Richard "Dick" C Rowley

Richard C. “Dick” Rowley, 82, of Monmouth, IL, passed away of heart failure at 9:32 am, Monday, May 14, 2018 at OSF St. Francis Medical Center, Peoria.

He was born on May 12, 1936 in Monmouth, IL, the son of Bert and Harriett (Barnes) Rowley.  Dick was raised and educated in Kirkwood and graduated from Kirkwood High School in 1954.  After graduating from Western Illinois Teachers College, he proceeded to teach for eight years at Kirkwood/Yorkwood High School.  He left there in 1966 to continue his teaching career at Warren High School until his retirement in 1992.  During his years of molding all those pliable minds, he also coached football, basketball and track.  Once his children started playing sports, Dick walked away from coaching and took his place on the bleachers to do what he did best- being a dad.  He spent hours in the yard with his children playing 500, shooting hoops, or participating in whatever activity was taking place.  Occasionally he’d find time to tinker in the vegetable garden in the back yard.

Dick was rather savvy on his phone, texting his grandchildren and keeping up with all their activities.  He always took great interest in knowing what they were involved in and spent a good amount of time at school events/sports for them.

Dick married Kathleen “Kathy” Cavanaugh in 1962 at Immaculate Conception Church in Monmouth and she survives. Dick and Kathy have six children together, two sons; John (Debbie) Rowley of Geneseo, IL, Jim (Melanie) Rowley of Dunlap, IL, four daughters; Jackie (Joe) Gales of Granger, IN, Jennifer (Bryan) Arnold of Sciota, IL, Jill (Barry) Flynn of Monmouth, and Jan (Joe) Carlberg of Plainfield, IL.  Also surviving are seventeen grandchildren, Daniel Rowley, Matthew Rowley, Ben Rowley, Lauren Kluesner, Lexi Rowley, Thomas Gales, Taylor Arnold, Blake Arnold, Declan Flynn, Cormaic Flynn, Rosie Flynn, Katie Flynn, Sydney Carlberg, Greta Carlberg, Sophia Carlberg, Josie Carlberg and Layne Carlberg; four great grandchildren, Stella, Scarlett, Sawyer and Sylvee Kluesner.

He was preceded in death by his parents, and aunt, Florence Rowley Taylor.

A Memorial Mass will be at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, May 19, 2018 at Immaculate Conception Church, Monmouth.  Interment will be in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Monmouth.  A Celebration of Life will be 5:00-7:00 p.m., Friday, May 18, 2018 at McGuire & Davies Funeral Home and Crematory, Monmouth.  A Rosary Service will be at 4:30 p.m. prior to the Celebration of Life.  Memorials can be made to the Dick Rowley Memorial Fund