Joel W Febel

Joel William Febel died peacefully at the Patriot’s Colony, Assisted Living Facility, in Williamsburg, VA on April 3, 2023.  Joel was born in Highland Park, IL, on 7 February 1938 to Jacob & Stephanie Katherine (Nedbal) Febel.  He attended High School in Highland Park, IL & subsequently received a congressional appointment to the Naval Academy.  Joel was a varsity golfer, but he was interested in art, antiques, painting and piano.  He helped design the class crest and graduated in June with the Class of 1960 as a member of the Fighting Fifth Company.

Upon graduation, he attended Primary and Basic Flight Training in Pensacola, FL where he received his wings in Beevile TX.  He attended Aircraft Maintenance School in Memphis, TN.  Joel’s first operation Squadron was VA-155 at Lenmoore, CA with a WestPac Cruise aboard the USS CORAL SEA.  The ship stopped while enroute to Sydney, Australia to participate in the 20^th Anniversary of the Battle of the CORAL SEA. He deployed with the first operational A6-A Intruder Squadron, VA-75 and then deployed on the USS INDEPENDENCE in 1965 to the South China Sea with Air Group 7. Two months after returning from Vietnam, he was scheduled to take an A-6 Aircraft from NAS Oceana to the O&R facility at NAS Norfolk, when his plane crashed after take off.  He was hospitalized a year at the USNH Portsmouth and underwent rehab for an additional six months.  In 1967, the Navy sent him to the Harvard Business School, where he earned his MBA.  After graduation, he was given a Medical Board at the First Naval District in Boston and Joel was retired with a disability with the rank of Lieutenant Commander in 1969. Joel’s awards include the Air Medal with five oak leaf clusters.

Joel entered industry in the planning and development disciplines involving various Fortune 500 Companies at the Division Group and Corporate levels of strategic planning and business development.

By mid 1980,  Joel exited “Corporate America” and became CEO of a medium size law firm, which he financially reconstituted.  In 1986, he merged with another company and became President of CHAPMAN Associates, a business brokerage firm in Chicago,  Later he transitioned from administration into the business side. In 1989, he founded FEBEL Associates, a firm catering to manufacturing companies in the household and furniture business.

Between 1994 and 1997 he did business in Latin America and the U.S,. partnering with Carras Corp. in 2001, he sold Febel Associates to the Carras Corporation and retired to his home on Lake Gaston, NC. Years later, he moved to the Patriots Colony in Williamsburg.

He is survived by his two sons, John and James.

A memorial service will be conducted on 8 April 2023 at Bucktrout Rd of Williamsburg,4124 Ironbound Rd, Williamsburg, VA 23188.  Inurnment will be at the US Naval Academy Columbarium on date TBD.