Dewey McCoy

Dewey McCoy, 66, a resident of rural Goreville, Illinois, after moving from Elgin, Illinois, but originally from southwestern Virginia, died June 8, 2011, in Nashville, Tennessee. The cause of death was lymphoma. The youngest of seven children, Dewey was born July 2, 1944 in the now-abandoned coal-mining community of Virginia City, Virginia. In 1962, seeking better economic opportunities, Dewey left Virginia and resided with his sister Dora and her family in the Fox Valley Region of Kane County, Illinois. During the mid-1960s Dewey worked a variety of manufacturing jobs in the area. In 1964, he met and married Kay Perry, originally of Goreville, Illinois. They settled in Elgin, Illinois where they had two children. Dewey joined the Plumbers and Pipe-fitters Union in 1968, a profession from which he would eventually retire. Throughout his career, Dewey worked on a number of construction projects including schools, hospitals, and water treatment facilities. For much of the late 1990s, he worked on the piping for a company that produced fiber-optic cable used for internet communications. Dewey enjoyed hunting and was able to take some memorable trips to the western states with his dear friend Wetzel Craig (now deceased). During hunting trips to southern Illinois with his brother-in-law Lee Perry, Dewey fell in love with the area. He and Kay made it their goal to retire to Johnson County, and they accomplished this in 2001. A long-time member of Calvary Baptist Church, Elgin, where he and Kay formed long-lasting friendships, Dewey’s faith was in the Lord Jesus Christ. As a trustee of the church, he participated and oversaw a number of maintenance projects. Upon moving to Goreville, Dewey and Kay attended First Baptist Church. Members of the church and friends in the community provided much help to him and Kay during his illness. Until recently, Dewey enjoyed a healthy and active retirement. His favorite activities included tending his cows and farm, as well as assisting neighbors and other farmers in the area. Nothing gave Dewey more pleasure than successfully completing an outdoor work project, especially if it involved a tractor. Dewey was preceded in death by his parents William Harrison and Eva Bell McCoy, four sisters and two brothers. Survivors include his loving wife Kay, daughter Teresa and her husband Roger Jackson of South Elgin, Illinois, his son Roger and wife Thorunn of Nashville, Tennessee, granddaughter Leah Elizabeth Jackson of Sycamore, Illinois, numerous nieces and nephews in Virginia and Georgia including Kyle “George, Jr.” Hayes, as well as a number of close friends. Services will be held at the Goreville First Baptist Church, West Main Street, Goreville, Illinois. The funeral service will be Monday, June 13 at 11:00am. Rev. Scott Balance from Elgin officiating. Visitation will be Sunday, June 12, 2011 from 5:00pm to 8:00pm. The burial will be at Busby Cemetery, Goreville. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Alive Hospice, 1718 Patterson Street, Nashville, Tennessee 37203 www.alivehospice.org or Heather Treat Memorial, PO Box 98, Vienna, Illinois 62995