Judge Joe Bob Golden Jr.
February 15, 1933 - May 27, 2016
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Joe Bob Golden - 1950’s golf
A celebration of the life of Judge Joe Bob Golden, Jr., 83, of Jasper, will be at 11:00 a.m. Monday, May 30, 2016 at First United Methodist Church, Jasper. A private burial will precede the service. Visitation will be from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., Sunday, May 29, 2016 at Stringer & Griffin Funeral Home.
Joe Bob Golden, Jr. was born February 15, 1933, in Wichita Falls, Texas, and died May 27, 2016 in Jasper, Texas, surrounded by family. A longtime resident of Jasper, he was a 1950 graduate of Vernon High School in Vernon,Texas and a 1954 graduate of the University of Texas. While attending UT, he was also a member of the Men’s golf team, coached by legendary teacher Harvey Penick. Later, Penick would entrust Golden and hired him to be the first assistant coach at the University of Texas. He went on to serve in the U.S. Air Force as an intelligence officer in England. While there, he continued his championship caliber golf and competed in several European championships, including four British Amateurs and three British Open Championships. After military service, Joe Bob returned to Texas to attend the University of Texas School of Law and met the love of his life, and married, Suzanne Collier. He graduated from law school at the University of Texas in 1960 then moved to Beaumont to serve as the first law clerk for Federal District Judge Joe J. Fisher in 1961. Two years later he moved to Jasper, went into private practice and continued until 1988, when he was elected State District Judge, 1st Judicial District, representing Jasper, Newton, Sabine and San Augustine counties. Upon retirement in 2008, Judge Golden was the founder and Executive Director of the 1st Judicial District Alternative Dispute Resolution Corporation and Director of the Jasper Mediation Center.
Judge Golden was a longtime member of the First United Methodist Church of Jasper, on the Board of Regents of Stephen F. Austin State University, past director of the First National Bank of Jasper, and Vice-Chairman of Lakes Area Hospice.
An avid golfer, Judge Golden took great pride that he and his daughter Kate were the only parent and child to have won individual championships in Southwest Conference history.
Joe Bob is preceded in death by his father, Joe Bob Golden, Sr. and mother Jessie Gray Golden, and his sister, Jeanelle Golden Warburton.
Survivors include his wife of 58 years, Suzanne Collier Golden of Jasper, son, Andrew Warren Golden and wife Lauralee Popejoy Golden of Jasper, son, Joe Alan Golden and wife Jill Boyd Golden of San Antonio, and daughters, Jacqueline Gray Golden and Katherine Elizabeth Golden, both of Austin, and four grandchildren, Andrew Zachary Golden, Catherine Grace Golden, Grayson Collier Golden, and Abby Leigh Golden.
Memorial donations may be made to the First United Methodist Church of Jasper, 329 N. Bowie St., Jasper, Texas 75951.
Services are under the direction of Stringer & Griffin Funeral Home of Jasper.