Joel M. Burrow, Sr., of Marietta, Georgia, passed away quietly on November 15, 2025,
in the presence and thoughts of his immediate and extended family and friends. He
conquered several major medical issues during his lifetime and in spite of the effects
continued to thrive over the past several years, remaining positive until the very end.
Born on May 8, 1938, to Lemuel and Thea Burrow, Dad grew up in the Atlanta area and
attended secondary school at The Baylor School, an elite private military school
(Chattanooga, TN) as a young man. Dad remained active in the Alumni Association,
maintaining friendships with his fellow students, faculty, and staff, and even attended his
65th class reunion just a few short years ago. He attended LaGrange College, where
he met the love of his life (Susan Williams Burrow), and graduated from Georgia State
University with a Bachelor's Degree.
Dad and Mom were married on December 17, 1961, and celebrated almost 62 years
together before she passed away in 2023. Together, they had three children: Dr. Laura
K. Youngblood, Sharon Elizabeth Burrow, and Joel Martin Burrow, Jr. As the
generations continued, his new name became "Greatdaddy" which was the perfect
match! So far, the family has grown to a combined 14 grandchildren and step-
grandchildren and 5 step-great-grandchildren.
Dad's entire working career was in telecommunications and he witnessed key
advancements such as the transition from rotary phones to touch-tone, the very first 911
center, the introduction of dial-up internet service, the conversion of cellular networks
from analog to digital, and the virtual disappearance of landlines and fax machines.
Dad served in the United States Army Reserve and was honorably discharged in 1967.
Additionally, he had 50 years of service with the Shriners, was an active Mason, and a
decades long supporter of the American Red Cross through blood donation
Dad and Mom started their family in Atlanta, but moved to Claxton, GA to raise their
children in a small, close knit community. He was a frequent visitor to the Claxton
Fruitcake Company, along with his father-in-law's ice plant and appliance store. For
many years, their church home was the Claxton United Methodist Church. In later
years, Dad returned to what is now Claxton First Church. He transferred his
membership and was active in attending online services, as well as making the
occasional drive down for an in-person visit .

Mom and Dad moved to Marietta in 1987 where they remained in their home for the
past 38 years. During this time, they made countless friendships with neighbors and
kept in contact with many who moved away. Both of them enjoyed traveling in
retirement, especially to their favorite destination of Bermuda where they visited
annually to celebrate their anniversary. After Mom passed, Dad continued to travel. At
86, he drove by himself to Salt Lake City, UT to visit his grandson, Wesley Burrow and
he took a trip with his son and daughter-in-law, Martin and Katy Burrow, to Switzerland
earlier this year.
Anyone who met Dad was in for a treat. He could share stories about virtually any
topic from his life experiences. He enjoyed making connections with people and had
the uncanny ability to recognize them whenever their paths crossed again, no matter
what city or small town or how long or short their conversation. He enjoyed genealogy
and documenting what he learned about his family history.
In lieu of flowers, Dad requested that gifts be made to the Claxton First Church via the
link on their website (https://claxtonfirst.com/giving).
A celebration of life will be held on 12/06/2025. Anyone interested can contact a
member of the family for more information.