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Williamsburg Funeral Home
Williamsburg Funeral Home
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10/12/1973 – 08/02/2020
Kingstree
Visitation
Joey’s family will receive friends from 5 to 7 PM Saturday, August 8, 2020, at Williamsburg Funeral Home. Due to Covid -19, all safety precautions will be taken so please socially distance and wear a mask.
Memorials
Memorials may be made to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, www.bcrf.org or Williamsburg County Animal Shelter, 200 County Camp Road, Kingstree, SC 29556.
Joseph Byron “Joey” Dorrell, 46, died Sunday, August 2, 2020, at his home in Kingstree.
Mr. Dorrell was born October 12, 1973, in Kingstree, SC, a son of Kathryn Sue Thompson Dorrell and the late Barry Miller Dorrell. He was a graduate of Kingstree Senior High and attended Horry-Georgetown Tech. Joey worked for Aero Tech, specializing in crop dusting- mixing and loading tanks. He was an avid Clemson fan; loved Star Wars, cooking, gardening; and was a craftsman. Joey was loved by his nieces and nephews and he doted on them. He had a big heart for any stray animal and was always rescuing them.
Surviving Mr. Dorrell, in addition to his mother Kathy of Kingstree, are: his fiancé, Heather Palmer of Kingstree; brother, Phillip (Marisor) Dorrell of Baldwin, MD; sister, Emily (Michael) Blocker of Greenville, SC; brother, Billy (Amber) Dorrell of Rock Hill; nieces and nephews, Will, Madeline, Nathaniel, Ryan, Benjamin, Susannah, Mya, Matthew, Sam, Cori and Tori; cats, Ted and Maxine; and his fish Bud. Joey was preceded in death by his father, Barry Miller Dorrell.
Joey’s family will receive friends from 5 to 7 PM Saturday, August 8, 2020, at Williamsburg Funeral Home. Due to Covid -19, all safety precautions will be taken so please socially distance and wear a mask. Memorials may be made to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, www.bcrf.org or Williamsburg County Animal Shelter, 200 County Camp Road, Kingstree, SC 29556.
We are thinking of all of you with much love.
Len B. and Claire Hudson Gaskins
This so hard to believe. Joey was Rusty’s first best friend. Thinking of you. We love you and are praying for you and your family. Tell Kathy that we send many hugs. We have have many wonderful memories. God bless you and hold you tight.
With a sad,sad heart, we send thoughts, prayers and love to Joey’s entire family.
Love and condolences from the Cantley family. Joey was a friend to everyone and our world will not be the same without him. I will miss laughing at his posts on Facebook. He knew how to brighten up anyone’s day.
Kathy and family…we are praying so hard for peace and comfort right now. We are so sorry for this tragic loss. Would have loved to have met him.
Kathy, so sad to hear of your loss. Know you have many, many people praying for peace for you & the rest of the family. We love you.
Prayers for your family!!!
Kathy and family, I am so sorry to hear this tragic news. My heart goes out to all of you. Please know that you all are in my thoughts and prayers.
Thinking of you my friend my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family
My Joey
I cannot tell my life’s story without Joey Dorrell. It would be like me trying to describe a Low Country sunset without the color – no burnt orange or ruddish red. That was my Joey. He is the color on the canvas of my youth. And oh how colorful he was!!
Joey and I met in kindergarten and from then on we were the best of friends. Forrest and Ginny….Peas and carrots. From sleepovers to hanging out to exploring the woods in his backyard to playing baseball and football, we were the best of friends. He made me laugh. The bellyache, can’t catch your breath laughs. We were in classes together and spent every recess playing ball or trying to push up on girls. We argued over who would be Larry Bird. Joey insisted so I settled on being Jordan. We weren’t successful at basketball or getting the girls, but there was solidarity and brotherhood in failure.
We had the kind of childhood they write about in country songs. From 4 wheelers to camping at his grandparents’ house to swimming in Black River, we freely explored the world around us. From playing high school baseball and football together to riding my first roller coaster at Myrtle Beach, we experienced the ups and down of adolescence as a pair. From stealing some of Barry’s homemade wine to drinking too much whiskey, we would have made great content for Luke Bryan or Blake Shelton.
