Jerome Delano Wardell, Jr., known as Joe by his family and friends, was born in Summerfield, Alabama on March 7, 1930, to Bertha Thomas Yeager and Jerome Wardell, Sr. He was born Jerome Wardell, Jr. but added Delano as his middle name out of admiration for President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Joe was raised by his maternal grandparents, due to his father dying in a car crash when he was 9-months old.

Joe was raised on his maternal grandfather’s 1,200-acre farm in Summerfield, Alabama. This farm provided food and employment for the entire Summerfield community. While he had only 2 biological brothers, there were 7 kids who could have been considered siblings: Jeff (Bud), Joe, Bernice, James, Clarence (Cot), James (Sonny) and Vermon (Rooster). Cot and Sonny were his brothers; the others were actually his aunt and uncles. Joe was the second oldest. At the age of 5, he started helping his grandfather and the tenants work the land. He started by dropping seeds in the field; as he grew older, he was given more responsibility, eventually plowing the land with Maude, the family's mule.

Joe loved education at an early age. When he was 6, he began attending school at a one-room schoolhouse that went up to 6th grade. He attended the schoolhouse with several of his family members, including his brothers, cousins, aunts and uncles. The classroom was taught by his aunt Cora Mae. Joe’s family had to pay for him to attend school beyond that point. His maternal grandparents paid for him to attend Selma University from 7th through 12th grade. To do this, he had to move from Summerfield to the city of Selma, where he stayed with his paternal grandparents. Selma University was a religious institution, which allowed Joe to start what would be a lifetime of religious study. He was also a three-sport athlete, playing football, basketball and baseball. Joe graduated on May 26, 1948. After graduating, he moved to Detroit, Michigan to live with his mother and brothers.

Soon after he arrived in the city, Joe found a job working on a charter cruise line that toured the Great Lakes. This was a seasonal position, and he only held it for a short period of time. That’s because he would begin working for the U.S. Postal Service. Joe started at the Post office in 1950, which would be his main form of employment until 1951, when he was drafted to serve in the Korean War.

During Army induction at Camp Gordon in Georgia, he met a fellow Detroiter, Frank Wray. Frank and Joe would go on to become lifelong best friends. They kept each other in high spirits before Joe was shipped out to the frontlines of Korea in May of 1952. Joe served as a Sargent 1st class until October 17th, 1952, when he was wounded while in action and awarded the Purple Heart Medal for his service. He was discharged from the Army in September of 1953.

Upon returning home, Joe met the love of his life, Viola Wilson. In 1955, Joe drove his cousin’s family from Detroit to Port Huron. Viola, affectionately called “Bit,” was babysitting for the family at the time. They met and started dating shortly thereafter. While they were dating, Viola’s sister would often tell her when Joe was coming to the door, by saying “Bit here comes that man in the red suit!” Joe swore for years that the suit was not red. Joe and Viola would eventually marry on June 29, 1957. They would have 3 daughters, Mildred (Denise), Kimberly, and Adana.

In 1958, with assistance from the GI bill, Joe graduated from the University of Detroit with a degree in education. He later earned his Specialist’s Degree in math education from the U of D as well. He used his degrees to teach math in the Detroit Public Schools, beginning in 1960, all while continuing to work his second job at the post office. And despite the fact that he was living in the North, he still adamantly supported the civil rights movement that was happening in his hometown of Selma, and throughout the country.

During his working years, Joe followed a strict routine, which was established from working on the farm and serving in the military. He would wake up early in the morning, do calisthenics, and then check papers. He would then work a full day at school, come home, change clothes and head to the post office for another shift. He would often not return home until 10 p.m., where he would always make sure to enjoy his favorite snack of sardines, mustard, hot sauce and a Stroh’s beer, something he often share with Mildred. He maintained this routine until his retirement from the U.S. Postal Service in 1985; he retired from the Detroit Public Schools in 1992.

Joe was a devoted family man, always making sure to take care of his mother, wife, and 3 daughters. Despite working two full-time jobs, he always maintained both his and his mother’s homes, making sure Frank, Viola and his three daughters knew how to drive, and that Mildred, Kim and Adana had a car to use. They never missed a Thanksgiving Parade, the 4th of July Fireworks, or the State Fair. Their summers were filled with visits to Kent Lake and Pointe Pelee, Canada, as well as picnics at Belle Isle and River Rouge Park. The girls even had a pool in the backyard that the kids in the neighborhood all enjoyed. In the winter, the family would often go sledding and ice skating at Palmer Park.

Less than a year after his retirement, Joe began a new role that he would cherish for the rest of his life: Grandfather. His grandson CJ was born in 1993, and he immediately became active in raising him. He would often watch CJ while his daughter Kim and his son-in-law Clarence were at work. He would take CJ to school, piano lessons, karate lessons, and his sporting events. Joe treated CJ’s friends and cousins as his own grandkids, affectionately earning the nickname “Grandpa Joe.”

Joe loved music, especially jazz. He, Viola, and Frank would often attend the different jazz clubs throughout the city of Detroit. But he was also known to listen to classical music like Mozart, as well as his beloved modern favorites: the Isley Brothers, Iassac Hayes, Earth, Wind, and Fire, and Donnie Hathaway. But if you ask his daughters, Fire and Desire by Rick James and Tina Marie was the number one track played in the house. Friends and family would often hear this music the moment they entered the house.

Joe was also a sports fanatic. Although he only played in high school, he never stopped loving the games he played. If there was a Lions, Pistons, Tigers or Wolverines game on TV, Joe would find a way to watch it. His love of sports was one of the ways he and CJ were able to connect as CJ got older. Eventually, finding some game to watch on TV would become part of his daily routine.

Joe also loved traveling. Every year, he and Viola would pack the family up and take the 2-day long trip from Detroit to Selma to stay with family on the farm for several weeks. Those trips often included visits to other states. Their travels continued as they became grandparents, often joining family vacations with their daughters and their spouses. He and Viola even took several trips abroad.

Joe remained in good health well into his 90’s. For over a decade, after recovering from heart surgery, he attended physical therapy 3 times a week, only missing time for holidays and vacations. There, he developed strong friendships with the other patients and therapists at Sinai Grace hospital. Even during the COVID pandemic after his 90th birthday, he continued to exercise at home.

Joe passed away on December 24, 2025, at the age of 95. He was surrounded by family and in the comfort of his home of 62 years. He was preceded in death by his parents, Jerome and Bertha, his wife Viola, his younger brothers Cot and Sonny, as well as his aunt Bernice, and uncle Bud, James, and Rooster. He leaves behind his best friend Frank Wray, his daughters Mildred Wardell-Lawhorn (late husband Shelby), Kimberly Wardell-Stone (Clarence), and Adana Wardell-Bates (Andre), his grandsons CJ (Sydney), Shelby, Chris (Alicia), Walt and Marvin, as well as his great-grandchildren Bryce, Brooke and Bria, a host of nieces, nephews and cousins, and many other beloved family members and friends.