Joe Wayne VanZant

Joe served his country when he joined the Navy at the age of 18 and had a distinguished 22 year career. Much of his Navy experiences was spent overseas, with the bulk of it being spent on troop and aircraft carriers. Retiring in 1975 from the USS Saratoga. After the Navy, he worked for Cargill, while attending evening classes for horticulture and retired from Cargill after 20 years. Not being happy to have so much down-time, he and his wife Carol, spent the next 8-10 years making memories and life-long friends by working at the ballpark for the Texas Rangers baseball team.

Joe loved southern gospel music, fishing, watching the rain and thunderstorms on his back patio, playing with his kids and grandkids, and watching black and white westerns. He never met a stranger, and talked about Jesus to everyone he met.

His favorite verse was I Peter 5:7 -“Casting all your care upon him, for He careth for you.”

He was preceded in death by his parents Lewis A VanZant and Naomi Allison, brothers Thomas VanZant and Jimmy VanZant, and sister Margaret Reeder. He is survived by his wife Vivian Carol VanZant; Roger, wife Marilyn and son Timothy and wife Katy; CA, his husband Chris, and son Corey and wife Chelsea; Valentina, daughter Lauren and her husband Devan, and son Jarod; and numerous great grandkids with one great grandgirl on the way.

A visitation for Joe will be held Tuesday, August 5, 2025 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Shannon Rufe Snow Drive Funeral C, 6001 Rufe Snow Drive, Fort Worth, TX 76148. A funeral service will occur Wednesday, August 6, 2025 at 10:30 AM, 6001 Rufe Snow Drive, Fort Worth, TX 76148. A committal service will occur Wednesday, August 6, 2025 at 1:00 PM at Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery, 2000 Mountain Creek Pkwy, Dallas, TX 75211.