Joseph Raymond Corona

Joseph Raymond Corona, 85, passed away on Monday, September 11, 2023,at Columbus Hospice in Columbus, Georgia.

Funeral services will be held 11:00 AM Friday, September 15, 2023 in the chapel of McMullen Funeral Home and Crematory. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at the funeral home, 3874 Gentian Blvd. Columbus, GA 31907. Interment will be held at Ft. Mitchell National Cemetery following the service.

Joe was born in New Orleans, Louisiana on October 2, 1937, the youngest child of Novella and Charles Corona. Joe was raised with his siblings in New Orleans and throughout his life, Joe carried with him his love for Cajun cooking and fondness for the Saints (or Ain’ts, depending on the year).

After graduating from high school, Joe enlisted in the United States Air Force and had the opportunity to serve in Alaska, Scotland, Korea, Thailand (twice!), and Germany, among other locations. Although Joe spoke fondly of adventures in the early part of his Air Force career, and had many great stories, he was most proud of his time served as a Special Agent with the Office of Special Investigations. During his time in the Air Force, Joe also obtained bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

Joe met Sherry McDougald while stationed at Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina and they married on January 31, 1969. Joe and Sherry had a daughter, Debbie, and two sons, John and Joey. After family moves to California and Germany, Joe retired from the Air Force and continued his career as a Special Agent with the Department of Defense. This second career eventually led him to Columbus,and Joe retired there in 1996 after almost forty years of service to his country.

Joe loved to play golf and was thrilled to share this passion with his sons John and Joey. The many times spent playing with the boys were cherished memories, even if they occasionally teased Joe about one of his bad shots. After he retired, Joe was able to play a lot more golfand really enjoyed his regular group. Joe spoke fondly about the friendly competition and wagers that could be settled with change from the tee pocket - weekly bragging rights were the real treasure.Always loving and protective of his family, Joe was committed to standing up for the right thing and acting with integrity. Occasionally this included making what the family lovingly called “a personal visit” to resolve one problem or another. Joe set an amazing example for his kids and grand kids, and his loss leaves a tremendous void.

In addition to his parents, Joe was preceded in death by sister Virgina Provenzano. Joe is survived by his wife Sherry; daughter and son-in-law Debbie and Alan Coggins of Sanford, North Carolina; son and daughter-in-law John and Pam Corona of Columbus, Georgia; son and daughter-in-law Joe and Jill Corona of Portland, Oregon; brother John Corona of Texas; brother and sister-in-law Charles and Annie Corona of New Orleans; and numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and extended family members.