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MATTHEW RYAN HOBLER

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[August 17, 2018]  LINCOLN — Matthew Ryan Hobler began his eternal life on July 31, 2018.

Service: August 11, 2018 beginning at 3:00 p.m. at Lincoln Christian Church, Lincoln, Illinois.

OBITUARY FOR MATTHEW RYAN HOBLER

 Matthew Ryan Hobler began his eternal life on July 31, 2018.

Those who love him deeply feel the loss of his kind, warm and gentle presence.

Those who will always hold Matthew closely in their hearts, until they see him again, include the following family: Jessica Hobler, his beloved wife, Rick and Karen Hobler, his Mom and Dad; Justin, Hershey and Dannah Hobler, his brother and family; Hilary, Collins and Amara Okafor, his sister and family; his paternal grandmother Norma Hobler;  Jim and Kathy Silk, their son Joshua and their daughter Kelsey, who, are Jess’s family and who have loved Matthew like he was their own son and sibling.

Matthew was born on May 13, 1983 in Mt. Carmel, Illinois. He was born again, through the overwhelming grace of God, when he chose to submit his life to the Lordship of his Savior, Jesus Christ. And while many trials and hardships in his life tried to drive him away from his commitment, His Savior always “left the 99” and pursued him until he came home again. He spent the last years of his life, with his beloved Wife, walking, singing and sharing his faith. One of his favorite ways of doing this was to take all the food anyone would give him and then going out in the streets and parks to pursue the homeless, the hungry and the lost.

He loved just about every one he met. He especially loved his beautiful wife Jess (who he loved with an undying love and from whom such love was equally returned), his precious Mother Karen, (who always saw him as “perfect” and would Mother Bear fight to the death anyone who even suggested he was not), his Dad (who imperfectly, but unconditionally, loved him as he thought his Heavenly Father would want a father to love his son), his brother Justin (of whom he was so proud and with whom he shared a love of and passion for music) and his sister Hilary (who he cherished from the first time he saw her and from whom he ran off every high school age boy who tried to date her). He also dearly loved the diversity that his brother’s and sister’s families brought into our family. He dearly loved Jess’s family (who he loved just like his own family). He loved in a special way, his faithful, life saving, no-longer-a-shelter-dog, named Bailey (who Matt rescued once and who then returned that love by rescuing Matthew many times over).

He loved his many friends of every nation, tribe, people, color, ethnicity, social status and appearance. He especially loved those he met, stayed with and played music with, during his touring musical career.

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He loved and then tried to change the hearts and actions of those who he felt took advantage of the helpless and the powerless and the poor. He loved to tell people what he loved about THEM. When he saw people trying their best to live in loving community with each other, he would often say “I love that!!” He relentlessly sought authentic community with other people. With the help of his Wife, he had found that.

On his last day here on earth, while some of those who loved him sang him his favorite spiritual song at his hospital bedside, and with his hands raised high in praise, for the last time, his last three words before he went Home were these: Halleluiah!, Halleluiah!, Halleluiah!

In his last days, when he was asked what he wanted most, he said, he “just wanted to go home.” His prayer has now been answered. Halleluiah!

A service remembering and celebrating his too brief, but beautiful life, is being planned for August 11, 2018 beginning at 3:00 p.m. at Lincoln Christian Church, Lincoln, Illinois. And to Matthew each of us say this: 1-4-3 precious one. May every day hereafter, for eternity, be a beautiful day in your neighborhood. We know that your presence in heaven will make it an even more beautiful place. We’ll see you soon.

 

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