Billy Covey Funeral Service

GREETING.....PASTOR SCOTT

Hello, my name is Scott Rowe. I pastor at Newton Falls Church of the Nazarene

We are gathered today to pay our tribute of respect to our deceased loved one and friend. Billy Covey. To you members of the family who mourn your loss, we especially offer our deep and sincere thoughts and prayers. May we share with you the comfort offered by God’s Word for such a time as this...

Dearly beloved: We are gathered today to pay our tribute of respect to our deceased loved one and friend. Billy Covey. To you members of the family who mourn your loss, we especially offer our deep and sincere thoughts and prayers. May we share with you the comfort offered by God’s Word for such a time as this...

1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

()

(NIV)

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

(NIV)

Let us Pray....

INVOCATION.....PASTOR SCOTT

Almighty, God, our Heavenly Father, we come into this place of sorrow, realizing our utter dependence on you. We know you love us and can turn even the shadow of death into the light of morning. Help us now to wait before you with reverent and submissive hearts.

You are our refuge and strength, O God, a very present help in time of trouble. Grant to us your abundant mercies. May those who mourn today find comfort and healing in your sustaining grace. We humbly bring these petitions in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, amen.

OBITUARY READING

NEWTON FALLS, Ohio (MyValleyTributes) - Billy Joe Covey, age 55, of Newton Falls, passed away peacefully into eternal rest on Monday, April 1, 2019 at Hospice of Poland after a long battle with cancer.

He was born on June 26, 1962 in Albany, Kentucky, the son of Gladys (Owens) and Billie Covey, Jr.

Billy married the love of his life, Julie Anne Buettner on November 19, 2016.

He was a maintenance manager for U.S. Marines for over 22 years before retiring in August of 2002. Billy was a member of the U.S. Marines serving during peace time.

He enjoyed woodworking and fishing.

He was a member of the Masonic Lodge #788 in Albany, Kentucky.

Memories of Billy will be carried on by his loving family; his wife, Julie of Newton Falls; his two daughters, Heather Nicole and Hayley Justine Umble-Covey both of Newton Falls; his three sons, Justin Alex, Jacob Maxwell Covey both of Solon and John William Covey of Byrdstown,Tennessee; his sister, Deborah Covey of Shelvyville, Kentucky; his son-in-law, Herbert and Deborah Buettner of Elyria.

Billy is preceeded in death by his father and one brother, Jeffrey Covey.

Calling hours will be held at the James Funeral Home on Saturday, April 6, 2019 from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Funeral services will be held at the funeral home on Sunday, April 7, 2019 at 2:00 p.m.

Per Billy's wishes cremation will follow.

The family asks that donations be made to the family to help with funeral expenses.

REFLECTIONS FROM FAMILY & FRIENDS

HYMN OR SPECIAL SONG.....IF TOMORROW NEVER COMES

SELECTIONS OF SCRIPTURE

(NIV)

A psalm of David. 1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

EULOGY

Now teachers play an important role in our lives. All people for better or worse are affected by teachers. Some of these are parents, some of these are siblings, some of these are in the school system, and some of them are found in the church. There is one teacher we don’t like to listen to. This teacher raises our awareness of one of life’s most important mystery and reality. That teacher’s name is death. The death of a loved one becomes a teachable moment. God’s Word says this about death in “It is appointed for people to die once-and after this, judgment.

Life is short. We get one chance at this. No one is promised tomorrow.

*Rope illustration*

It’s like this rope. Let’s imagine it goes on forever. Now imagine this rope is a timeline of your existence. You just exist forever. You see this white part. This would represent your time on earth. You have a few short years on earth. Then you spend eternity somewhere else. So many people focus on the white part of the rope without any perspective on what happens after death.

It is our human nature to want to understand everything now, but TRUST requires that we lean and rely heavily on God even when things seem unclear.

5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

I’m not going to tell you not to cry or not to experience emotions.  Emotions are God-given.  They are a part of who we are. 

Jesus Himself said, "Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted." ()

Tears are the safety-valve that God built into us to help us at times like these.  It’s OK to cry. 

I’m not going to tell you today that you’ll never have questions come to you.  But I will tell you this:  There is something wonderful that you can focus on.  Choose to focus on the things you know… things the Word of God declares.

We declare with Job… 

25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth.

We declare with Jesus… 

2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

We declare with Paul…

6 …We are always confident, knowing that, while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: 7(For we walk by faith, not by sight:) 8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

,

21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

23 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better…

13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

We are going to move beyond the tears.  We are going to move beyond our questions… because the Holy Spirit is here today to comfort and strengthen each and every heart!  And he will continue to be with us as we continue to live for God.

An individual made the following statement: “The measure of a life is not in its duration but in its donation.”

When we think of Billy’s donation… what he contributed… what he invested… we have much to be thankful for!!!

Consider the investments of love and devotion that he made in his marriage with Julie. I met with her yesterday and she described Billy as a man with a heart of God, a family man that is loving and loyal. Consider the investments of godliness and nurturing that Billy made with into the lives of his children Heather, Hayley, Justin Jacob, and John.

Julie yesterday told me a story about a woodworking accident Billy had in which he cut his finger and how his daughters took care of him and pretended like they were doctors and nurses and bandaged him up and made hats like you would see medical professionals wear. So Billy wasn’t only a good husband but, he was also a good father.

Now, Consider the service he made to our great country by serving in the Marines. Consider the impact he made into the lives of so many people… that he poured his life into.

Let me say again that “The measure of a life is not in its duration but in its donation!”

Later this day, after all the words have been spoken, after all the songs have been sung, and after everyone has left the funeral home, it still won’t be the end of Billy’s story because the memory of his life and the influence of his life remains. 

We all have a story to tell and a donation to be made. What will it be for you? What kind of legacy will you leave for your family and friends to remember you for?

But it will not be the end of his story, because the memory of his life and the influence of his life remains. 

A HYMN OR SPECIAL SONG.....AMAZING GRACE

BENEDICTION.....PASTOR SCOTT

"Our Father in Heaven, in as much as you, in your sovereign love, have called the soul of our loved one and friend, Billy, to be with you, we express our thanks, for the privilege of knowing him. We thank you for the way he impacted our lives, and for your grace through difficult times. We are grateful for your love; You, who sent us the Great Shepherd of the Sheep. You who have prepared a place for all who trust you, and who alone are worthy of our faith, to you we turn for continued strength, continued comfort, continued perspective, continued purpose.

RECESSIONAL.....IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL

At this time people can now come and give their respects to the family and final viewing.