Joseph A. Molony

Joseph Anthony “Joe” Molony, 78, died April 6, 2004, at Portsbridge Hospice Hospital in Macon. A Funeral Mass will be held Saturday April 10th at 1 p. m. in Sacred Heart Catholic Church with entombment following in the mausoleum of Magnolia Park Cemetery. Father Fred Nijem will officiate. A Rosary will be said Friday April 9th at 6 p. m. in the Chapel of McCullough Funeral Home with visitation immediately thereafter.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to one of the following organizations: Lions International agencies, Sacred Heart Catholic Church Building Fund, or Portsbridge Hospice Hospital of Macon.

Molony was born in Charleston, SC in 1925 and was educated at Cathedral Grammar School, Craft Public School, High School of Charleston and the University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC. At the age of 17 he volunteered for the Navy in October 1943 and served as a signalman. He was honorably discharge in April 1945.

He received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Journalism from the University of South Carolina in 1950. He had served as sports editor and editor of The Gamecock and was co-founder of the Charleston-Carolina Club. He was a member of the Kappa Sigma Kappa leadership service fraternity.

He worked on newspapers throughout the Southeast in South Carolina, North Carolina and Florida. He was editor of the 1957-58 Lake City (FL) Reporter, No. 1 weekly in Florida, and telegraph editor of the 1962 Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper, the Panama City (FL) News-Herald.

Molony had been an active Lion since 1982, serving in all club offices, zone and district chairman and district governors. He had won numerous high Lions International awards. In addition, he had been publicity chairman for the Georgia Lions Lighthouse Foundation, Inc., and for his district the last 6 years.

He was publicity chairman for Past Lions International President Jim Ervin of Albany, GA, the only Georgian ever to hold the high Lions office. He also was editor of the Lions of Georgia state newspaper the last 9 years. He was publicity chairman for the Centerville Lions Club the last 2 years.

Molony worked with the Office of Information at Robins AFB from 1961 to 1984. He won several outstanding performance awards, including awards for being one of four persons to write the Pictorial History of Robins AFB (1940-80) in 1980. He also was information chief at Yokota AB, Japan, where his office won the Pacific Air Command top newspaper award.

Molony wrote a sports column in the Warner Robins Sun and Daily Sun in the late 60s and early 70s and was the last writer to pen a local column five days a week.

Molony was a lifetime member of Middle Georgia Chapter 296 of the Air Force Association, from which he was awarded the Award of Merit for his public relations service, and the Veterans of Foreign Affairs and member of American Legion Post 172.

He was a son of Henry A. and Margaret H. Molony, both deceased, of Charleston, SC. He was one of eight children, two of which are deceased, Beatrice and Henry A. Jr.; Robert E., Dorothy T., Alfred E. and David A., all of Charleston; and Margie Bennett, Spring Lake Heights, NJ.

Survivors include his wife, Matrice A. Molony; four children, Mitchell Molony, Gastonia, NC; David C. “Carl” Molony, Clifton, NJ; Gayle Bridges and Greg Milstead, Warner Robins; 7 grandchildren, 5 great-grandchildren, several nieces and nephews.

The family may be contacted at the home of daughter Gayle Bridges, 309 Williamsburg Avenue, Warner Robins.

Go to www.mcculloughfh.com to sign Online Registry for the family. McCullough Funeral Home has charge of arrangements.



Funeral Home:
McCullough Funeral Home
417 S. Houston Lake Road
Warner Robins, GA
US 31088