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Rite of Christian Burial for David Gendry
Rita Augsburger
Rita Augsburger
Saturday, April 22, 2023
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David Theodore “Dave” Gendry, 85, passed away on March 23, 2023 at his home in Lockport, IL. He had struggled with the effects of cancer and two strokes for the past 16 months. A funeral service to celebrate his life will be held at First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Decatur, IL on April 22, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. Visitation will take place at 10:00 a.m., one hour before the funeral service.

Dave was born in Decatur, IL on October 10, 1937 to his parents, Theodore Gendry and Edna (Hitzemann) Gendry. He married Mary Margaret Werries on February 20, 1960. Together, they raised two daughters, Jane and Cindy. Jane is married to Tom Zimmerman and they live in Las Vegas, NV. Cindy is the widow of Phil Gelato and she lives in Lockport, IL.

Dave grew up in Decatur, IL and attended St. Paul’s Lutheran School, Woodrow Wilson Junior High School and Decatur High School where he graduated as a senior with the class of 1955. He was always tremendously proud of the accomplishments of his high school classmates. He not only maintained lifelong connections with friends in every school he attended, he also stayed in touch with more than thirty children who grew up in his west-end neighborhood in Decatur. Once you became Dave Gendry’s friend, you were his friend forever.

After high school, Dave earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business from Millikin University. While at Millikin, he joined Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity and he worked for a few years in the mail room at the Herald and Review newspaper. He later worked in sales and advertising/sales promotion for Aetna Casualty and Surety Insurance Co., Aid Association for Lutherans Insurance Co. (now named “Thrivent”) and Krause Publications in Iola, WI. He decided to make a major career change and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Art Education at Illinois State University. He spent the last several years of his career teaching junior high school art. His favorite job, by far, was teaching art at the junior high school in Taylorville, IL.

Dave was a very active volunteer in his community. He so much wanted Decatur, IL and Millikin University to thrive. In the past, he served on the Board of the Good Samaritan Inn, was a member of the Millikin University Alumni Board and, more recently, was a member of the Millikin Decatur Symphony Orchestra Guild. He supported the activities of the Decatur Area Arts Council and participated in local art shows. In addition, much of his volunteerism centered around church sponsored activities including singing in the choir, serving on the church council at First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Decatur, IL, working at the AMELCA food pantry and delivering Meals on Wheels.

Dave had a wonderful life because he found interests and activities for which he had a passion. He was never idle because he was continually involved in one of the following: ceramic arts; fishing; bowling; antique buying and selling; and following his favorite sports teams (the Green Bay Packers, the Philadelphia Phillies, the Millikin University men’s and women’s sports teams and the University of Illinois basketball and football teams). He was always listening to a game while he was making pottery or preparing antiques for sale.

Dave Gendry is survived by his wife, Mary Margaret “Mary” Gendry; his daughters, Jane (Tom) Zimmerman and Cindy (Bob Gomer) Gendry; his brother, Tom (Diana) Gendry; his sister-in-law, Pamela Gendry; and, his sister-in-law, Johnette Brown (Dennis) Sparks. In addition, he is survived by several nieces and nephews (Kathleen, Kimberly, Amy, Wendy, Ronda, Larry, Luke, Denna and all of their spouses and children). He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Bob Gendry. Sadly, one of Dave’s favorite granddogs, “Feddy”, passed away on the same day as Dave.

Donations may be made to the David T. Gendry Scholarship at Millikin University or to the charity of the donor’s choice.