JEFFERSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WATE) — The community in Jefferson County is mourning the loss of retired Fire Chief and Reverend Joe Devotie.
Devotie died Saturday at age 81. He founded the Lakeway Central Volunteer Fire Department and served as chief for nearly 40 years, from 1986 until his retirement in 2023.
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“This department wasn’t just something he started — it was something he gave his heart and soul to for a lifetime,” the department said in a Facebook post. “He was more than a fire chief. He was a mentor, a role model, and a true servant to his community.”
He also served as a pastor at House of Prayer in Morristown for more than 25 years.
Devotie will be buried in Jefferson Memorial Gardens. Funeral arrangements have not yet been finalized.
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Devotie’s granddaughter, Taylor Devotie, died in a car wreck in 2020. 6 News spoke with her father about their family’s efforts to give back to the community in her honor in 2023…