Joseph "Joe" Brantley Durrett Jr.

Joseph “Joe” Brantley Durrett, Jr., known to nearly everyone who loved him as JoeBaby, passed away at home in the early hours of September 9, 2026. He was 91 years old and lived every one of those years with his whole heart, his door wide open, and a faith that shaped everything he did.

Joe was born on July 27, 1935, in Aliceville, Alabama, to Margaret Winston Durrett and Joseph Brantley Durrett, Sr. He was the second of four children, preceded by Margaret “Peggy” and followed by twins Anne and Charles. Joe was captain of the undefeated Aliceville High School football team before heading to the University of Mississippi to study chemical engineering. At Ole Miss, he edited the yearbook, served in the student senate, and was president of Phi Delta Theta. After graduation, work with Union Carbide brought him to Galveston, Texas.

It was there, in a church pew one Sunday morning, that he met Carolyn Cox. The two married on March 26, 1959, and it was the best thing that ever happened to him, a fact he confirmed readily to anyone who would listen.

Together, Joe and Carolyn welcomed three children: Joseph Brantley Durrett III, Charles Avington Durrett, and Marcy Durrett Johnston. Joe held them to high standards, believed fiercely in what they could become, and made sure they knew they were loved unconditionally, both by their parents and by their Creator.

Joe spent his career in the oil and gas industry, founding Sergeant Oil & Gas in 1976 and eventually moving his family to Houston. At work as everywhere else, he worked hard, treated people well, kept his word, and was generous to a fault with the success that followed.

Joe was a member of Second Baptist Church in Houston for decades, serving as a deacon, going faithfully to the prayer room each week, and leading Bible study and Sunday school classes. For years, he and Carolyn taught the newlyweds class together. But his faith extended far beyond the walls of the church. The Durrett house rarely seemed to have a closed door. If Joe came across someone stranded with a flat tire, he would stop to help fix it and, apparently seeing no reason the relationship should end there, invite them home for dinner that night, demonstrating God’s love and hospitality to all he encountered.

In 1990, Joe took on his favorite role yet: grandfather. He delighted in his six grandchildren and loved them fiercely. There were numerous trips, hotly contested games of gin rummy, endless bragging about their accomplishments to anyone willing to listen, and, when they were with him, his complete attention.

Joe never seemed to run out of things he wanted to know about the world or the people in it, a curiosity that took him and Carolyn all over the world together. But he may have been happiest at home with his family, sitting back with a smile while they laughed, talked over each other, told stories, debated, and enjoyed being together.

Carolyn was beside him through it all. For 67 years, they built a beautiful and loving family, welcomed countless people into their home, and created a life together that Joe never stopped being grateful for. In his final weeks, Joe told his family he was especially looking forward to seeing his parents and siblings again. We take great comfort in believing that reunion has now taken place because he placed his faith in Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.

Joe is survived by his beloved wife, Carolyn Durrett; his children, Joseph Brantley Durrett III and wife Shari Nelsen Durrett, Charles Avington Durrett and wife Annette Evans Durrett, and Marcy Durrett Johnston and husband David Johnston; and his grandchildren, Hailie Alexandra Durrett, Ashley Beatrice Durrett, Carolyn Johnston Neely and husband Jeff, Abbey Kathren Rindfleisch and husband Mason, David Lex Johnston Jr., and Brooke Anne Durrett.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Margaret Winston Durrett and Joseph Brantley Durrett, Sr.; his siblings, Margaret “Peggy” Durrett Gentry, Anne Durrett Randall, and Charles Bruce Durrett; and many dear friends.

A memorial service for Joe Durrett will be held on Saturday, September 26, at 11 a.m. at Forest Park Lawndale Funeral Home. The family welcomes all who knew and loved him.