Joe Ray Sudderth

Joe Ray Sudderth, 89, of Waco, passed away peacefully Friday, February 13, 2026. Visitation will be from 5:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. Wednesday evening, February 18, at Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey Funeral Home. The funeral service will be held at 1:00 p.m., Thursday, February 19, at First Presbyterian Church, 1100 Austin Avenue in Waco, with Rev. Dr. Leslie King officiating. Burial will follow at Oakwood Cemetery.

Our beloved and loving husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, lived in Waco, Texas for over 50 years with his devoted wife, Amelia, until her passing in 2022. Born and raised in Sherman, Texas, Joe graduated from Austin College. It was there that he met the one and only love of his life and heart, Amelia Poole. Joe and Amelia married in Bay City, Texas and enjoyed 59 beautiful years as husband and wife. Along with Amelia, Joe’s greatest joys in life were his children, granddaughters, and greatgrandson.

Joe served in the US Army as a medic in Germany until 1962, and there realized he wanted to spend his life helping others. He earned his master’s degree in social work from Florida State University in 1966. For the next four decades, Joe devoted his career to serving the people of Texas as a social worker for the Texas Department of Human Services.

Joe found great joy and comfort in his faith and church community at First Presbyterian Church, serving as a Deacon, Elder, and Sunday School Teacher. In the church basement in the 70’s, Joe helped establish the Food for People program, which later became Caritas of Waco. He served on many community boards and volunteer organizations, including Safe Kids, United Way, Family Counseling and Children’s Services, the Emergency Food and Shelter Board, and Tax Aide. He particularly enjoyed volunteering with Meals on Wheels in his later years.

Joe had a gift for making those around him feel welcomed, heard, accepted, and loved. He took time to truly listen to everybody, and he truly celebrated everyone fully for who they were. The love of God shone brightly through Joe, a rare combination of steadfast strength and gentle kindness. He made those around him feel relaxed and worthy of life and love. He was a deep thinker who exuded a sense of peace but was not afraid to speak up with a contrary position, and it was always on the side of mercy and sticking up for someone or a group of people. If you asked Joe for a dollar, he would give you his last ten, and somehow make you feel like you were helping him by taking it.

Joe enjoyed many adventures, from family camping and travel to quiet days fishing and sailing. He was a talented, creative woodworker, and his hand-crafted furniture, instruments, sailboat, and additions to the family home are among his many lasting creations. He was an avid reader, sometimes for relaxation and amusement, and sometimes to nourish his desire for lifelong learning.

Joe was an amateur musician who played the dulcimer, autoharp, harmonica, and harkening to his Scottish ancestry, the bagpipe. A devoted gardener who relished helping things grow, he planted and tended his plants until his last days. If you ever talked to Joe, you know he was an artful storyteller; always ready with a good tale to tell, never rushed. He laughed and smiled easily and enjoyed life’s simple pleasures and encouraged those around him to do the same.

Joe was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Amelia Poole Sudderth, his parents, and his three siblings. He left this world as he lived in it: gentle, kind, and full of love. Joe and Amelia are reunited. The world is a much better place because of their example of unconditional caring and kindness.

Joe is survived by his three children, Mark (and Margaret) Sudderth of Fort Worth, David Sudderth of Waco, and Sara (and Bryan) Shippey of Austin. Joe’s five granddaughters brought him so much pride and joy: Darla (and Anthony) Madrid, Anna Sudderth, Martha Sudderth, and Faith and Ellen Shippey, as well as great-grandson Caleb Madrid. He is also survived by many loving nieces, nephews, cousins, and special friends who are like family.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the Mission Fund of First Presbyterian Church of Waco, Meals on Wheels, Caritas of Waco, or a charity of your choice.

Joe’s family invites you to leave a message or memory in his online “Memorial Guestbook” at www.WHBfamily.com.