Joseph Francis Driscoll

Joseph “Joe” Francis Driscoll, 79, of Nashville, Tenn., died June 18, 2022. He was born on April 23, 1943, in Louisville, Ky., the third of five children born to Francis X. and Elizabeth (Brisse) Driscoll. He attended Catholic primary school, St. Xavier Catholic High School, and graduated from Bellarmine University in Louisville.

Joe served honorably in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War and was awarded the Purple Heart.

Joe moved to Knoxville, Tenn., where he met his wife, Becky Thomas, a realtor. The two of them worked as a team in real estate from 1984, until he retired. After they moved to Nashville, in addition to selling real estate, Joe served as a consultant to C&S/Sovran Bank to resolve redlining discrimination and help people become first-time homebuyers.

Joe was a member of the Middle Tennessee Agricultural Club, a local Vietnam veterans association, and the Donelson-Hermitage (Tenn.) Chamber of Commerce. He was active in civic and social-action organizations. He was a candidate for U.S. Congress in 1988 and ran for mayor of Nashville in 1991.

After teaching there for a year, Joe counted himself as the “Number One fan” of the Mount Juliet (Tenn.) High School football team, and he regularly attended their games—home and away. He supported the team members and coaches and attended many of their practices.

He was also a devoted member and CCD (Sunday school) teacher for more than 20 years at the Church of The Holy Rosary in Nashville, Tenn.

Joe’s parents, Francis X. and Elizabeth Driscoll, his brother, Francis Patrick Driscoll, and his dog, Smokey Driscoll, all preceded Joe in death. Left to celebrate his life are his wife, Becky Thomas; his son, Michael Rainey (Tracey) ; his sisters, Julie Driscoll, SCN, and Betty (Sergio) Portal; his brother, Dan (Patty) Driscoll-Shaw, and special friends, Sandy Kelly, and Randy Lundy.

A gathering of family and friends will be held on Fri., June 24, from 4:00-8:00 p.m. at Hibbett & Hailey Funeral Home, with a rosary at 7:00 p.m. Father Dan Steiner will celebrate mass at 10:00 a.m., on Sat., June 25, at Church of The Holy Rosary, 192 Graylynn Drive, Nashville, Tenn. 37211. A burial with military honors will follow at the Wilson County Memorial Gardens, 618 South Maple Street, Lebanon, Tenn. 37087.

Pallbearers are Dillon Eakes, Gary Enzfelder, Rich Kelly, David Pine, Adam Thomas, and Joe Thomas. Honorary pallbearers include the past and present football players, cheerleaders, and coaches of Mount Juliet High School.

The family asks that friends contribute either to Open Table Nashville (http://opentablenashville.org), Metro (Nashville) Animal Care and Control (for feeding, adoption, and veterinary care), People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (to combat factory farming), or Room in the Inn of Nashville, in lieu of flowers. Options for donating to these organizations are available on their websites.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at http://HibbettHaileyFH.com.