Help the Colly Family in Memory of Joe

On December 9th the Colly family suffered the tragic and completely unexpected loss of their dad, Joe Colly. The morning of Thanksgiving, they could tell something wasn't right with him, so they took him over to Johnston Willis to be checked out. Joe has experienced several strokes in the last few years, so this wasn’t something entirely new to them. After spending Thanksgiving in the hospital with his family by his side, he went on to spend many more days in the neurology wing undergoing tests where they discovered he had suffered three more strokes in just a few days.

By Saturday morning, the doctors determined that there wasn’t much more they could do. They were discharged and sent home with a dad that was almost entirely unresponsive. By Saturday afternoon, he was not in any shape to be home with just his wife. They decided he needed medical attention immediately, and an ambulance was called due to Joe not being able to walk.

He arrived at VCU Medical Center that Saturday evening where the medical team jumped into action working quickly to determine what they were looking at. He was quickly moved to the Neuro wing of MCV where additional scans and tests were done promptly. There is where they got the gut wrenching news that he had had many more strokes unfortunately all located in his brain stem, cutting off blood flow to all parts of his brain and preventing any normal bodily functions.

Things moved quickly after getting that news, he was immediately moved to the Neuro ICU where he was placed on life support machines to help him breathe. This was a far cry from the man who walked into the hospital just four days prior. After many more evaluations by his incredible neurology team it was determined that Joe would not be able to recover from this, and that it would be best to go ahead and take him off life support. They were moved to the hospice wing and spent days together loving on their dad and getting to see family and friends to share the joy of Joe.

Joe never met a stranger. He was a goofball, always setting up conversations to crack a joke. Joe loved all things Harry Potter, but what he loved most was being an outstanding husband to his wife, Karen, and a dedicated dad to his three children. Their family is devastated by this massive loss. To help provide relief from the financial burden during this impossible time, please consider honoring Joe’s memory in any way you are comfortable.

He was a wonderful friend, father, and husband and will be missed more than words can properly convey.

Funeral Details:

Date: Saturday, December 21st, 2024

Time: 2:00 PM

Location: Woody Funeral Home Huguenot Chapel

1020 Huguenot Road, Midlothian, VA, 23113