Joseph Raymond Corona obituary
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, September 15, 2023 in the McMullen Funeral Home chapel and crematorium. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at the funeral home, 3874 Gentian Blvd. Columbus, GA 31907. Burial will be conducted at Ft. Mitchell National Cemetery after the service.
Joe was born in New Orleans, Louisiana on October 2, 1937, the youngest child of Novella and Charles Corona. He grew up with his brothers in New Orleans and throughout his life, Joe carried with him his love of Cajun cooking and his fondness for saints (or not, depending on the year).
After graduating from high school, Joe joined 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 the adventures in the early part of his Air Force career, and had many great stories, he was most proud of his time as a special agent with the Office of Special Investigations. During his time in the Air Force, Joe also earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
Joe met Sherri McDougald while stationed at Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina and they married on January 31, 1969. Joe and Sherri had a daughter, Debbie, and two sons, John and Joey. After moving his family 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 nearly forty years of service to his country.
Joe loved playing golf and was happy to share this passion with his sons John and Joey. The many times I spent playing with the boys were fond memories, even if they would occasionally tease Joe about one of his bad shots. After retiring, Joe was able to play golf a lot and really enjoyed his regular range. Joe spoke fondly of the friendly competition and bets that could be settled with pocket change to a tee – the weekly bragging rights were the real treasure. Joe was always loving and protective of his family, and was committed to standing up for the right thing and acting with integrity. This sometimes included making what the family lovingly called a “personal visit” to solve one problem or another. Joe was a wonderful role model to his children and grandchildren, and his loss leaves a tremendous void.
In addition to his parents, Jo was preceded in death by her sister, Virgina Provenzano. Joe is survived by his wife, Sherri; 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, OR; 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.
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