Remembering GPB TV documentarian Okefenokee Joe

Friends of South Georgia icon Dick Flood are remembering him Tuesday.

Dick Flood's family has confirmed the death of the singer-songwriter, educator and conservationist that many Georgians knew as Okefenokee Joe. Flood was 90 years old.

He hosted the Emmy Award winning GPB-TV documentary Swampwise.

"This is the most fascinating and peaceful place in the world to me," Flood said at the beginning of that show. "It's rich in wildlife, history and infinite beauty; the great Okefenokee Swamp."

He was well known to GPB viewers who remember his 1988 documentary, The Joy of Snakes. He lived in the Okefenokee Swamp for 10 years, learning firsthand about the animals and plants in the area.

Flood also wrote numerous songs for popular country musicians in the 1950s and '60s.

His son, also named Dick Flood, confirmed that his father died at the VA hospital in Augusta. He had been living in Salley, South Carolina.

"We're saddened by his loss," his son said. "You know, he affected a lot of people's lives. He changed lives. He was an incredible evangelist for the environment. We're going to miss him dearly."