Joseph "Joe" Channing McGuirk

Joe was a fun-loving child with many friends and a passion for playing with turtles and snakes, often scaring his mother. He excelled in school and developed an interest in sports from a young age.

When Joe was young, the family moved from Kansas to Nebraska, then to Iowa, and at the age of 10, the family moved to Atlanta where Joe became deeply involved in Pop Warner Football, playing for several years on various little league teams. When Joe was 13, despite weighing only 80 pounds, he tried out for the prestigious Atlanta Pop Warner 120-pound traveling team. Out of 1,500 boys, he was one of the 22 selected, demonstrating his athleticism, skill, and determination. A talented athlete, Joe participated in a variety of sports, including soccer, baseball, basketball, track, wrestling, and football. When the family moved to Houston in 1979, Joe played football for Klein High School as the team's quarterback.

After graduating from Klein High School in 1983, Joe set his sights on becoming a commercial airline pilot. He earned two associate degrees and a Bachelor of Science in Aviation Management, completing all three within three years while maintaining a 3.0 GPA.

Joe went to fly for over 20 years with Delta Connection (Business Express), Continental Express, and American Eagle, piloting various aircraft, including turboprops and turbojets, as a flight captain. While flying for Business Express, he traveled to England to train on one of their largest four-engine jets. Joe was also an entrepreneur, owning a successful courier service and, most recently, a cedar fence company.

An avid outdoor enthusiast, Joe loved hiking, camping, fishing, and hunting. He had a passion for the Appalachian Trail and walked portions of this massive trail on two occasions.

As a collector, Joe had a special interest in Coca-Cola memorabilia. He amassed an impressive collection of old bottles, cans, and unique one-of-a-kind Coca-Cola antiques, including a 10-cent Coca-Cola machine.

Though Joe's life was tragically cut short by lung cancer, he lived life fully. He cherished time watching sports, embarking on outdoor adventures, working, and spending time with his many friends and family, especially his nieces and nephews. Joe will be deeply missed by his family and all who knew him.

Services for Joe will be held at a later time. In accordance with Joe's wishes, his ashes will be spread on the Appalachian Trail.

Joe is survived by his parents Patrick and Ann McGuirk (Spring, TX), his brother, Patrick Jr. (Sugar Hill, GA), and his sisters, Melanie Royal (Jeff) of Fort Worth, TX, and Diana Topjon (Greg) of Olathe, KS. He also leaves behind six nieces and nephews; Tiffany (Jonathan) Babb, Sean (Jamie) McGuirk, Blake (Courtney) Royal, Clark (Emma) Topjon, Kelley (Evan) Williams, and Grant (Emily) Topjon, as well as five grandnieces and two grandnephews.