Joe was born on January 6, 1947, in Fort Smith to the late Joseph Edgar Barron and Nell Jones Barron. He was raised in Chester, AR, graduated from Mountainburg High School, attended Westark Junior College, and graduated from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.
Joe served as the Partner in Charge of Tax at Baird, Kurtz & Dobson, Western AR Practice for 22 years during his 29-year career there. After retiring from BKD, he became a co-owner of a mortgage company with his wife, Sandra. He then retired from Potts & Company, CPAs in 2020. He was an active member of the Arkansas Society of CPAs, Western AR Estate Planning Council, and American Institute of CPAs. He was named Public Accountant of the Year by the Walton College of Business in 1995.
Joe was a member of Central Presbyterian Church for 45 years, where he served as a Ruling Elder, Deacon, Trustee, and participated in various committees for the Presbytery of Arkansas. He also served for 9 years as a member of the Board of Trustees at the University of the Ozarks. Joe was a long-standing member of the Fort Smith Noon Civics Club, Belle Point Lodge #20, and contributed his time to various community boards, including the Fort Smith Historical Society, Salvation Army, Fort Smith Chorale, and Western AR Community Foundation.
Joe is survived by his wife of 45 years, Sandra Hicks Barron, and his sons, Gregory Hicks Sanders (Marilyn Kramer Sanders), Jordan Marshall Barron, and Chandler Pierce Barron (Leslie Ford Barron). He is also survived by his grandchildren: Cole Sanders (Evan Mosier Sanders), Kara Sanders, Faith Sanders, Chloe Moore, Charley Barron, Pierce Barron, and Max Barron.
Joe cherished his family, his church, and the written word. He developed a love for reading at an early age and never stopped, amassing a vast collection of books over the years. He enjoyed his Kindle, but he believed that there was no substitute for holding a physical book, preferably with its dust cover in place.
A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, October 17, 2023, at 10 AM at Central Presbyterian Church. Visitation with the family will follow the service.
Memorial contributions may be made to Central Presbyterian Church (centralfortsmith.org) or the Fort Smith Library (fortsmithlibrary.org).
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