The Fortenberry family is sad to announce, Joseph Walter Fortenberry, age 76, quietly passed away on Sunday, June 7, 2020. He had suffered from a long illness with multiple sclerosis and brain damage from strokes. His official cause of death was respiratory failure caused by COVID-19. The family would like to remind friends and colleagues that, as our cities and states lessen quarantine restrictions, please remember to protect our elder and infirm populations. Hand washing, personal distancing, and the wearing of masks are a few of the precautions we can take for our elders—even when it seems a little inconvenient for the rest of us.

Joe was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, and attended East Tennessee State University, where he studied mechanical engineering. He had a long career with IBM in Knoxville and later owned his own company, InfoTech, in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

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