John "Bob" Mabey, 76 of Punta Gorda Isles, died peacefully on August 17, 2011 at the Tidewell Hospice House in Port Charlotte from complications following a cerebral hemorrhage. He was born and raised in Cedar Grove, N J, the son of Jack and Marion Mabey. He was a lifelong resident of New Jersey until moving to Punta Gorda Isles in 1995. In his early years, he would help his father with his carpentry business. After graduating from Verona High School in 1953, Bob joined the U.S. Army, where he was trained in telecommunications and was stationed in Germany before earning an honorable discharge. After serving in the Army, Bob joined N.J. Bell and had a 30 year career in that field. Bob loved serving his community and was a special police officer for the East Hanover, NJ squad during the 1970's.
Bob married the love of his life Diane in 1973 and together resided in Brick, NJ where they became very active in the boating community. He was Vice-President of the Barneget Bay Power Boat Racing Association, Commodore of the Green Island Yacht Club and a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary Unit and Power Squadron. His favorite pastimes were hunting, fishing and most of all boating. Upon his retirement, Bob moved to Punta Gorda Isles with his wife and together realized their dream of navigating the intercostal waterway from New Jersey to Florida on their beloved boat "Cloud 9". He was a member of the Mariners of Punta Gorda Isles and Charlotte Harbor Yacht Club. His love of travel led him to many exotic locations; his favorite was the Bitter End Yacht Club in Virgin Gorda. Bob will be most remembered as a warm, generous and caring man who had a special ability to make everyone smile and feel comfortable in his presence.
Bob will be greatly missed by his wife of 38 years, Diane Mabey; his daughter, Kathy Bunnell of Tunkhannock, PA; sons Kevin Mabey of Hanover, NH and Chris Mabey of South Royalton, VT, plus his grandchildren Douglas, Kara, Parker, Pierce, Eliza and Hayden, his nephew, Erik Hutcheson; nieces Elizabeth Barnes and Jennifer Magno and many close friends.
The family will receive friends from 4:00 pm till 6:00 pm, Tuesday, August 23, 2011 at the Kays-Ponger & Uselton Funeral Home, 635 E Marion Avenue with a chapel service at 5:30PM . In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Animal Welfare League at www.awlshelter.org.
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