Joseph Charles George

Joseph Charles George ("Jo Jo"), 92, of Louisville, KY, passed away peacefully in his home on September 27, 2023. He was born on August 5, 1931, in Louisville to the late Nicholas and Carrie Thomas George. He is the oldest of his late brothers Bobby, Donnie, Johnny and Carl.

He grew up during the Depression and was taught to appreciate the value of a dollar and hard work. As a youth, he would ride his bike from Cecil Avenue in the West End to Lake Louisvilla, a summer resort in the East End. He loved camping, hiking, and cooking as a Boy Scout.

He played sports growing up and loved talking about his days when he played football at Manual High School as a guard and won the state championship. He was also a great baseball player. However, on the day when he tried out for the baseball team, he had an eye appointment and they dilated his eyes so he couldn't see the ball. When asked why he didn't tell them he couldn't see, he simply said that his dad taught him "never to make excuses." He was as tough as they come and never backed down from a competition. He loved to draw and was a cartoonist for the Manual newspaper and quite talented.

After graduation from Manual, he joined the Air Force to serve his country in 1951. Shortly thereafter, he met his one and only love, Sally Kathryn Parks, and they were married in February of 1954. He was happily married to his late wife for 44 years.

Whether Jo Jo was working at his family's restaurants, Freddie's, Cunningham's, or The Haymarket, or running The Cardinal Inn, The Zanzibar, or Sandy's Restaurant, as co-owner with his brothers, you would always find him with a smile on his face. He is quite the legacy in Louisville with the Zanzibar, and the stories he would tell kept everyone entertained for hours.

He was one of the original founding members of the Lebanese-American Country Club and would spend every Sunday with his family there. People would come from near and far to challenge him in ping pong, as he was quite an amazing champ.

His family was his number one priority; he loved them with all his heart. He always put his family before money or his needs. He didn't skip a beat to take his family on summer vacations to Florida and traveled the U.S. for 11 weeks one summer. He is survived by his four children Kathy, Diana, Amy and Shaun and daughter-in-law Lisa; grandchildren Jesse (Linda), Jordan (Katie), Justin, Sally Jo (Eddie), Savannah and Zachary (Aliya); and great-grandchildren Joey and Amelia.

Jo Jo was an avid poker player and he couldn't be bluffed if he had the winning hand; you better be prepared to go "all in" and lose all your chips. He enjoyed trips to Vegas and tells stories of seeing Elvis and Cher in concert. He was ecstatic when the casino boat opened nearby where he made new friends and won many poker tournaments over the years.

He was a solid UofL fan and cheered the Cards on year after year.

Most importantly, his integrity, unselfishness, and kind spirit was loved by all and his strong faith carried him through the end of his long and wonderful life.

A visitation for Joseph will be held Friday, September 29, 2023, from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM, at Arch L. Heady and Son Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 7410 Westport Road, Louisville, KY 40222. A funeral service will occur Saturday, September 30, 2023, from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM, at St. Michael Orthodox Church, 3701 St. Michael Church Drive, Louisville, KY 40220.

Flowers are welcome, or memorial contributions may be made to DELTA Foundation Inc. (https://www.paypal.com/us/fundraiser/charity/3362864) or St. Jude (https://www.stjude.org/donate/donate-to-st-jude.html)

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.archLheadywestport.com for the George family.