Darrell Dean Kehl Obituary (1942 - 2020)

Darrell Dean Kehl, 78, of Normal, passed away early Monday morning, Aug. 10, 2020, at Carle BroMenn Medical Center. A private family graveside service will be held at Heyworth Cemetery with Rev. Garry Gromley officiating. The family will be hosting a celebration of life at a future date. Darrell was an active member of the Lexington First United Methodist Church. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the FUMC Building Fund, 108 S. Cedar St, Lexington, IL, 61753. Darrell was born January 24, 1942, in Jacksonville, IL, to Thomas Dean and Marjorie Eloise Blimling Kehl. He married Karen L. Rees on August 27, 1966. She survives. He is also survived by "his girls": daughter, Jami (Greg) Head and granddaughters Falyn Schweitzer and Avery Head. Additional surviving family include his sister, Darlene Evans, Heyworth; sister-in-law, Kathy Koons, Shirley; 5 nieces, and 3 nephews. Darrell is preceded in death by his parents, his in-laws Francis (Buck) and Eva Rees, and brother-in-law, Daniel Koons. Darrell was a 1959 graduate of Normal Community and a 1963 alum of Illinois State University. He was an avid Redbird fan and received the Joseph F. Warner Golden Redbird Award with wife Karen in 2014. He began his 33-year career with State Farm Insurance in 1969 as an electronic data processing specialist and held several data processing jobs before becoming a manager of general services in 1974. In 1983, Darrell was named executive assistant in the president's office and relocated to Lincoln, NE in 1985 as a deputy regional vice president. Darrell returned to Bloomington in 1987 to hold the position of Vice President Systems, retiring in 2002 in the department where he started. He loved State Farm, its purpose, its people, and its technology. Darrell was equally as passionate about fast-pitch softball. He played the game for over 20 years with Silver Leaf 4H, Laesch Dairy, GMC Trucks, Ebach Reality, and the Bloomington Hearts. In 1988, he was elected into the Illinois Amateur Softball Association Hall of Fame. While the teams saw many successes on the field, Darrell and his family found even greater happiness with the friends and family they made off the field. After his player years were behind him, Darrell found joy sharing the game he loved with his granddaughter's travel team, the BNGSA Heat. Darrell was a lifetime Los Angeles Dodgers and Green Bay Packer fan. He enjoyed his morning trips for coffee at Green Gables, Wednesday dinners at Kick's, and an occasional ice-cold Stag with friends. He loved his family and friends dearly. He was a husband, dad, papa, coach, leader, mentor, and friend to many he met along life's journey. He never shied away from sharing a bit of his wisdom and will be missed deeply. Please view the obituary and share your condolences and memories online at www.calvertmemorial.com