Dennis R. Melloy

Dennis R. Melloy 78, of Bartonville passed away at home Sunday July 4, 2021. He was born in Moline, IL to George C. and Leila (Chart) Melloy on August 30, 1942. He married Patricia L. McNeill December 30, 1971, and loved her so much he married her again on December 28, 2003 and was by her side until her passing on July 18, 2011.

He is survived by his loving children, son Brad (Michael) Wilson of Oakland, California, daughters Denise (Dale) Upchurch of Lewistown, Dana (Brad) Hermacinski of East Peoria, Tricia (Todd) Chitwood of Bartonville, and Shirley (Chris) Zera of Princeton, 8 grandchildren, and 9 great-grandchildren, with one on the way. Two brothers Terry (Shirley) Melloy of Melbourne, FL, Kevin (Marilee) Melloy of Pensacola, FL, and two sisters, Kathy (Kim) Tanner of West Peoria, and Sharon (Steven) Sproston of Valrico, FL, and several nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews also survive him. His parents, brothers George Melloy, Jr. and Harold Hill, sisters Shirley (Wayne) Jones and Mary (Kenneth) George, preceded him in death.

He was a mischievous, busy little boy curious about everything as he grew up. Dennis always talked about spending his free time running around helping neighbors cleaning up yards, and painting fences, or whatever he could do to earn enough money to get penny candy and sodas. He joined the Navy at 16, and once he was found out, immediately discharged, but with his parents’ permission re-enlisted 1 year later in 1963 to go on to serve for 6 years with Mine Squadron 10 in Charleston, SC, and was honorably discharged in 1969.

Never shying away from work, he was a man of many hats, jack-of-all-trades, driving dump trucks, painting dumpsters, building custom bars, to finally finding his place erecting steel buildings. He founded Melloy Steel, Inc., which went on for many years building for several businesses in the Peoria area, and even set the steel for the atrium at Northwoods Mall. He was intensely dedicated to his work, so much so that anyone that worked for him, were the best in their field thereafter. He also spent 2 months in China teaching a team of workers how to erect steel – bamboo ladders and all.

He volunteered for the Patricia Melloy Food Bank with Family Core for several years. Dennis also offered to help anyone where he thought he could be useful, which was always. He could fix and build anything, searching Google for hours until he found the best solution. He spent his remaining years working with wood creating custom heirloom quality pieces of furniture with his family.

He was incredibly funny, telling the best goofy jokes ever making it seem like he was creator of the “dad” joke, slapstick silly, the best drawkcab reklat, best at lifting babies up high in one hand, among other things, and had a voice that carried across even a room full of people. Dennis’ laugh was infectious, and he would laugh himself in to a coughing fit most of the time. He loved his family with his whole heart, body, and soul, and will be missed immensely.

A celebration of life will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, September 17, 2022 at Davison-Fulton Woodland Chapel in Peoria. A memorial visitation will be held an hour prior to services at the funeral home.