The funeral service of Joe Malone Dye, will be conducted Friday, January 16, 2009, at 1:00 p.m., at the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, 217 South Washington Street, Albany. Reverend Alfred Reid will officiate. Interment will follow in Riverside Cemetery.

Honorary Pallbearers will be his grandsons, Kamran Dye and Karston Dye; Monroe High School Class of 1966; Brothers of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.

Active Pallbearers will be William M. Carroll, Jr., John Cross, Wilbur Hudson, Leroy M. Ross, Jr., William F. Ross, Robert H. Simmons, III, Leon G. Thomas, Thomas E. Thomas.

Joe, "Ar-Goodbye," as affectionately called by his grandchildren, was the son of the late Thomas Dye of Lumpkin, Georgia and the late Eddie Mae West Dye of Bainbridge, Georgia. He entered this earthly world on October 19, 1949 in Albany, Georgia and was called Home to reunite with his parents and his HEAVENLY FATHER on Friday, January 9, 2009 at his home in
Marietta, Georgia.

Joe received his early education in the public school system in Albany. He made the early
decision to forego his kindergarten year and move on to the first grade. He would later state his reason for this as, "I did not want to take a nap, so I ran away and went home." During his
high school years he was very active in both academic and extracurricular activities. Joe had
many wonderful classmates and friends who highly respected him. Upon becoming a National
Merit Scholar, Joe received scholarships offers from colleges and universities throughout the
United States. He decided to attend Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, where he
received a full four-year scholarship. His parents and other family members were always very
proud of his accomplishments.

Joe entered Morehouse College in the fall of 1966 as a 16-year-old freshman and began his post-secondary education, majoring in Accounting and Economics. During that year, Joe met
and fell in love with Julia Ann Ross, a 17-year-old Spelman freshman. This was a most
groundbreaking encounter, because three years after their meeting on June 4, 1969, they were
married and a love affair spanning over 39-and-a-half years was forged. From this union two
sons, Sean Patrick and Stephen Gerrard, were born.

During his sophomore year, he made another bold decision to pledge the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. In the spring of 1968 his decision came to fruition, and he was initiated into Psi Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. as one of the "Elusive Eleven."

Joe completed his degree requirements and graduated from Morehouse in May of 1970,
earning his B.A. in Accounting and Economics. He then entered Georgia State University and
received his Masters in Business Administration (MBA) in Marketing in August of 1971.

Joe's business career began in Atlanta with Ernest and Ernest (Young) CPA Firm in 1971, and
in 1976 he moved his family to Dothan, Alabama, where he was employed by Great Northern
Nekoosa Papers. In 1988, he returned to Atlanta as the Western Division Internal Auditor for
Georgia Pacific Corporation. Most recently, he was employed with Jos. A. Bank Clothiers in
sales.

Joe greatly loved his family and worked very hard for them. In his own way, he tried his best
to make them happy in both good and difficult times.

Joe leaves to mourn his passing his wife, Julia; sons, Sean and Stephen; one daughter-in-law,
Windy Dowdell Dye; two grandsons, Kamran (9) and Karston (8); two sisters, Thomasine Dye-Thomas and Laura Kate Cartwright; two brothers, Thomas J. Dye and Charles M. Dye (Shirley); one maternal aunt, Mrs. Jessie Pearl Hardrick; a cousin/sister, Mrs. Naomi Carroll (William); a father-in-law, Leroy Ross, Sr.; and a host of other relatives and friends. He will always live in our hearts and minds.











The remains of Mr. Dye will lie in state at the church on Thursday, January 15, from 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.