Joe Dorris

Joe Miller Dorris, son of the late Reynold and Olva Allen Hudson Dorris of Goodlettsville, TN, left us on July 16, 2019. He was born on July 3, 1943 in Goodlettsville, TN and married Claire Kendall Dorris of Ridgely, TN on August 15, 1964. He looked forward to his reunion with her through the Grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

He received his BE degree from the Vanderbilt School of Engineering in 1965 and earned his MBA degree from the University of Memphis in 1970. After graduation from Vanderbilt, he worked for various companies, including McDonnell Aircraft, RCA, Union Carbide, R.O. Whitesell Associates and Futaba Corporation of America. He established Futaba Corporation of America Operations in Huntsville in 1985 and retired in 2006 as President and CEO.

At Vanderbilt he was a major sponsor of the Vanderbilt Association for Technology Management program, and he enabled the enrollment of graduate students in both the Vanderbilt Engineering School and the Owen Graduate School of Management. He received the Vanderbilt School of Engineering Distinguished Alumni Service Award for his support of the Vanderbilt Motorsports program and was inducted into the Academy of Distinguished Alumni of the Vanderbilt School of Engineering. He was an active member of the Vanderbilt School of Engineering Committee of Visitors and a member of the Fred J. Lewis Society. He also supported UAH, the University of Memphis, the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra, Riley Hospital for Children Hospital, Indianapolis, and the Mayo Clinic Foundation.

He had a passion for open wheel INDYCAR racing and sponsored many cars and drivers at the Indy 500 races. His hobby was family genealogy, and was a member of the Fairfax Resolves Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution. He attended Trinity United Methodist Church.

Survivors include his wife, Claire Kendall Dorris; daughters, Margaret Dorris Laymac of Cumming, GA and Mary Dorris Schroeder of Nolensville, TN; brother, Robert Reynold Dorris of Goodlettsville, TN; sister, Olva Kimmel Schumann; nephew, Robert Schumann of Huntsville; and grandchildren, Michael, Madeleine, Jack and James Laymac, and Lily Schroeder.

Visitation will be from 10:30 to 11 a.m. Saturday at Laughlin Service Funeral Home in Huntsville, AL, with the funeral following in the chapel. Graveside funeral service will be at 2:00 p.m. Sunday, July 21, 2019 at New Haven Cemetery in Ridgely, TN.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society (cancer.org)