Joey was my wingman. Goose and Maverick going to the Moose Lodge dances together. He awkwardly slow danced beside me when I had my first kiss. He gave me that look like, “That’s my boy!” We later laughed about it and I confided that it was him who gave me the nerve to go for it. My wingman…my Joey!
Most people would say Joey’s best characteristic was his generosity. I would agree. He was as generous as the day is long and would give you the shirt off your back. But for me, I remember him as my protector.
He was the first person I met in kindergarten. Not too many white kids in Kingstree so Joey and I easily found one another on the playground. From then on, he always had my back no matter if I was right or wrong. Once I wrecked my car and he ran home barefoot to get my wallet and big sister. He wasn’t fast but he got back before the police got there. That may say more about Kingstree’s police than Joey’s athleticism, but it speaks volumes of his willingness to do whatever he needed to help a friend.
In high school football, he was my center for four years. As the quarterback I touched Joey’s butt more than I have touched my wife’s. He protected me from getting clobbered by linemen. My protector…my Joey!!
In high school I once got jumped by some boys from another town. The next day Willie and Joey showed up at the basketball courts to have my back and ready to kick some tail. My protector…my Joey!
It is often said that when people pass away, part of you goes with them. I can relate. I feel much of my youth is tied to Joey and his passing will see memories of days long ago fade away with him. Just this week we were on a group text and Joey wrote, “Hey Steven, remember that girl from your freshman year..?” and “Remember when we camped out at my grandparents’ house?” Who will help me recall my youth if not they guy who helped write it? How will I maintain the roots of my identify if the man who helped forge it is no longer with me? During our adolescent years he was my physical protector. But as we grew older he became the protector of our youthful innocence (and not so innocence LOL), protector of memories from days past, and protector of who we we were before life interrupted our youthful dreams.
Still my protector…my Joey!!
While we have not spoken a ton since college, we remain connected….brothers…two flowers from the same garden. Because as I began with, I cannot tell my life’s story without Joey Dorrell. He was my friend, my brother, my protector…my Joey!
RIP friend!
My family is truly sorry for your loss. Joey was my teammate in football as we played as boll weevils. He always had a kind heart of gold. I will truly miss his friendship and kind personality.
So sadden bout the passing of Joey.You was a great person, Sip My Friend
In our thoughts & prayers. Sending our love to you Heather & Joeys family & friends. Joey … you will be so missed💔!
Love,
Donnie & Ferda
I had only known Joey for a very short time here in Wisconsin. The few times we got together he was funny, articulate and friendly. I grew to like him very much in that short time. Heather, heart felt condolences from all of your friends here and Wisconsin. Joey is in our hearts and our prayers.
So very sorry for your loss, Heather & Joey’s family & friends! May you help each other through this most difficult time! Praying God puts his healing hand on each of you as he welcomes Joey to ‘his house’!! With Deepest Sympathy, Val & Bill Hobson
You will be missed !! What a great friend to all . Your family is in our thoughts and prayers
No matter where I was in this world Joey always found me. I will always Love and Appreciate the trips to Newberry College and FMU just to see me. To have him my life for 26++ years was a Blessing. Rest In Paradise Joey.
I am so very sorry to read this. I worked with Joey at Piggly Wiggly many years ago!! LOL He was one of the sweetest young men I have ever had the pleasure of knowing! All of the things that have been said of him in the previous comments describe him perfectly! I will be praying for Heather, Kathy and all family and friends! Once again, I am so terribly sorry for the loss of such a wonderful young man!!🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
My deep sympathy to Kathy and her children.
Sorry to hear of the loss of Phillip. Sending prayers for your family.
Joey definitely had a heart of gold. He will be greatly missed. We played football together, of course he played more than me but he was always kind to me. I can count a handful of people who really want out of their way to be kind and he was definitely at the top of the list. The Fathers got one of his favorites back. Again my condolences to all…