Joseph L. Dillard

Joe was born on May 11, 1960, in North Little Rock, Arkansas, to father Isaiah Dillard and mother Thelma Calvin (Watson), who both preceded him in death. He grew up in a large, loving family with two sisters and a brother. He graduated from Roosevelt High School and later joined the military. For most of his adult life, Joe worked in sales, which he excelled at.

As a child Joe moved to Gary, Indiana, where he made many close, lifelong friends. Later in his adult life, he moved to Davenport, Iowa, where he built many more valuable relationships. Joe was charismatic and well loved by many, and always tried to help those he could. He affected many lives and will never be forgotten.

In addition to being a great friend to many, Joe enjoyed playing pool and won many awards for his skill. He enjoyed having barbecues with his friends and family and did so as often as he could. He was very proud of his skills at the grill. He loved playing video games with his young son, Julian, and instilled a strong interest in not only gaming, but also computers, coding, and electrical engineering in the child. His relationship with his older son, Joshua was strong and made stronger by their mutual devotion to Julian. Giving these brothers to each other was among the many great things Joe did that will live on in the world.

Joe was kind and caring, but also strong and stubborn, and having cancer didn’t change that. He fought hard, and it gave his loved ones all the more valuable time with him.

Joe is survived by his children, Joshua and Julian, his siblings, Maxine, Marcella, and Gerry, many nieces and nephews, and a large circle of devoted friends. He also helped raise many children during his time and had a profound effect on their lives. Those children include Jessica Paulson, Kaytana Heimark, and many others.

Joe requested to be cremated. His siblings will take possession of his ashes and choose reception arrangements