He was preceded in death by his parents John Leo Cahill Jr. and Yvonne Marie Bork Cahill of Allen, TX; brother Ronald John Cahill of Allen, TX; and father-in-law Jerry Dean Ditmore of Frisco, TX.
John’s parents moved their family to El Paso, Texas, when he was 10 years old. He was enrolled in grade school where he met his future wife Deborah “Debbie” Anne Ditmore. They became high school sweethearts and were married in August of 1972. For the majority of their 48 years of marriage, they called Plano, TX, home.
John was a family man who dearly loved “his girls” — Jennifer Marie Cahill Newell and Catherine Anne Cahill Rambo — and would do anything for them. He was the most amazing Granddad there ever was, spending most of his time on the floor wrestling with his grandsons or playing dolls with his only granddaughter. Every day you could see him chasing all of them around pretending to be a T-Rex or a Velociraptor. Having the privilege of taking care of his precious grandchildren while their parents worked brought extreme closeness, love, and joy to his life.
John was always very curious and active, and he had many interests in his life. He especially enjoyed racing his Camaro Z-28, which would announce his arrival a block in advance. He loved water skiing, riding motorcycles, camping, hunting, fishing, hiking, rock climbing, collecting rocks and fossils, studying astronomy, and more. John was a member of the 999 Club of MENSA.
He was Mr. Fix-it for the entire extended family, and his trademark was leaving tools and supplies everywhere. Debbie often had to play detective to locate his tools for the next project. John also loved to travel and spend time with his family, and many cherished memories were made on his last family trip in October 2019 when all ten members of John’s immediate family took an amazing trip to Disney World.
John graduated from Eastern New Mexico State University with a degree in horology (watchmaking) and jewelry repair. He took those skills and eventually became a machinist, saying it was the same as watchmaking but on a monstrously larger scale. John was also a home inspector and owned his own business, Cahill Inspection Services, for 34 years. He had a passion for the industry and worked tirelessly on behalf of his fellow Inspectors. John tried to pass on his vast knowledge to the many students he taught over the years, most recently with American Home Inspectors Training (AHIT).
John is survived by his wife of 48 years, Deborah “Debbie” Anne Ditmore Cahill of Plano, TX; his daughter Jennifer Marie Cahill Newell and husband, Christopher Lee, and grandsons Ethan Leo McDonald, Joshua Lee Newell and Grayson Lewis Newell of Plano, TX; his daughter Catherine Anne Cahill Rambo and husband Joseph Reed and granddaughter Mackenzie Marie Rambo and baby boy Rambo due in 2021 of Plano, TX; his sister Patricia Cahill Fine of McKinney, TX; niece Veronica Fine Webb and husband Nicolas, and great-niece Sophie and great-nephew Thomas of Bothell, WA; his brother, Daniel James Cahill and wife Birgit of Anna, TX, and niece Alina of Berlin, Germany, and nephew Nicolas of Anna, TX; brother-in-law Jerry Ditmore II of Allen, TX; sister-in-law Anne Marie Ditmore of Dallas, TX; nephew Julian De La Chapa of San Antonio, TX; and mother-in-law Margaret Anne Ditmore of Plano, TX.
From daughter Jennifer Newell:
He taught us everything. Dinosaurs to asteroids and everything in between. There was fishing and camping. Hiking, swimming and bike riding. He taught us how to climb the tallest peaks and how to hold our ground. That mud is fun and bugs aren’t gross. That Nana’s way is totally right... but where’s the fun in that? How to light a firecracker, play hide and seek in the dark and that drones can be flown in the house. How to make the best out of a bad situation. How to celebrate birthdays, family days, and holidays because no matter what, family is first. He taught us everything. He was always there.
He never let us down. Daddy, I knew this day would come, but never thought it would be now.
Your shoes are too immense to fill. Our lives are forever changed.
From daughter Catherine Rambo:
Daddy was always an incredibly hard-working man, a groundbreaking inspector, my human encyclopedia, our handyman, and a great storyteller. He really shined as a Grandad, and I am so thankful that Mackenzie got to experience that, even for such a short amount of time. We have been blessed to have so many reach out with their sympathy and condolences. Dad was loved by many and it never gets old hearing how many people he made an impact on.
Our love for you will live forever in our hearts. Until we meet again in Heaven . . .
The family will have a Liturgy of the Word service at 1:00 p.m. Friday, November 13, 2020 at St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church in Plano. Rev. Msgr. Leon Duesman, presiding.
Debbie and the family will visit with friends outdoors after the service.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.teddickeywestfuneral.com for the Cahill family.
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