Joseph Jonathan von Zabern

Joseph (Joe) John von Zabern Born: October 23, 1964, in Brea California Died: June 24, 2023, at 58 years of age in Greenville, South Carolina Joe was the fourth of five boys born to Evelyn and Fred von Zabern. He had a happy childhood with his brothers as built-in playmates, prone to mischief and childhood feats of engineering. Joe’s parents allowed their boys to create and experiment with their many passions as they were growing up. A landmark in von Zabern family lore is the story of the Lawnmower Go Kart. Working together, the boys took apart a lawnmower and built a go kart to race around the neighborhood. It was a great learning experience involving wood, screws, nails, wheels, glue, various looted household items and the lawnmower’s motor. The real learning curve began when they realized they needed to have the lawnmower back together in working operation before their dad got home! Joe learned to fix almost anything by trial and error. Known as “Mr. Fix-it,” his repair skills were generously shared with family, friends, and neighbors alike. Joe was an “everyman,” known for his standard attire of T-shirts and Cargo Shorts. He had a welcoming, laidback spirit and loved to talk with people. Joe never met a stranger he couldn’t call a friend. In speaking with family and friends, you cannot escape talk of Joe’s kind, giving and loving nature. Joe was always there for you if you needed a hand or a fishing partner. Joe loved fishing, especially for trout but any fishing hole brought pleasure. Joe's favorite food was crab legs, and he was a connoisseur of moonshine cherries. In 1993, at 29 years of age, Joe was married. Though the marriage did not last, it provided Joe with the joy of his life in 1999, when his daughter Emily was born. Joe and Emily shared a passion for living things as their lives were filled with cats, dogs, snakes, and various other animals native to the area. Joe once told Emily: “If you can catch it, you can keep it.” Hence, the lively menagerie that was ever-present in their home. In 2019 Joe met his fiancé, Lesia Evans. Lesia lovingly describes their time together as a life full of “fun little adventures,” enjoying scavenger hunts through pawn shops and antique stores, fishing, walking on the beach, and taking nature walks along the North Saluda Reservoir to check out the native plants and animals. Joe and Lesia had an appreciation for nature and found peace and tranquility in the beautiful surroundings. In this relationship, Joe had the privilege of being welcomed into Lesia’s family, building a strong bond with her two sons, Justin and Isaac. Joe leaves behind his daughter Emily von Zabern, his fiancé Lesia Evans, his brothers Fred, Rob and Jim von Zabern and a large extended family of friends and co-workers who knew and loved him. Joe is pre-deceased by his parents, Fredrick Wilhelm and Evelyn Clare von Zabern, his younger brother William (Bill) Lawrence von Zabern, and Leisa’s son, Isaac Evans. Services for Joe will be held on Saturday July 8, 2023 at: Living Waters Funeral Home & Crematory 529 Spartanburg HWY S. Lyman, SC 29365 1:oo pm Reception 2:oo pm Service Interment immediately following at: North Fork Baptist Church 162 Callahan Mountain Rd Travelers Rest, SC 29690 There will be a luncheon provided by the church community in the hall immediately following the graveside ceremony.

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Joseph Jonathan von Zabern

October 23, 1964 - June 24, 2023