Funeral services for Billy Joe Cohea, 81, of Metcalfe will be at 3:00 p.m., Sunday, October 1, 2023, at Boone Funeral Home, Greenville. Burial will be in the Greenville Cemetery.
Billy Joe Cohea, former tow boat captain, entrepreneur, and local race car driver passed away peacefully at the age of 81 on September 27, 2023. Mr. Cohea was born in Germania, MS on May 31, 1942, to Alma and Coles Cohea and resided in and around the Greenville, MS area for much of his life.
Mr. Cohea’s early life was shaped by growing up on his family’s farm located in the Mississippi Delta and then briefly working and living in New Orleans, LA as a young man. During the 1970s, Billy Joe was the captain of a towboat moving cargo throughout the Lower Mississippi River from the Ohio River down to the Port of New Orleans. In the 1980s and 90s, Billy Joe operated a used car dealership, an automobile salvage yard, and a dirt hauling business. He spent his weekends racing stock cars at Greenville Speedway and other tracks around the ARK-LA-MS area. His popular, jet-black, V7 racecar could usually be found at the front of the field, winning races (and track championships), much to the delight of his fans. Billy Joe’s popularity among local race fans was simply amazing.
Mr. Cohea is survived by his wife, Linda Cohea of Greenville; his sister, Lorette Clark of Greenville; his sons; Billy Joe Cohea Jr and Ricky Cohea of Louisiana, Joey and Billy Wayne Duvall of Greenville; and several grandkids, great-grandkids, and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Alma and Coles Cohea, his brothers, Johnny and Colby Cohea, and his granddaughter, Loran Duvall-Guerrero.
There will be a visitation from 2:00 until 3:00 p.m. on Sunday at the funeral home.