Joe Wade Dillard

Joe Wade Dillard, age 71, of Gatesville, passed away Friday August 23, 2013 at a local hospital. Services are scheduled for 10 AM Tuesday August, 27, 2013 at Scott’s Funeral Home Chapel in Gatesville, Texas. Burial will follow at Restland Cemetery. The family will receive visitors from 5 to 7 PM Monday at the funeral Home. Joe Wade Dillard was born January 26th, 1942 in Fort Worth, Texas. A Gatesville resident for over 35 years, he married his loving wife, Carol Ann Carothers, on October 7th, 1967. Joe and his brother Jimmy founded “B & F Millworks” a custom cabinet company in Mansfield, Texas and later he started “Joe D’s Cabinet Shop” in Copperas Cove, Texas in 1975. He spent the past thirty-seven years building hand crafted cabinets, and you don’t have to look far to find one of his custom cabinets in many of the homes in the Central Texas area. Joe loved his work and he loved working with wood. He took pride in the cabinets he built and there wasn’t any job he couldn’t do, no cut he couldn’t make, and no piece he couldn’t fix. The cornerstone on which Joe built his life was his devotion to his family, his relentless hard work and dependability, his everyday goodwill and honesty, his knack for quick witted humor, and his relationship with God. He accepted Christ as his savior in a small Methodist church in Fort Worth, Texas. Of his accomplishments, Joe took the most pride and joy in his family. He shared a lifelong love and friendship with Carol Ann and together they loved, supported, encouraged, and built into the lives of each of their children. Ask any of the kids and they will tell you about spending time together hunting, fishing, talking, watching old westerns, eating homemade ice cream or chocolate pie. Joe cherished his family and loved nothing more than them getting together and having fun. His grandkids were very special to him, one of his greatest joys was seeing them run through the door and jump into his lap. He delighted in watching them swim in the pool and playing in the living room floor. Joe loved fishing and hunting, and he loved the outdoors. It brought him a sense of serenity and peace. He loved old westerns and more importantly he loved the idea of the old West. He grew up watching Gene Autry, the Lone Ranger and Will Rogers. Those old cowboys were his heroes because they were strong, good hearted, courageous, and adventurous. In a sense, he modeled his life after them. He was an excellent marksman and avid fisherman. He started fishing early as a young boy with his brother, Jimmy, and for years they fished tournaments all over Texas. One of his greatest joys was hunting and fishing with his sons, retelling old hunting and fishing stories, and always scanning the horizon for wildlife. He was always the first to spot a coyote in the distance, a flock of dove flying low on the horizon, a swirl on the water from a fish, a covey of blue quail, or a buck’s antlers over the brush. The memories made with his family and friends will forever be cherished. Joe will be missed dearly by his loving wife Carol Ann of forty five years, his son Steve; his son David, wife Jennifer, daughter Emily and son Austin; his daughter Karen Griffith, husband Paul, and sons Kyler, Garrett and Carson Joe; his son Gary, wife Nicole and sons Wade and Weston; his sister Peggy Sotelo, husband Dennis; his many nephews and nieces. He was preceded in death by his parents, Wade and Louise Dillard; his brother Jimmy Brown; his sister Linda Ledyard Moore.