Joel Maury Felt

1930 - 2025

It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of Joel Maury Felt, age 94, on February 1, 2025. Joe was born in Memphis and proudly lived his whole life rooted in his beloved city. He graduated from Central High School, relishing his accomplishment of winning a city-wide Spanish competition and the resulting prize trip to Cuba. After graduating from the University of Michigan with a degree in English Literature in 1951, he enlisted in the Navy during the Korean war and was a proud veteran.

After his military service, Joe returned to Memphis and took on the management of M.E. Carter & Company, a produce wholesaler, which he ran for many years with his brother, William (Bill) Felt. He founded and managed many other small businesses, including Warehouse Foods in West Memphis. In retirement, he continued to manage investments as an independent financial analyst.

Joe's deep commitment to the Jewish community included serving as Vice President of both the Memphis Jewish Home and the Memphis Jewish Community Center, where he supported the building of the current site. In addition, he chaired an endowment committee at the University of Memphis and was involved in the creation and continuing development of the Loewenberg College of Nursing at the University of Memphis.

An avid reader and deep thinker, Joe was passionate about civic engagement and political discourse. He loved a good conversation, respectfully seeking out other points of view, but always making sure his own voice was heard. Joe took great delight in his family. He was a warm, loving and humble husband, father, uncle, grandfather - and friend to many, including the robust and longstanding ROMEO lunch group he organized.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Jacob Felt and Rosa Felt, his sister, Sureva Stevens, and his brother, William Felt. He is survived by his wife of almost 69 years, Fredrika Loewenberg Felt, children Gwyn Wachtel (Jeff), Ross Felt (Abigail), and Rachel Tasch (Ted), along with nine grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be 2 PM Tuesday, February 4, 2025 at the Levy-Cooper Chapel in Temple Israel Cemetery.

In honor of his memory, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to the Fredrika and Joel Felt scholarship fund at the University of Memphis Loewenberg College of Nursing, Temple Israel or a charity of your choice.

May his memory be a blessing to all who knew him.