Biography: Joseph Barber Hurst died Friday morning December 14, 2007. He was born in Little Rock at home on November 20, 1918, the son of Joseph Barber Hurst and Carolene Morrison Hurst. He was premature and so small that he was placed in a shoebox. His Father, who had emigrated from Scotland in 1877, was a founding partner of Tipton and Hurst florist in 1886. His Mother’s family started the first hotel in Little Rock, the Peay Hotel, in 1826, were founding members of Christ Episcopal Church and her grandfather was Gordon N. Peay, Mayor of Little Rock from 1859-1860, Captain (later Colonel) of The Capitol Guards during the Civil War. Joe graduated from Centennial, West Side Junior High and Little Rock High School. His Father died in 1932 and he helped his Mother in the florist business during the worst part of the Great Depression. He decided to attend engineering school and began college at Iowa State University where he joined Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity. He later decided after a year that engineering was not for him and he wished to return to the warmth of Arkansas and its people. He majored in Business Administration at the University of Arkansas. He left college to volunteer for the Army Air Forces after Pearl Harbor. He served during WWII as a Navigator with the rank of First Lieutenant in the 448th Squadron of the 321st Bomb Group, which flew the B-25 Mitchell bomber. He flew on 50 missions over North Africa, Italy and the Balkans, 10 of which he was the Group Lead Navigator. Before he entered combat he was asked with his crew for modifications to the plane. He was very proud that the Army in fact adopted those modifications. He received the Air Medal with 9 Oak Leaf Clusters, 4 Battle Stars and 2 Unit Citations. After the war he returned to Little Rock. His Mother died shortly after he returned and he began his career as a florist. He had to learn quickly since he was evicted within a few months from the building on Main Street, which had been the location of Tipton & Hurst for over 50 years. He moved the business to a tarpaper shack until he could finish a new building, which was very difficult due to wartime shortages. During this time he dated and later married Mayriann Conley of Little Rock, daughter of Howard Harry Conley and Marie Cates Conley Campbell, on April 19, 1947. They celebrated their 60th anniversary this past April. Joe was President of Tipton & Hurst from 1945 until 1984, when he retired and his son Howard C. Hurst succeeded him. During his tenure he worked long hours just like his Mother before him and the business became the largest florist in Arkansas and in the top 50 nationwide. He was one of the founders and served as President of the Arkansas Florists Association. He served as a Little Rock City Director from 1967-1970, a member of the Economic Opportunity Agency and the Selective Service Board, Chairman of the Pulaski County Chapter of the American Red Cross, President of the Country Club of Little Rock, and as a member of the Board of Savers Federal Savings and Loan, YMCA, the Salvation Army, and the downtown Kiwanis Club. He was a member of First United Methodist Church. He also provided numerous volunteer hours with his sons’ Boy Scout Troop, seeing both of them achieve the rank of Eagle. He also loved to play tennis and then later golf with his wife, family and friends. He wore out two hip replacements playing tennis and was still trying to improve his golf game even into his 80s. He is survived by his wife and the love of his life, Mayriann Conley Hurst; his daughter Marie Hurst Gunti of Pine Bluff; his son Joseph Barber Hurst, Jr. and his wife Mimi Myer Hurst of Little Rock; his son Howard Cates Hurst and his wife Stacy Johnson Hurst of Little Rock; six grandchildren, Dr. Susan Gunti McGeorge and her husband Brian Scott McGeorge of Pine Bluff, Ann Ellen Gunti, Joseph Barber Hurst III, Margaret Myer Hurst, Conley Karlovic Hurst and Johanna Cates Hurst; and two great grandchildren, Miles Wallace McGeorge and Morgan David McGeorge. Joe will be remembered for his love of his wife, his family and his service to his family, friends, employees, community and nation. His language was often colorful but he mainly used it to describe his own shortcomings. For a life long florist, he would have wanted flowers in lieu of memorials. Visitation will be 5 to 7 p.m. Monday, December 17 at Ruebel Funeral Home, www.ruebelfuneralhome.com. The funeral service will be Tuesday, December 18, at 11:00 a.m. at First United Methodist Church in Little Rock.