Joseph "Joe" Creel

Mr. Joseph “Joe” Benjamin Creel, age 59 of Murray, Kentucky, formerly of Knoxville and Madisonville, Tennessee, passed away Thursday, January 23, 2025, at his home surrounded by his loved ones. 

Joe was born on January 29, 1965, in Philadelphia, Mississippi. He was employed by Progress Rail Services for over 25 years. He served in many roles over the years, most recently as a Regional Human Resource Manager. Joe was a member of First Baptist Church of Madisonville, Tennessee. He graduated from Madisonville High School, attended the University of Tennessee Knoxville, received an associate degree from Hiwassee College in Madisonville, Tennessee and graduated with Bachelor of Science degree from Carson Newman College in Jefferson City, Tennessee. His passions included University of Tennessee Football, four-wheeler riding in the mountains, snow skiing, motorcycles and later in his life, horseback riding and working on his small family horse farm in Kentucky. His biggest and greatest accomplishment was being “Pappy-Doodles” to his granddaughter and spending time with her on his farm, teaching her as he would put it how to be “cultured.”

He was preceded in death by his father, Rev. Albert “Bennie” Benjamin Creel; maternal grandparents, Clay and Margaret Watson; as well as paternal grandparents, Alford and Edith Creel. 

Survivors include his wife, Angela (Epps) Creel of Murray, Kentucky; they married on August 26, 1989, in Knoxville, Tennessee; one son, Alex Benjamin Creel and wife Jenna Dawn (Ross) Creel of Murray, Kentucky; one granddaughter, Collins Lane Creel of Murray, Kentucky; mother, Donna Clay (Watson) Creel of Petal, Mississippi; in-laws, Lawrence and Bobbie Epps of Knoxville, Tennessee; sister-in-law, Lisa Spitzer of Leesburg, Florida; one nephew, Christopher Spitzer of Leesburg, Florida; two nieces, Adrienne Roberts and Kelli Jo Mobbs both of Petal, Mississippi; one lifelong best friend whom he considered a brother, Robert Joe Lee of Colorado Springs, Colorado; as well as one sister, Gina Ginn of Petal, Mississippi. 

A funeral service will be held at 1:00 p.m., Thursday, January 30, 2025, at the J.H. Churchill Funeral Home and Cremation Services with Dr. Lon Shoopman officiating. Burial will follow in the Murray City Cemetery. Visitation will be held prior to the funeral service from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Thursday, January 30, 2025, at the J.H. Churchill Funeral Home and Cremation Services. Those who cannot be in attendance, the funeral service will be live streamed on J.H. Churchill Funeral Home and Cremation Services Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/j.h.churchill.home/

Expressions of sympathy can be made to the Anna Mae Owen Residential Hospice House, 803 Poplar Street, Murray, Kentucky 42071 or to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 6704, Hagerstown, Maryland 21741.

Online condolences can be made at www.jhchurchill.com