Joe Douglas Gilder, the son of Alfred P.Gilder and Lonah Nixon Gilder was born on October 27, 1937 in Vardaman, Ms. He was one of six children.
He was predeceased by his parents, three brothers James Alfred, Claude Lethal, and Harold Nixon Gilder, and one sister, Lottie Gilder Scheuner.
He is survived by wife Charlene Gilder of Arcadia, Texas, son David (Carrie) Gilder of League City Texas, and their three children Derek, Megan and Brian Gilder all of League City, Tx and daughters, Karen Gilder (Ward Emling) of Cleary, MS, and Laurel Gilder Loflin and her children Bob and Sarah Loflin all of Madison, S. He is also survived by a sister Joy Gilder Winters (Charles of Sidon, MS and several nieces and nephews.
Joe graduated from J Z George High School, Carrollton, MS and attended one year at Delta State Teachers College in Cleveland, MS. He was a member of Calvary Baptist Church in Greenwood.
He was employed by the Greenwood, Mississippi Fire Department as a lieutenant for four years and worked for the Co-Op Tire Service for two years. He was a Mate on the Mississippi River boat for four years.
Joe moved to Texas and was the Harbor Master for the Port of Texas City for twenty-four years. Joe retired from the Port of Texas City. Joe was a member of Pine Drive Community Church for forty-one years and a deacon for eight years. He joined Arcadia Baptist Church September 6, 2015.
In his honor a visitation will be held on Saturday, June 2, 2018 from 12:00 – 2:00pm at Crowder Funeral Home Chapel, Dickinson, Texas with a funeral service at 2:00pm. Interment will follow at Galveston Memorial Park in Hitchcock, Texas.