PENDLETON — He loved Pendleton and always wanted what was best for it and the people who live here.
That’s what people recalled when they reflected on the life of Virgil Mabrey, who most recently served as clerk-treasurer but was involved civically in many other ways through the years.
Mabrey died Nov. 17 at age 72 at St. Vincent Hospice after an extended illness.
“He served the community,” said Bob Jones, president of the Pendleton Town Council. “He cared about the town.”
Jones not only worked side by side with Mabrey for the past three years on town issues, they also attended the same church — Pendleton First United Methodist Church — and were fellow Vietnam War veterans.
“He was very friendly, always sharing his perspective on things,” Jones said. “He was very progressive. He wants the town to do well.
“He was a great guy.”
Mabrey was born Aug. 1, 1946, in St. Louis, Missouri. He was a lifelong Pendleton resident.
He graduated from Pendleton High School in 1964 and Indiana State University. He had a career in sales management and once served as president of Indiana Ready Mixed Concrete Association.
As fiscal overseer of the town, Mabrey frequently mentioned during town council meetings the need to think long-term about any new costs the council was considering incurring.
“He was knowledgeable, worked hard and was good to work with,” Jones said.
In addition to attending local schools, Mabrey became involved with local schools in other capacities in recent decades. He served three terms on the South Madison Community School Corp. board and was a permanent substitute teacher at Pendleton Middle School, where he worked as recently as this fall, as his health permitted.
“The kids really did like him,” Principal Dan Joyce said. “Middle school kids need consistency.”
Mabrey’s impact went beyond the youngsters, Joyce said.
“He had a really positive effect on our staff,” he said. “He had a way of teaching life lessons not only to the kids but also to the staff.
“It hit the staff pretty hard when they heard about his passing.”
Joyce also recalled Mabrey’s service on the school board, which he said was during “tough” financial times, when there were difficult decisions to make.
“I always felt that he was pretty level-headed,” Joyce said, noting Mabrey was financially conservative.
“I thought the world of Virgil,” Joyce said. “You hear about pillars of the community, and we have many, but he was one of them.”
Survivors include Mabry’s wife, Jennifer, and daughters Carrie (D.J.) Barton of Mason, Michigan, and Jill (Erik Saur) Schellenberger of Pendleton.
Mabrey’s family plans a time to share memories and fellowship from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, followed by a Celebration of Life service at Pendleton First United Methodist Church, 225 W. State St., Pendleton.
