Joseph Henry Reagan

Son of the late Joseph H. Sr. and Theresia Brand Reagan, Joe was born in Louisville, KY on October 11, 1927. After graduating from St. Xavier High School in Louisville, he served in the US. Navy. When he returned home he enrolled at the University of Louisville where he received a Bachelor’s degree in Business Accounting. In 1950, he joined the Kroger Company where he worked for 42 years. With Kroger, he worked in Louisville, Kentucky, Memphis, Tennessee, and Little Rock, Arkansas before settling in Brentwood, Tennessee in 1974.

In 1950, Joe married Elizabeth Ann (Betty) Osbourn of Louisville, KY, and they raised 5 children together. They were married 45 years before she passed away in 1996 after battling brain cancer. Betty and Joe were communicants at Holy Family Catholic Church in Brentwood where they served on the committee to establish the Brentwood parish in the late 1980’s. Joe was a member of Parish Council, served as Eucharistic minister, lector, and usher, and was active in the Men’s Club.

Betty was the first female elected in 1989 to serve on the Brentwood City Commission. When she chose not to run for re-election after her four-year term, Joe chose to run for his wife’s open seat on the Commission. He was elected in May 1993 and served on the Commission until 2011. During his service, he was elected 3 times as mayor, and also served on numerous committees including the Planning Commission, Tree Committee, Friends of the Brentwood Library, Greater Nashville Regional Council, Metro Planning Organization, and the Regional Transportation Authority. He was also a member of the Williamson County and Brentwood Park Boards and the joint Williamson County/ Brentwood Park Board.

His largest volunteer effort came in 1993 as co-chairman of the building of the Brentwood Community Playground located in Crockett Park. The building of the playground was accomplished in just 5 days with the help of hundreds of volunteers and was funded by private donations only.

He was a member of the Brentwood Civitan Club since 1974 where he served as president three times. He was very active in the Civitan baseball/softball program and received the Civitan Club’s Outstanding Leader and the Civitan of the Year awards as well as the Kroger Company’s Outstanding Volunteer of the Year award on two occasions. He was also a member of the Brentwood American Legion Post 156 and the Williamson County Chamber of Commerce. In December 2010, Reagan announced that he did not intend to run for re-election that spring for Brentwood City Commission after symptoms of muscle weakness returned as a result of a 1954 bout of polio. In late 2018, the Williamson County Commission honored him for his many contributions to the community by naming the field at the Brentwood Indoor Soccer Arena after him.

Faith, family, and serving others were Joe’s life focus. Joe was a devoted family man and loved being with his family any time he could. He was a fan of many sports with March Madness being one of his favorites. He and Betty were avid Kentucky Derby followers and he loved a competitive game of cards. A spiritual man, Joe was very active in the church and loved participating in his Rosary group. He loved his

community dearly and served with honesty and integrity. He will be forever loved and missed until we meet again.

Survivors include his children, COL (Retired) Mike Reagan (Peggy) of Greensboro, GA; Steve Reagan (Pam) of Reno, NV; Patty Feinstein (Bob) of Spring Hill, TN; John Reagan (Leslie) of Kennedy, AL; and Mark Reagan (Julianna) of Franklin, TN; 12 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren.

Gathering of Family and Friends will be held on Friday, March 25 from 4-8 PM, concluding with the Rosary, at the Brentwood-Roesch-Patton Funeral Home in Brentwood, TN. Mass of Resurrection will be held on Saturday, March 26 at 10:30 AM at Holy Family Catholic Church in Brentwood, followed by burial at Woodlawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum in Nashville.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the charity of your choice.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.Brentwood-Roesch-PattonFuneralHome.com for the Reagan family.