Joseph (Joe) D. Mabrey, age 41 of Athens passed away Saturday October 15, 2011 at Memorial Medical Center in Springfield.
Joe was a loving husband, father, and friend. His heart was full of love and caring for others, but that heart was also tired and needed rest. Joe will be remembered for his kind, generous, caring spirit and his love of family.
Joe was born March 9, 1970 in Champaign, IL, the son of Thomas and Josephine Mabrey. He married his loving wife Leann Burrell on November 23, 1999. She survives. Also surviving are four daughters; Taylor Leann, Madelynn Rose, Melyssa Noel, Victoria Faythe; one son, Jonathon Thomas; two sisters, Martha Mitchell, Jennie Mabrey; two brothers, Dave Mabrey, Jerry Mabrey; parents Thomas and Josephine along with many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his brother Thomas (Tommy) Mabrey.
Visitation will be held from 4 to 6 PM on Tuesday, October 18, 2011 at Mott & Henning Funeral Home in Athens with a service following at 6 PM. A private family burial will be at Strawn, IL. Rev. J. D. McWhorter will be officiating.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Joe Mabrey benefit fund at the Athens State Bank to help his family cover costs.
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Posted October 17th, 2011 at 6:28 am
Joesephine and Thomas and family,
I am so sorry to hear of Joe’s passing (Dan Small told us) Joe was not in our lives very long, but we were very fond of him. Just know that we are thinking of your family at this very sad time. Our heartfelt sympathy s to you.
Sincerely,. Pam and Dave Soper Fairbury,il.
Posted October 17th, 2011 at 7:41 am
I just wanted to pay tribute to an amazing person who always had a smile and made the people around him smile. My heart goes out to the family and my hopes that you will find peace and comfort in this difficult time.
Posted October 17th, 2011 at 9:59 am
Joe, It was such an honor to be your wife for almost 12 years. I only hope that you know how much you were loved!!!! My life is incomplete without you. Thank you for the best years of my life! I’ll love you forever!!!!
Posted October 17th, 2011 at 10:52 am
I am sorry to hear about Joe. He was a good man and friend. If you need anything, please let me know.
Melissa
Posted October 17th, 2011 at 3:13 pm
My thoughts and prayers remain with you and your family.
Posted October 17th, 2011 at 6:47 pm
Dear Mabrey family,
Wanting you to know that you are all in my thoughts and prayers. May God wrap his arms around you and keep you close as you go through your grief. Lean on your friends to help you through.
God Bless you all
Karen Hardesty Stephens
Posted October 17th, 2011 at 10:18 pm
My thoughts and prayers are with the entire Mabrey family.
Posted October 18th, 2011 at 6:23 am
Thoughts and prayers are with you and your family
Posted October 18th, 2011 at 7:09 am
Joe, You were an amazing brother, son, father, uncle and friend. Thank you for being a guidance and inspiration to my son as he grew. You were a key part of the man he is today. Thank you also for being the a wonderful uncle to my daughter. She loves her Uncle Joe and will miss you dearly. You will not be forgotten. Rest in Jesus, dear brother.
Posted October 18th, 2011 at 9:52 am
Leann and children, I’m so sorry to hear about Joe. He was such a great neighbor, friend, husband and father. He will be missed greatly. My heart and prayers are with you. Let me know if i can do anything.
Posted October 18th, 2011 at 12:32 pm
I’m very sorry to learn of your loss. I worked with Joe and he was a very nice person.
Barry Clemens
Posted October 18th, 2011 at 7:58 pm
I am deeply sorry for your loss. I will continue to pray for you and the family. May God’s peace wrap itself all around each of you.
Posted October 18th, 2011 at 7:59 pm
Mabrey Family- I have spent much of the past few week thinking of you and praying for you. My memories of Joe and your family bring a smile to my face. I certainly regret having lost touch through the years. My deepest sympathies and continued prayers during your time of grieving.
Cory Wait
Posted October 20th, 2011 at 9:43 am
Mabrey family – It saddens my heart to hear of the passing of Joe. We all grew up together as he was in my sister’s class. The good old FSW school. I have many memories of him and the twins in P.E. and doing other things at school. He will be greatly missed by many. Please let the Lord wrap his arms around you and give you the comfort that you need in this time of great sorrow. I will keep all of you in my prayers.
Amy Palmore Cabbage Forrest, IL
Posted October 20th, 2011 at 11:44 am
Maybrey Family,
My deepest sympathies on Joe’s passing. My prayers are with you!
Posted October 20th, 2011 at 6:04 pm
Uncle joe, so much to say, so many good memories. i miss you sssooooooooooooo much!!! ill love you always, and ill see you again someday im sure of it 🙂
love, Kayla
Posted March 16th, 2012 at 2:15 pm
Hey uncle joe, just wanted to tell you that so much has changed without you here and i miss you so much. not a day goes by that i dont think about you and all the things i wanna tell you. i miss when u came home from work and always had some sort of reason to give me a hard time. things are soo different now and we have had so many celebrations that i wish you were here to share with us, they just werent the same without you. Love always, Kayla.
