Wilbur Eugene "Shorty" Hubbard, 76, of Kirksville, Missouri, passed away Thursday, October 17, 2024 at Caring Hearts & Hands of Columbia in Columbia, MO.

Shorty was born July 24, 1948 in Lancaster, Missouri, the son of the late Wilbur Edwin and Wilma Alice (Woods) Hubbard. On January 26, 1990 Shorty was united in marriage to Mary "Pat" Irby who preceded him in death on May 7, 2023. He was also preceded in death by one son, Thomas Furnish; one brother, Willard Hubbard; two sisters, Charlene Machler and her husband Doug, and Wilda Steele and her husband Jerry.

Shorty is survived by two sons Dustin Behounek and wife Kimberly of Gunnison, CO, and Howard Hubbard of Bloomfield, IA; one brother and sister-in-law, William and Amy Hubbard of Kirksville, MO; three sisters and a brother-in-law, Wanda Hubbard of Kirksville, MO, Zane Hubbard of Jackson, MO and Mildred and Jerry Findling of Greentop, MO; brother-in-law, Larry Dean Irby of Checotah, OK; ten grandchildren, Alexis , Morrigan, Riley, and Aiyana Hubbard, Harley Malone, Cammy Jo Vayda, Austin Stroud, and Michael, Madison, and Gabriel Behounek; four great-grandchildren; as well as a number of nieces and nephews.

Shorty received his education in the Adair County rural schools and Kirksville High School. He spent his life as a meat cutter, doing what he loved. From 2005 to 2019, Shorty owned and operated Shorty & Dean's Meat Processing Company in Manford, Oklahoma. He then returned to Kirksville to make his home. Through the years Shorty enjoyed fishing, camping, hunting, collecting and trading guns, and was a member of the NRA.

Shorty attended Sugar Creek Baptist Church of Kirksville.

Public visitation will be held on Monday, October 21, 2024 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Travis-Noe Funeral Home in Kirksville. Cremation will follow the service and inurnment will be held at a later date at New Harmony Cemetery in Greentop.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations in memory of Shorty may be made to Caring Hearts & Hands of Columbia or to the New Harmony Cemetery and may be left at or mailed to Travis-Noe Funeral Home, P.O. Box 306, Kirksville, MO 63501.