Justin Ethan Spellerberg

Visitation will be held on Saturday, February 22, 2020 from 10:00 am – 11:00 am at Memorial Funeral Home. Memorial service will follow at 11:00 am at the funeral home with Rev. Joni Griffin officiating.

He was born on May 29, 1974 in Kansas City, Missouri to Frank and Ilene (Rickson) Spellerberg. Justin attended Lee's Summit High School where he began his pursuit of musical excellence. He played classical and popular music on the piano, sometimes just by ear. One of his favorite memories was playing with his high school orchestra at Carnegie Hall in New York City. He played the trumpet, which attracted the attention of the well-known director of Marching Mizzou, Norm Ruebling. Norm was instrumental in getting Justin a music Scholarship to the University of Missouri, Columbia. Justin graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from Mizzou in 1996. And, unbenounced to him, his future wife was living in a dormitory across the street from him for a couple years.

After graduating college, Justin's first professional job as a medical technologist was at University Hospital. In 2001, he began to work for Boyce and Bynum Pathology Laboratories in the chemistry department and continued working there in the molecular diagnostic lab until February 2019. This is not only where Justin flourished professionally, but personally. At one of Boyce and Bynum's employee appreciation parties, was his first interaction with Melinda Byrd. They were inseparable from that evening on.

Justin had just recently began a new professional journey that he was so excited about. He started his employment with Capital Regional Medical Center in Jefferson City in July 2019. While he only worked there a short time, he quickly became an integral part of the lab and was so hopeful for his future there.

Justin and Melinda married on April 29, 2006 at the Centralia United Methodist Church and continued living and working in Columbia. Since both were Mizzou graduates, they enjoyed going to Missouri Tiger sporting events and, of course, tailgating. Justin was known for his Tiger Spirit and was definitely not a fair weather fan.

Justin was a passionate person. Passionate about learning, passionate about his work, and passionate about his friends and family. But his highest priority, were his children, Aiden Christopher, age 10 and Emily Christine, age 4. They were his life. Everything he did was out of love for them.

Survivors include: his wife, Melinda Spellerberg of the home; two children, Aiden Spellerberg and Emily Spellerberg of the home; his parents, Frank and Ilene Spellerberg of Columbia, Missouri; twin brother, Jason Spellerberg of Chicago, Illinois and one sister, Serean Loyland (Erik) of Houston, Texas; one sister in law, Melanie (Byrd) Forrest of Columbia, Missouri.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the children of Justin Spellerberg (make checks payable to Melinda Spellerberg), c/o Memorial Funeral Home, 1217 Business Loop 70 West, Columbia, Missouri 65202.