Joe Hastings

Lt. Col. (Ret.) Joe F. Hastings was born in Stuttgart, Ark., on March 5, 1922 to John Wesley and Rosa Lee Hastings and departed this life on Feb. 17, 2011 at the age of 88. He graduated from Beebe High School and Beebe Junior College (ASU) and was a member of the Beebe basketball team that won the state title in 1941. Upon graduating from high school, he joined the Third Marine Division, 21st Regiment, K Company on Sept. 7, 1942 and served in the Pacific for four years, until World War II ended. He saw action in Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Eniwetck, Guam and Iwo Jima. After the war, he taught school and was a principal in Beebe before moving to North Little Rock to work for the Arkansas Army National Guard. He retired after 31 years. Most of those years he served as Post Commander and as G4 where he was responsible for all the armories in the state. He was also company commander of his reserve unit in Beebe and was activated during the desegregation of Central High School in Little Rock in 1957. He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Rosa Lee Hastings, six siblings, his beloved wife of 57 years, Peggy J. Hastings, and his precious granddaughter Karen Cox Powers. He is survived by his daughters, Peggy Gay (Robert) and Karen Yezzi (Domenick) of North Little Rock, and sons Lloyd Hastings (Paula) and Mark Hastings (Kelli) of Beebe, nine grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorials be made to ASU-Beebe, Attn: Rosemary Frame, PO Box 1000, Beebe, Ark., 72012 or the charity of your choice. A visitation will be held at Griffin Leggett Rest Hills, 7724 Landers Road, Sherwood, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 21, 2011. The funeral service will be held at Griffin Leggett Rest Hills Funeral Home on Tuesday, Feb. 22, at 10 a.m. Interment will follow with full military honors. www.griffinleggettresthills.com.