Joe Riley Denson, 75 of Columbus, Georgia passed away peacefully on July 6, 2026.

A visitation celebration of life will be held 2:00 PM, Thursday, July 9, 2026 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 Boulevard, Columbus, GA 31907.

Born in Columbus, Georgia on January 17, 1951, Joe was a proud graduate of Jordan High School. He went on to earn both his Bachelors and Masters degrees from Troy State University.

There are many accomplishments that could help define Joe’s life. But Joe prioritized being remembered for his Christian faith. Joe’s faith was the foundation for everything he did. Joe always carried pins that he had made that symbolized Jesus dying “between two thieves”. Joe used these pins not simply to hand out to others but to start a conversation about what mattered most to him. Joe was a member of Church on the Trail in Midland, Georgia.

Masonically, Joe was past master of the Rose Hill Lodge #484 F&A. Joe was also a 32nd degree Scottish Rite Mason. And as a member of the Al Sihah Shrine Temple Hi Jinx Unit, Joe enjoyed making the children smile.

In a remarkable career in law enforcement, Joe served 32 years with the Muscogee County Sheriff’s department. He retired as a Sergeant in the Sheriff’s Department, and was widely known for his loyalty to the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Department. He proudly served as a reserve deputy under Sheriff Greg Countryman until his death. Joe was assigned to the court division of the Sheriff’s department for most of his career where he was a daily fixture in the courtroom, more recognizable to many citizens than the judges whose name was assigned to the courtroom. In this role, he witnessed thousands of jury trials and court proceedings. Quite often, the smart lawyers would come to Joe at the end of a trial to get his perspective on the trial of the case. These lawyers knew that Joe’s perspective on their case was an insightful and reliable review of the persuasiveness of their case. Joe had that sense of fundamental fairness and compassion that is often difficult for ordinary people to define.

After his retirement from the Sheriff’s Department, Joe was employed by the Gower Law Firm for over 20 years where he used his various skills learned over decades in law enforcement to help clients of the law firm solve important life crises and improve their lives. Joe made countless lifetime friends in that role, and he will not be forgotten by those whose lives he helped to improve through his advice and wisdom.

Simply put, “Joe was a nice guy who never met a stranger.” To go to lunch with Joe was a privilege that required patience because he knew everyone in the restaurant, and he refused to leave a friend unacknowledged. “How are you doing?”, “How is your family?”, and “If there is anything that I can do for you, you call me at this number.” are signature lines of his that we all will remember.

Joe loved and devoted time to work and his community, but he loved his family even more. He was a devoted husband, proud dad and loving grandfather. Joe cherished every opportunity he could spend with his family and never missed an opportunity to tell them how much he loved them.

Joe is preceded in death by his parents, George W. Denson and Ethel Denson Nix and his brothers Horace Jenkins and Wayne Jenkins. Joe is survived by beloved wife and faithful life partner, Suzan Denson; his children, Maggie Joe Thaxton (Austin), Shondra Denson Bush (Stephen), James Donald Denson (Melissa), Jason Carter and Jared Carter. He is also survived by his sister, Ann Jenkins Carver; and grandchildren, Cade Carter, Kaylee Carter, Mattie Carter, Genevieve Denson, O’Ryan Denson and Walker G. Thaxton.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Joe’s memory to one of Joe’s lifelong passions, The Rose Hill Masonic Lodge #484, 915 31st Street, Columbus, GA, United States, 31904