Joe James Free

On September 9/23/2024, Joe James Free left this earth to be with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Joe was born on May 17, 1942 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Joe attended West End High School in Birmingham, Alabama where he met his future wife, Connie Jane Limbaugh. They both graduated high school together in 1960, were married on June 28, 1962. They and went on to have 2 sons, Joe Brayton (Brad) Free and Craig Michael Free.

Joe and Connie lived in Birmingham, Alabama where he worked as a member of the sheet metal union for over 25 years. Joe and his family traveled down to Panama City Beach, Florida multiple times a year where they would spend most of their time on the Gulf of Mexico deep sea fishing. They loved going to the Florida Panhandle so much that in 1985, Joe decided to move his family to PCB where he would start his own sheet metal and air conditioning company, Custom Air and Metal. Joe owned and operated Custom Air and Metal until his retirement in 2011. In 2019, Joe and Connie moved from PCB to the suburbs of Atlanta to be closer to their granddaughter, Anna Christine Free. 

 To say Joe was an avid fisherman would be an understatement. Joe absolutely loved fishing in the Gulf and spent every possible second on the water fishing. As much as he loved fishing himself, he actually had more joy watching his friends and family reel in trophy catches while he captained the boat and put them right on top of the fish. His primary expertise was bottom fishing where he and his crew regularly loaded the fish box up with grouper, red snapper, trigger fish, amberjack and all sorts of other reef dwelling fish.

 Joe was also a huge fan of the University of Alabama and attended numerous baseball, basketball and football games over the years. Whether he watched the game on TV or attended games in person, he was Bama’s biggest fan through the great seasons as well as the bad seasons. If an Alabama game was being played, he could be found watching it and pulling for his beloved hometown team.

 Joe is preceded in death by his wife of 62 years Connie, his parents James M. Free and Christine K. Free, and sister Ann F. Nelson. He is survived by his sons Brad (Cathy) and Craig (Robin), his granddaughter Anna, and his brothers Robert W. Free (Sharon), Carl A. Free (Dorothy), and John Free.

Online guest book at www.westcobbfuneralhome.com.