Joe Sports, a journalist, lobbyist, political consultant, author, veteran, and former Executive Director of the Democratic Party of Georgia, has passed away. He was 91.
Joe was born in Douglas on October 17, 1934, the son of Mae and Elisha Sports. He had an older brother, Don, and a younger sister, Ann.
He began working at The Douglas Enterprise while still in high school and while attending then-South Georgia College. Joe was associate editor when drafted into the U.S. Army in 1957. In February of that year, Joe married Dee Plymell, a medical technician at the Douglas-Coffee County Hospital.
As an Army photographer, Joe spent 18 months in Garmisch, Germany where he was joined by his wife, Dee, for a year. Upon their return home in 1960, Joe joined the staff of U.S. Congresswoman Iris F. Blitch in Washington, D.C. That same year, Dee and Joe became parents of their only daughter, Susan Wynne, who serves as information officer for Georgia’s Department of Driver Services, and mother of two sons, Ali Joseph, and Amir Eli Sports.
In 1963, Joe became news director of WALB-TV in Albany. The Sports family later moved to Atlanta when James H. Gray picked Joe to be Executive Director of The Democratic Party of Georgia, where he remained until Jimmy Carter was elected governor. When Gov. Carter picked attorney David H. Gambrell to be U.S. Senator, Joe went to Washington as Sen. Gambrell’s administrative assistant. He served briefly on the staff of Sen. Sam Nunn and with his longtime friend, Congressman Dawson Mathis.
When Joe concluded his career in politics, he launched a second career as a public relations and a legislative consultant. He would represent Paul Anderson Youth Home, The NutraSweet Company, Seagram’s, Pearle Optical, Douglas Foods, The Farmers Bank, Southern Computer, DataMatx, and Tender Care.
Dee Sports would work as the Capitol for Secretary of State Max Cleland. She died on September 6, 2007 shortly after her retirement. On December 16, 2014, Joe married Ronda McNeil Davis from Douglas and she joined him in his home in Conyers. Joe closed down his consulting business while working with his friend Harry Stephens at DataMatx. Joe and Ronda would both soon return to Douglas and reside at her home on Dewey Avenue. They became active members of the First Methodist Church and Ronda resumed her work as a volunteer for the Childhood Cancer Awareness Group of Coffee County. Joe and Ronda also became active in the Douglas Lions Club, with Joe serving the club as president.
Joe also published a memoir titled “Georgia’s Man in the Middle: 50 Years of People/Politics.”
On May 16, 2022, Joe resumed his work as a journalist and brought his career full circle when he went back to work at The Douglas Enterprise as a writer and photographer for about one year.
He passed away peacefully on January 9, 2026. The family will receive friends on Monday, January 12, 2026, from 1:00 PM until 2:00 PM at First Methodist Church in Douglas. Memorial services will be held on Monday, January 12, 2026, at First Methodist Church in Douglas at 2:00 PM, with Rev. Paul Elliott officiating and Bro. Sid Cottingham bringing the eulogy. The music selections will be played by Jay Beverly and sung by Courtney Taylor.
Honorary pallbearers will include: The Douglas Lions Club, Bone Pickers and Fish Friday Group.
Sims Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
