Darryl Gene Mayhew

Darryl Gene Mayhew

Troy - 2/17/1951 - 9/27/2021

Darryl Gene Mayhew, age 70 of Troy Illinois, passed away on Monday September 27th, 2021, in rural Nevada as the result of a fatal car accident. He is survived by his wife, Sally Mayhew, who was critically injured in the same accident, his children Marc (Angie) Mayhew, Rachel (Charles) Robison, Emily (James) Reed, and Bradley (Catherine) Mayhew. He also leaves behind two siblings, Tom Mayhew and Nancy Rumler, nine grandchildren – Austin (Capps), Spencer, Natalie, & Abby (Mayhew); Joel, Zora, & Ida (Robison); and Grace & Jack (Meyer) – and one great grandchild: Autumn (Capps). Darryl is also survived by many extended family members and friends, and his tenth grandchild is expected within days. He is preceded in death by his parents, John and Darlene Mayhew, and three siblings, Gary Mayhew (2013), Judy Peterson (2021), and Barbara Mayhew (2013).

Darryl was born on February 17th, 1951, in Aledo, Illinois. As a child Darryl took his studies very seriously and developed an aptitude for athletics, eventually earning a scholarship to Illinois College in Jacksonville, Illinois. In college Darryl set a handful of records in basketball and track and graduated in 1973, though he claimed his greatest accomplishment there was meeting his wife of 47 years, Sally A. Straub. Darryl and Sally were married in Staunton Illinois on August 24th, 1974 and settled in Jacksonville where Darryl took a job as an accountant for Capitol Records. Although he enjoyed interacting with the Beatles' lawyers and Olivia Newton John, when he was offered a promotion in Los Angeles, he instead prioritized raising a family and spent most of his career as an accountant for public utilities in Illinois and Missouri.

Darryl's roles as a husband and a father became his main focus. The family became involved in many activities and Darryl was there every step of the way. He coached youth basketball and volleyball, and supported his children's youth swim team, gymnastics programs, junior high band, and scout troops. In 1998, the family was named the "Family of the Year" by the Jacksonville YMCA as a result of Darryl's involvement with the youth sports programs. For many years, Darryl even supported his kids' business pursuits by rolling newspapers daily at 5:30am before going to his own full-time job. He was a member of his local churches in Jacksonville and Edwardsville where he led various committees, acted as the moderator, played on the church softball team, and supported the youth groups.

In retirement, Darryl enjoyed gardening, woodworking, attending his grandchildren's activities, and visiting National Parks across the United States. During a September trip to see their children, grandchildren, and National Parks, Darryl and Sally were in a terrible car accident caused by an inattentive driver.

Visitation & funeral services will be held at First Baptist Church of Edwardsville Illinois with COVID-19 safety protocols in place. A visitation will be held on Friday, October 15th from 4pm - 7pm and again on Saturday, October 16th from 9:30am-10:30am. A funeral will be held at 10:30am on Saturday, October 16th, with burial to follow at Staunton Memorial Park Cemetery. Memorial gifts may be made to First Baptist Church of Edwardsville.

Williamson Funeral Home, Staunton, is in charge of arrangements. To order flowers or leave an on-line condolence, please visit our website at www.williamsonfh.com.