Michael A. Tabery, of
Saylorsburg, went home to be with his Lord on Sunday, Sept. 23, 2012, at
home after a courageous battle with cancer.
He
was the beloved husband of Pamela (Page); the caring father of his
sons, James and his wife, Dawn-Marie, of Salt Lake City, Utah, and Jeff
and his wife, Colleen, of Oreland; the doting grandfather of Jeff and
Colleen's daughter, Paige; the loving brother of Lois Maxfield of
Columbus, Ohio; brother-in-law of Edward and Sue Page; and uncle to his
nieces, Zoe Seth, Ellen Maxfield, and Sue Boyko; and many loving
friends.
Born Dec. 26, 1947, in Cincinnati, Ohio, and
raised in Columbus, Ohio, he was the son of the late Stanley and Alice
(McEneany) Tabery.
He met his wife while they were both attending Ohio State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in zoology.
As
a fishery biologist in the 1970s, Mike first worked for the government,
studying shad migration on the Delaware River and then worked for Texas
Instruments and Ecological Analysts, studying the effects on striped
bass by power plants on the Hudson River.
In
1976, when he became a Christian, he gave up the environmental work and
became a construction worker. In 1982, he became a corrections officer,
then a treatment officer and eventually the deputy warden of treatment
at Monroe County Correctional Facility, where he oversaw work-release,
medical and mental health, education, and religious programs.
When
he retired in 2003, Mike became the first director of the Ex-offender
Re-Entry Program of Monroe County Inc. By training mentors for
ex-offenders and providing support to both groups, the ex-offenders were
given the needed tools to reenter society and reduced the recidivism
rate. He retired from this position in 2011 to spend more time
travelling with his wife, enjoying his granddaughter, hunting, fishing
and helping others.
Mike always tried to help
those in need and brighten people's lives through his positive, caring,
loving and kind personality and his ever-ready humor.
He
was an elder, deacon and Sunday School teacher at Middle Smithfield
Presbyterian Church. As moderator of the deacons, he would coordinate
funeral meals, Thanksgiving and Christmas family meals and gifts, Sunday
meals for the homeless, Red Cross blood drives, and regularly visited
the sick and shut-ins.
As a West End Rotarian
Sergeant at Arms, he helped to raise money for cancer, the Salvation
Army and wheelchairs for the West End Fair, and was named West End
Rotarian of the Year. He was on the Quiet Valley board of directors for
many years and was officer of the Varsity S, where he faithfully worked
the food stand to raise money for Stroudsburg High School's athletic
program. He was also a member of Blue Ridge Fire Company and Cub Pack
leader for Troop 84, where he worked tirelessly to raise money for those
programs, as well.
Family and friends are
welcomed to offer their condolences from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept.
27, at William H. Clark Funeral Home, 1003 Main St., Stroudsburg. A
second visitation will be held from 10 to 11 a.m. Friday, Sept. 28, at
Middle Smithfield Presbyterian Church, 5205 Milford Road, East
Stroudsburg. The funeral service will begin at 11 a.m. Friday at the
church, with the Rev. Jeffrey Brower officiating. Burial will follow at
Middle Smithfield Presbyterian Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial remembrances may be made to Re-Entry Program of Monroe
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