JOE DeMARY'S STEPFATHER, KIM DeMARY CLOWERS' FATHER PASSED AWAY

 Monongah native writes tribute to late stepfather

Joe DeMary, a Monongah native but Chattanooga, Tennessee Red Bank High School graduate who lives in Ringgold, Georgia with Beverly Sutton DeMary, wrote a beautiful tribute to his stepfather Harold Lee Hustead who passed away Monday, July 10 at his Red Bank home.

 

The West Virginia Tech graduate taught industrial arts at Dupont High School in West Virginia. He was with the Red Bank fire department for 39 years.

 

Kim DeMary Clowers is his daughter.

 

Joe is a former firefighter/engineer at the city of Red Bank.

The Georgia Joe DeMary’s father was Joseph A. DeMary, a retired Loveridge Mine coal miner who passed away in 2007 in Rivesville after spending much of his life in Monongah. Papa Joe was a member of the Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Monongah, which replaced the Polish St. Stanislaus Church and Italian Our Lady of Pompeii Church.

Son Joe’s siblings are Kimberly Jo DeMary Clowers of Rossville, Georgia, Sgt. 1st Class Joanne Mary DeMary of Ft. Meade, Md. and Julie Ann DeMary of Soddy, Tennessee.

 

Papa Joe’s brother, Frank DeMary Jr., married Tina “Peaches” Virginia Aldridge DeMary, who passed away in 2019.

 

Son Joe’s tribute to his stepfather:

 

“A hard day for me, I lost my stepdad Lee Hustead. He was so much more to me than a stepdad, he was my best friend, my hunting buddy, my fishing buddy, and most of all an awesome role model and mentor in the fire service! Lee stepped up and was a dad to me when he didn’t have to be for well over 40 years, he taught me so many things in life but the two things he taught me that meant the most to me is how to be a good dad and a good firefighter.

 

“He will be missed by everyone that knew him !! He is the true definition of a Legend and a Hero !! I love you so very much and thanks so much for being in my life and being my dad !!”

 

In the Class of 1950 with me was the late Anthony “Plumber” DeMary, Jr.