His Journeys

From his birth in North Carolina, he lived in many places until settling in Perry Georgia where he graduated from High School, met his wife to be, and began building the life shown in his journey's. His appreciation for gardening, horticulture, and design was cultivated early spending summers with his beloved grandfather Hubbard K. Gayle at his Cardinal Hill Nursery in Frankfort Kentucky.

Later years brought the farm life at Malatchie Farms outside of Perry Georgia where his quiet love for animals was formed and his unconditional love for family was nurtured growing up with his siblings and accepting the role of big brother. He lettered several years at Perry High School suffering a severe knee injury that plagued him until his passing eventually preventing him from joining the Marine Corps.

Abraham Baldwin Agricultural School, ABAC, accepted him and hearing the stories we all understood why they asked him to leave as from our perspective he spent far too much time pranking the student body and no where near enough time studying.

The University of Georgia accepted his transfer with some persuasion from some unknown political friends of his parents and there his studies improved significantly under the guidance of several professors that took him under their wings.

From the beginning, February 2 1944, family and that meant ALL family was first. Joe expanded that definition to those he called family in addition to his blood relatives. If you were in the family circle, you were family.
The photos below are but a small portion of those people he considered family.

A little azalea nursery off Belmont Rd. owned by a couple of Joe's professors at the University of Georgia that ultimately became his and growing to well in excess of 100 acres Classic Nurseries became Classic Groundcovers, Classic Landscapes, Classic Retail, and Lawn Maintenance of Athens. Wilbur Mull, Joe Peters, and other instrumental people came together to grow what would become the largest landscape firm in the state of Georgia for a bit.
Projects included Unicoi State Park, University of Georgia Butts-Mehre building & numerous others institutional landscape designs & installations. Lifelong friendships were made with numerous Athenians during this time that continued through his recent passing.

A professor once told Joe that he couldn't claim to be a successful businessman without running a restaurant so, Cracker Barrel was formed. Whitehall road across from the White textile mill and right next to the Oconee river. "Owing their sole to the company store".

He called it one of his greatest follies despite it being a very successful endeavor for several years. Perhaps it was more trouble to manage that his artistic side would allow so they closed it down and told some inquirer from the midwest they could have the name. A name that you likely know.

Late 70's, an opportunity arrived that began a life-long, multi-project friendship with Kenny Rogers & his family. This journey began with Classic Nurseries in the late 70's & continued for 45 years and countless projects culminating most recently helping Kenny's wife & kids with the design & installation of his mausoleum in Atlanta Georgia upon his passing.

Post Classic Nurseries. His love for landscape & architectural design took precedence over what he called "bush-peddling". He wanted to create, build, and carve his creations into the heart and properties of his beloved clients. So began Joe A. Gayle & Associates, still going today under the guidance of Mike Parmalee. Here are but a few of those creations & we'd love to hear from their current owners.

https://www.jagfolly.com

A trip in 1999 to the Island of Peleliu for the 45th anniversary of the Marine attack with his brothers Currey & Dick and their beloved father to the exact spot where Joe A. Gayle Sr. was severely wounded in World War II. They met other survivors both American & Japanese and retraced the steps of the Marines that stormed that island. When asked, he'd say this was the most difficult trip he'd ever taken but simultaneously the most profoundly impactful of his life.

There were many. More than the photos here could begin to show but he loved them all, and they him. From Jasper, a beloved and possessive Manx cat to Jason, Jasmine, Tigger, Reb, Miss Kitty, & CC his cats were like kids and whatever they needed or wanted, was provided.
The dogs were always there as well. Mister, Skeeter, Chessie, Jake, Chelsea, Taz, Billie Sue, Ena, and several that adopted him as theirs were always at his feet and wanted to be there beside him or perhaps on him.
Murdock was perhaps the most unique. A Sun Conure that he'd gotten his oldest son named after a Dole Pineapple client after his trip to the Hawaiian island of Lanai providing preliminary designs to convert the island from a farm to tourist. He inherited Murdock and some thirty years later the little orange squawker passed while waiting on Papa Joe to get home.
Animals always provide intimate details about a person and Joe A Gayle Jr. was no exception.