Gary Ray Irving

Born December 7, 1943 in Peoria to William Donald and Charlotte (Miller) Irving, he married Julia Byam on May 6, 1965 in Belvidere. She survives.

Also surviving are two daughters, Rhonda (Rodney) Smith of Mapleton and Lori Irving of Pekin; two grandsons, Dustin Ray (Alisha) Irving-Carpentier of Pekin and Levi Ray Smith of Mapleton; two great-grandchildren, Jonathan Irving-Carpentier and Tilden Ray Irving-Carpentier, both of Pekin; two sisters, Debbie Coats of Peoria and Bobbie Coats of Cuba; and one sister-in-law, Linda Irving of Hanna City.

He was preceded in death by his parents; step father, two brothers, Bill Irving and Robert Irving; and two sisters, Linda Frampton and Shirley Gisi.

Gary worked in maintenance at Sherex Chemical Company in Mapleton for 33 years, retiring in 2002.

Gary enjoyed motorcycles, yardwork, tinkering with things, and trips to Menard’s. He could build anything and was a jack-of-all trades. He was a fan of NASCAR and followed Martin Truex, Jr.

His visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, May 27, 2021 at Preston-Hanley Funeral Homes & Crematory in Pekin. Private inurnment will be at Glendale Memorial Gardens in Pekin.

To express condolences online, visit www.preston-hanley.com