Joseph Ferrell Drummond

Drummond, Joseph Ferrell passed away peacefully at home May 7, 2016. He is survived by his wife Doris, his children Dr Frank Drummond & his wife Deena Drummond, Nancy Drummond Ransom & her husband Alan Van Ransom, his grandchildren, Jessica 15, Camille 4 and Colette 2.

One of Dr. Drummonds many passions was education, holding degrees in English, a masters in English Education, a masters in Divinity from Emory University and a doctorate in ministry from Columbia Theological Seminary, along with special studies at the University of Georgia and Wesley College in Bristol, England.

A gifted and celebrated educator, he taught at West Georgia College and at Carrollton High School for 8 years. He was named Star Teacher of the year for 6 of those years. In 1972 he was named State Star Teacher of the year. He was seminal in the creation of special education for gifted and talented students.

Ferrell was passionate about a variety of things including being a master gardener, a gifted self taught pianist, a lover of southern literature and poetry.

He was happiest outside with his hands in the dirt and shared his knowledge and cuttings freely.

He will be most remembered for his second career as a United Methodist minister in the North Georgia Conference. He served in churches in Carrollton, Griffin, Rome, Augusta, Atlanta, and Mountain Park. He was known for his compassion and empathy. He spent many nights consoling those dealing with the inevitable parts of life, grief, loss, death, birth, addiction and trauma. He was a true pastor who never shied away from the hard issues of life.

Ferrell’s legacy is too long to be captured in one setting but he will best be remembered for his caring heart, his inquisitive mind and his accepting home — all were always welcomed and warmed by all three.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, May 14, 2016 at 11:00 AM at First United Methodist Church, Carrollton, GA, with Alan Hunt presiding. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Ferrell Drummond Library associated with the Kenya Project of the North Georgia Conference. Donations can be made online at thekenyaproject.org or by calling 770-408-8696