Joe H. Virden

Joe Virden 75 of Amarillo died Saturday, March 24, 2012 at his home. Celebration of Life Services will be at 3 p.m. Sunday April 1st at Destiny's Garden 1134 E. Loop 335 S. Amarillo, Texas. Cremation and Arrangements are by Rector Funeral Home Osage Chapel, 2800 S. Osage St. Amarillo, Texas Joe Virden was born in Plainview, Texas on December 1, 1936 to Ben T. Virden and Selma Bass Gardner. He attended Amarillo schools. He served in the United States Marine Corps and was stationed at Mare Island in Vallejo, California. Joe met his future wife, Jenny on a blind date. 3 months later they were married in Reno, NV. They were married 56 years. He owned several butcher shops in San Francisco and the bay area. He also owned Holbrook Family Billiards Center and Joe The Butchers Restaurant in Concord, California. In 1973 he moved his family back to Amarillo and purchased Virdens Perma Bilt Co. He invented a urethane water windmilll pump system, which is working today, throughout the United States and a few foreign countries. He volunteered for Meals on Wheels and Odyssey Hospice. He enjoyed BMW motorcycles and cars, music, movies, all his dogs, his work and a good joke. He was a member of the Amarillo Inventors Association and the U.S. Chess Federation. May we all be inspired by his ambition and strong will. He is survived by his loving wife, Jenny, 2 daughters Audrey Davis and her husband Tony of Jacsonville, Florida, Terri Harris and Husband Gary of Amarillo; 2 granddaughters, Erin McCarty and her husband Kenny of Enterprise, Alabama and Wendy Canada of Amarillo; 3 great-grandchildren, Logan, Hunter and Maci; 1 sister, Dr. Carolyn Brown and her husband, Dr. George Brown and family of Alaska and step-mother, Bethel Virden of Amarillo; his California family and all the friends he made along the way. The family would like to express their heartfelt gratitude to Interim Health Services and the Thomas E. Creek Veterans Affairs Medical Center. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial donations be to Interim Hospice or Amarillo Animal Rescue Shelter.