“My uncle loved The Three Stooges, and we thought it only appropriate we show them at his funeral,” said Joe’s niece, Tammy Markland.

Joe grew up on Broad Street. The house he lived in was one that was torn down to make way for Hardee’s. Joe was never married. He lived with and cared for his mother as long as she lived.

Joe lettered in baseball and football at Elizabethton High School. “He was the kicker on the football team and picked up the nickname ‘Joe the Toe,’” Tammy shared.

In 1958 when Joe was playing baseball for the Cyclones the team went to the playoffs. He also continued to play baseball while serving in the United States Air Force at Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas. “My uncle followed sports all his life, and he would have been proud of this year’s Cyclone football team,” said Tammy.

Joe worked at TPI Industries for several years in the Human Resource Dept. He retired from Bosch as a production operator.

Although a quiet man, Joe had a lot of fun. He was a founding member of the local Western Film Club and for a long time went to the VA every Saturday morning to show the old western films in their theater for the veterans. He traveled to film conventions across the country every year to collect the old films, and met many of the actors from his childhood movies in person. “Joe had a lifelong passion for movies of all types, but his favorite was westerns,” said Tammy.

“He enjoyed getting with friends and watching the movies. They would watch movies and laugh and tell stories for hours. I’ve just inherited over a thousand of those old movies,” noted Tammy, who said the film “Shane” was Joe’s favorite.

Joe was also a fan of Andy Griffith and had met many of the show’s stars.

He also enjoyed traveling to Atlanta to see the Braves play baseball.

Tammy shared that Joe was a great uncle. “I remember once he took me to see the Harlem Globetrotters, and whatever was on ice, he took us to see the productions. And, he always took us to the Bonnie Kate to see new movies, when they came out. He was the best.”

At the time of his death, Joe had three nieces. In addition to Tammy, his nieces included Shannon Harr and Shawn Young. Also, a niece, Rachael Anderson Crawford, preceded him in death. “He doted on us when we were little,” said Tammy.

In addition to being a quiet man, Joe was a simple man, who every day for lunch had a baloney sandwich with mustard and pickle. “He also enjoyed a bowl of soup beans. He wasn’t a cook. The only thing he could make was cornbread,” Tammy shared with a chuckle.

Joe had spent the last year and half of his life at Hillview Health Center.

Joe Fair was 78 years old when he died Nov. 16, but there’s no doubt that Joe Fair always wanted to be a little boy when he grew up. And, at heart he was.