Joe Poe

January 19, 1937 ~ January 17, 2026

Joe John Poe went to be with his Lord and Savior on January 17, 2026, at the age of 88. The son of Charles Arthur and Eloise (McClain) Poe, Joe was born on January 19, 1937 in Poteau, Oklahoma. In 1964, Joe married the love of his life, Linda Meadows and together they raised their three children, Andy, Angela and Amy. Soon after they were married, Joe and Linda relocated to Oklahoma City where Joe started his career in law enforcement with the Oklahoma City Police Department, retiring as SGT on January 31, 1997. His beat was in downtown Oklahoma City and was known to everyone in the area. Joe worked countless hours during the Murrah Building bombing, helping with rescue and recovery and assisting families in their time of need. Joe was an avid fisherman and he loved to hunt, so in his spare time, he would return to Poteau, to his cabin and enjoy the things he loved. He will be greatly missed!

He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Linda Poe and brother, Larry.

Joe leaves lasting memories with his sons, Andy Poe and Adam Hilderbrand; daughter, Angela Poe-Brown; and daughter, Amy Winter and husband, Brian; his grandchildren, Hunter (Erika Barker) Woolum, Kathlin (James) Paulsen, Aidan (Meg) Woolum, Payne (Alli Ryan) Winter, Emory Winter, Arden Winter, and Samuel Brown; his great-grandchildren: Wesley Boone, Emmett Paulsen, and Minnie Winter; and his sister, Charlene Willet and her son, Phil.

To hear Joe tell about his early history and career as an OCPD officer, please visit: metrolibrary.org and enter Joe Poe in the search bar. It is also available on Sound Cloud.

Due to pending winter weather conditions expected, the family has postponed services at this time. A memorial service to celebrate Joe's life will be rescheduled once weather conditions are more favorable. Please check back for more service updates and details. A memorial service will be held at 10 AM on January 31, 2026 at the Vondel Smith Mortuary at South Lakes, 4000 SW 119th Street, Oklahoma City, OK  73173 at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, make donations to the Fraternal Order of Police Children's Toy Drive.

To leave an online condolence for the family, please visit vondelsmithmortuary.com