SAVANNAH – Joe Garland Higgs, retired Chief of Engineering Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah, and Europe died on December 20, 2013 at the age of 89. Joe was born in Lenoir City, Tennessee and grew up in Knoxville, Tennessee. He interrupted his college career to serve as a fighter pilot in WWII in the Ninth Air Force, Europe, flying the P-47 single engine fighter. He later graduated from the University of Tennessee and obtained a graduate engineering degree at Purdue University.
Joe was one of the first engineers in Thule, Greenland. He started his career in Savannah with the Corps of Engineers in 1954. Joe then spent 10 years in Mobile and Huntsville, Alabama with the Missile Defense System and NASA Space Shuttle Program. Then back to Savannah as Chief of Engineering Division in 1973. In 1978, he was promoted to Chief of Engineering Division, Corps of Engineers, Europe where he fought the Cold War and served in this capacity in Frankfurt, Germany for 14 years. Joe was U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Civilian of the Year, 1983. Joe was a Charter Member of the Senior Executive Service and was honored by President Ronald Reagan at the White House.
Joe was a member of many professional organizations including the Society of Civil Engineers and the American Military Engineers, Tau Beta Pi and Pi Kappa Alpha. Joe has been a member of First Presbyterian Church since his wedding there in 1953. He was an Eagle Scout.
He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Mary Louise Dutton Higgs, and two sons, Steven Laxton Higgs of Roanoke, VA and David Franklyn Higgs of Savannah, and three grandchildren.
Funeral Services will be on Monday, December 23, 2013, at 12:00 Noon, at First Presbyterian Church on Washington Avenue, with Dr. Stephen Williams officiating.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to: The Fresh Air Home, Post Office Box 14144, Savannah, Georgia, 31416.
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