Posted June 15th, 2012 at 12:02 pm
hey uncle joe just havin one of those days where i cant stop thinking about you and all that you meant to me and all that you did for me i miss you soooo much words can never express…. i love you!! just know that i will never forget you but dont forget to remember me!!!
Posted July 26th, 2012 at 2:36 pm
hey uncle joe so today is my birthday but im sure you remember as you always did and the one thing im missing today is a voicemail from u singing happy birthday to me this is my first birthday without u and well it sucks i miss u so much just wish i could hear your voice again one more time 🙁 this sux but ill be ok cuz i know that u are partyin it up for me in heaven i love you uncle joe!!!!! you are thought about daily and forever missed!
Posted November 10th, 2012 at 8:19 pm
Hey uncle joe today we celebrated thanksgiving at grandmas it was really weird and awkward you not being there i hadn’t seen the kids in a long time but I’m gonna change that they are all growing up so fast but they are doing good! I hope your havin fun in heaven I miss you so much I think about you daily not a second goes by that your no still on my mind! Have a happy thanksgiving! We love you!
Posted August 19th, 2013 at 2:07 pm
Hey uncle joe just wanted to stop by and remind u that I love u and think about u always although I’m sure u know that I probably don’t have to remind you but I just miss u so much and I have so many things I want to talk to you about but don’t worry we will get to catch up when I meet u in heaven I hope your having a good time there. I feel kinda selfish because I would rather u be here but I know now that god needed an Angel and he took the best of the best! Miss and love u so much!! I will write you again soon! Love Kayla
Posted October 1st, 2013 at 6:24 pm
Hey uncle joe just stopping by to say hello I’m at moms and everyone here misses u soooo much! I have been thinking about u non stop for the last couple of days! Its really weird cuz I had a dream that u were still here with us two nights ago an then when I woke up I had a fb message from someone else that was thinking about u too! I just keep telling myself that was ur way of letting me know u r OK an that u r always with me in my heart. There’s no better feeling than that 🙂 just know that I’m always thinking about u! It was amazing to see ur face and hear ur voice in my dream:) love always kayla
Posted December 9th, 2013 at 8:09 pm
Hey uncle Joe just stoppin by to let u know that I have been thinking about u a lot lately and sometime its just hard to stop the tears even though I know u wouldn’t want me to cry. I just miss u so much I just want to hear ur voice one more time! I wish they had a phone in heaven 🙁 I feel so selfish sometimes for wanting u here but its so hard to shake that feeling! I would give anything for 1 more day with u one more chance to tell u how much u mean to me and how much I love u!I do need to make more time for nan and the kids I feel like I gave up on them and that was not my intention idk why things changed and somewhere along the road I feel like I let them go but I miss them all like crazy! I talked to melyssa the other day and I cried I miss her so much I think that I distanced myself because it was hard to see them and you not be there it was selfish and it never should have gotten this bad u are the best uncle/father figure a girl could have and I thank god everyday that I had u in my life! But I also miss my best friend/ur best friend/wife she was my lifeline and somewhere along this hard road I left her behind! 🙁 I’m gonna change that I promise if its the last thing I do I’m gonna try to rebuild our relationship! Well thanks for listening I always feel better after I talk to u but enough about me I hope u are doing amazing and having a fantastic time with Jesus! I love u uncle joe always!
Posted December 29th, 2013 at 12:32 pm
Well uncle joe today is the day we say our goodbyes to grandpa beery! But u already knew that I’m sure he’s already there with u! Tell him I said hi and I love and miss him! Its really weird all I can think about is the day we laid you to rest its so hard I miss u so much Jesus has some amazing angels with him! Its just so hard to say goodbye I still feel like its not real it hasn’t really set in yet. Sometimes I just wanna pick up the phone and call u,I still have ur old number in my phone under uncle joe I just can’t bring myself to delete it. Its like I keep it with hopes of one day being able to just call u up. Its unreal how much I miss and think about u daily! I hope u had a merry Christmas with Jesus! I’m so thankful for the Christmases I got to spend with u. Love you and hope u have a happy new year!!
Posted December 29th, 2013 at 11:09 pm
Ugh! I lost it today uncle joe I tried to hold it together but I just couldn’t! You see when we lost you I played this song “heaven was needing a hero” over an over an over again! That was my song for u that’s what comforted me, knowing that u are a hero, an amazing angel watching over us! Well they played that song today and it took everything I had to not totally lose myself I miss you soooooo much! Have fun in heaven my hero! Love always kayla
Posted April 20th, 2014 at 4:36 pm
Happy easter uncle joe! Luv and miss you more and more as time goes by my papa joined you in the wonderful kingdom I hope you guys are great friends and take care of each other! Have fun with Jesus! 🙂 xoxo kayla