Richard "Dick" Overheul's Obituary
Richard (Dick) Garrett Overheul passed away peacefully on Friday, June 14, 2024 in Decatur, Illinois. He was 89 years old.
Dick is the son of Irene Catherine and Menno Francis Overheul and the oldest of 7 children. He was born in South Haven, Michigan and moved to Decatur in 1936 when he was just 1 year old. He attended St. Patrick’s Grade School and St. Teresa High School where he was in the top quartile of his class. He was active in sports and with a height of 6 ft 7 in, he played basketball and helped lead St. Teresa to the “Sweet 16” in the 1953 State Championship. Dick graduated from Quincy University in 1957, where he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. There, he continued his talent and love of basketball and played in the NAII Tournament. Post college, Dick entered the Army and played basketball for the Ft. Leonard Wood team and also received recognition as “Outstanding Trainee” in the US Army Infantry, Ft. Ord, California.
Dick worked in the insurance industry for most of his life, starting with Allstate and then J.L. Hubbard Insurance where he rose to the position of Vice President of the company. Years later, he owned his own insurance company. He was also a broker for E.F. Hutton and finally in retirement worked as a registered representative of securities for pensions and retirement.
Dick also helped found the Decatur SCORE Chapter and was a member for 20 years providing guidance and mentoring for new entrepreneurs. He was also a long-time member of the Board of Directors for the Community Investment Corporation of Decatur (CICD).
Richard was a long-time member of the South Side Country Club, Warrensburg Gun Club, Jaycees, St. Patrick’s Catholic Church and was a 4th degree member, Honor Guard, of the Knights of Columbus. He was an avid hunter, fisherman and lover of nature and was noted for his hunting expeditions in the western US, Alaska and Canada. Dick was also a talented artist (painter and draftsman) and photographer. He had a passion for flower gardening and bird watching.
Dick was married to Della Ann Martin on November 26th 1960 at St. Thomas Catholic Church, Decatur, Illinois. Their marriage of 64 years produced two children, many close friends and many happy memories. He is survived by his wife, Della, their two children Garrett Overheul (San Francisco, CA) and Elizabeth Overheul Curry (Burlingame, CA), son-in-law Brian Curry (also from Decatur). Dick has two grandchildren - Grace Catherine and Evan Joseph.
He was preceded in death by his mother - Irene, father – Menno; sister - Sally, and brothers David, Mike and Steve.
Visitation will be at Graceland Funeral Home on Sunday, June 23rd, 2024 from 4-6PM. Funeral services for Richard Overheul will be held on Monday, June 24th, 2024, at 1:00 PM, at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Decatur, Illinois. The service is open to all who knew Richard and wish to pay their respects. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the St. Patrick’s Church and School ,https://www.ssjpparish.com/
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our family, friends, and the compassionate care teams who supported Dick throughout these past 6 months. Your kindness and support have been a source of strength during this difficult time. We deeply appreciate your consistent care, companionship and hard work.
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