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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. |
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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