In Memory

Joel Vance

Joel Vance

Joel Mark Vance passed away peacefully September 26 in Austin Texas.

Joel was born to Margie E. and Melvin D. Vance December 1, 1944 at Freeport Hospital. He caught polio at the age of 4 in the great epidemic of the 1940s and 50s.

Joel spent almost a year in Hermann Hospital in Houston and most of his stay was in an “iron lung”. The disease permanently affected his legs but he never let that slow him down.

He never felt sorry for himself. Growing up, Joel was an active member of Second Baptist Church in Lake Jackson. He attended A.P. Beutel Elementary and Lake Jackson Junior High.

When he got to Brazosport High School he couldn’t play school sports because of his legs but he was accepted as a manager for the football team and that’s where he fell in love with the Exporters and football in general.

After high school Joel went to and graduated from a business school in Lufkin.

After business school he went to work in shoe stores in Brenham and Houston. Joel also lived for a while in the Seattle area.

After about a year he returned to the Gulf Coast and worked as a driver for McGill Machine Shop delivering parts and tools. Later Joel moved to Arlington and worked for Pilgrim Pride as a shipping coordinator.

It was in Arlington that he met Allene Waller and they fell in love and soon married.

They enjoyed making road trips and camping in various parts of Texas and Tennessee in his Dodge Ram pickup. Several years after they married Allene passed away. In 1999 Joel transferred to the Nacogdoches Pilgrim plant where he worked for another two years.

He lived in and took care of a small house in Redland (Lufkin) owned by the Vance family.

In 2000 his legs started giving him more and more trouble. He was diagnosed with post polio syndrome. Joel applied for and received a disability retirement from Social Security.

Joel had several dogs in his adult life but his favorites were Buddy, and recently Bingo both Boston Terriers.

In 2014 Joel suffered a stroke and he moved to a nursing home in Bastrop. Before his passing the Brazosport High class of 1965 voted unanimously that he should be known from now on as “Mister Exporter” and presented him with a certificate which made him very proud.

Joel was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Allene, older brother Melvin Morris (Bubba), his niece Terina Vance Author and nephew John Keselik.

He leaves behind his friends at the nursing home and a slew of classmates from Brazosport High and his family; Melvin Morris’s wife Nancy, his brothers; Mickey and wife Dean, Gary and wife Leslye; his sisters Martha Vance Barras and husband Craig and Beth Vance Keselik and husba nd Steve. Joel loved his nieces and nephews Robert, Cheryl, Celita, Ellen, Sierra, Micah, Justin and Zoe. He also leaves behind his good friends and neighbors from Redland, Beamon and Doris Calhoun.

A memorial service and celebration of Joel’s life will be held at 11:00am, Saturday November 19th at Second Baptist Church (formerly Shady Oaks Baptist) 201 Garland Dr. Lake Jackson. Joel’s brother, Gary, of Leoma, Tennessee will be officiating. Memorial contributions may be made in Joel’s nameto...http://www.post-polio.org/DonationFormPrint.pdfacknowledgments to: Mick Vance 612 Crawford Cir. Longmont, CO 80504



 
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09/26/16 04:51 PM #1    

Eileen McMillan (Koenig)

RIP Joel and may God Bless.

Eileen McMillan-Koenig


09/27/16 08:17 AM #2    

Judy Stephenson (Clifford)

RIP Joel, prayers for your family!


09/27/16 02:15 PM #3    

Karen Reader (Spiller)

R.I.P. Joel.  You will never be forgotten.  We will miss your smiling face and in the middle of the night phone calls.

 


05/29/17 10:35 AM #4    

Bill Marshall

I remember Joel from Junior High in LJ.  I always admired Joel from a distance.  He was dealt a terrible hand, but he made the most of it.  He never complained that I ever heard.  I wrote him a few times when he was in the nursing home.  I did not go see him there.....my bad.  I do remember visiting with him at the Reunions.  He was MR. EXPORTER in my book.  There was not much that he would not do for BHS.  He loved our class and our reunions.  RIP Joel              You are missed.    Later


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