the Glennville United Methodist Church.

After marrying Alice, Joe graduated from Trenton State College Summa Cum Laude with an Accounting degree.  He then graduated from Rutgers University School of Law and returned to Glennville and has practiced Law Since 1977.  Joe has served as Municipal Court Judge of Glennville since 1982.  He was recently serving as Municipal Court Judge of Reidsville.  He represented the Board of Governors’ for the State Bar of Georgia from 1995 until 2008.  He also served on the Board of Governors’ of Pinewood Christian Academy from 2003 until 2015.  He was the Tattnall County Attorney from 1989 until his death.

The family is members of the Glennville United Methodist Church.  Joe and Alice have one son, Spencer Joseph McGovern.  He is the light and joy of their lives.  Joe loved his Church family, his law partners and staff, his helicopter brothers, his brothers of the bar and his many friends and neighbors in Glennville and Tattnall County.

Joe always said that Alice and Spencer brought great and lasting joy to his life.  The family is giving Joe’s friends an opportunity to pay their respects on Thursday, August 27, 2020 from the hours of 4:00pm to 7:00pm at the Glennville Funeral Home.  Funeral services will be conducted 10:00am on Friday, August 28, 2020 from the Chapel of the Glennville Funeral Home with Reverend Jim Morrow, Dr. Tom Sollosi, and Mr. Dylan Mulligan officiating.  Interment will follow in the Glennville City Cemetery with honors rendered by the US Army.

Pallbearers will be Larry Kennedy, Greg Oliver, Chad Kennedy, Wayne Dasher, Wayne Terrell, and Hugh McCullough.

Memorials may be given to the Glennville United Methodist Church, 116 South Caswell Street, Glennville, GA 30427.

Glennville Funeral Home is serving the McGovern family.