Joe R. Lively

ATHENS- Joe R. Lively, 74, of Athens passed away Tuesday, January 20, 2015, surrounded by his family at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, NC after a brief illness. Born April 11, 1940 at Lowell, WV he was the only child of James R. Lively and Sue Bradley Lively. Joe spent most of his early years in Summers County. He was a member of Keller Presbyterian Church at Lowell and attended Silver Springs Baptist Church in Princeton. He was a veteran of the U. S. Army and a Kentucky Colonel. He was a 1972 graduate of Concord College and worked as a medical technologist at Princeton Community Hospital, retiring in 2002 after 32 years of service. He worked several years as a DJ with Al Harman on the “Bluegrass Classics” program on WAEY radio in Princeton and nearly 10 years on Kicks Country Radio in Bluefield with Jr. Billings on the J & J Bluegrass Classics program. He was an active member of the Appalachian Highland Music Association, emceeing their events and many other musical events. He is survived by his wife of 41 years, Donna Lynn Bradley Lively; one son Scott Lively of Sumerco, WV; one daughter, Karen Bailey and husband Junior of Princeton and the pride of his life for the past 14 years, his only grandchild, Jackson Kyle Bailey of Princeton. Funeral services will be conducted at 2:00 p.m. Friday, January 23, 2015 at the Rowland H. Bailey Funeral Chapel of the Bailey-Kirk Funeral Home in Princeton with Rev. Gerald McKinney and Rev. Bobby Bradley officiating. Interment will follow at Oakwood Cemetery in Princeton where Military Graveside Honors will be conducted by the Mercer County Honor Guard. Serving as pallbearers will be West Virginia State Troopers David Hill, Dean Brinegar, Jamie Harris, Cody Douglas, Silas Belt and Theodore Kania. Honorary pallbearers will be Dwayne Rudisell, Jr. Billings, Al Harman, Bill Clifton, Dr. Gopal Pardisani and Lewis Story. It was Joe’s request that memorial contributions be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or Make A Wish Foundation, 4742 N. 24th Street, Suite 400, Phoenix, AZ 85016-4862. Friends may visit with the family from 6-8 p.m. Thursday, January 22 at the Bailey-Kirk Funeral Home in Princeton. To view a video tribute to Joe or send the family online condolences please visit www.bailey-kirk.com. *Please check back after 6:00 p.m. Thursday, January 22 to view a video tribute to Mr. Lively

Tributes

Joe R. Lively

April 11, 1940 - January 20, 2015