Dennis L. Powell Obituary (1942 - 2020)

Dennis "Chief" Powell, 78 of Heyworth, IL passed peacefully on October 29, 2020 with family by his side after a long struggle with health issues. Denny was born on September 7, 1942 in Bloomington, IL. A graduate of Heyworth High School, he farmed the land of his great grandparents alongside his parents, Eleanore (Barnes) and Donald Powell, from the late 1950's to the present. A lifetime bachelor, Denny was a loyal community servant for the majority of his adult life. He served in the Illinois National Guard for 14 years. He was a fireman for 56 years with the Randolph Township Fire Department. Widely recognized as a leader and innovator, he served 39 of those years as Fire Chief focusing on education, training and development which continues to this day. Denny served as Randolph Township Road Commissioner as well as Sexton, Supervisor and Restoration Developer for the Randolph Township cemeteries. He served on numerous committees, boards and councils within the township, McLean County and the State of Illinois. In 2013, after nearly 50 years of service with the Fire Department and being a key contributor in implementing E911 first responder capabilities in rural areas, he was honored as McLean County Mayors Association Person of the Year. Denny was a true patriot, ensuring veterans were recognized and abiding by all flying rules of the American Flag. He enjoyed all aspects of farming, and his farm was the event gathering spot for the Holidays, harvest time and Fourth of July. He collected farm tractors and John Deere memorabilia, never missed an episode of Gunsmoke or Bonanza, and he saw every John Wayne film (multiple times). Preceding Denny in death are his parents, Eleanore (Barnes) and Donald Powell, his brother Terry Powell (Nelda), and his step-sister Lois (Powell) Detloff (Marvin). Surviving are his step-sister Loretta (Powell) Meece (Wayne) as well as 5 nephews, 1 niece, 10 grand-nephews, 5 grand-nieces, 3 great-grand-nieces and 2 great-grand-nephews. It's likely that Denny did not fully realize the number of people he connected with, as his nature was to reach out and help when he could, regardless of who needed it. Denny's loyalty and generosity to people and the community at large were the hallmarks of his personality. He was rewarded with kindness from citizens throughout the community. More importantly, he was blessed with an extraordinarily close family of friends who knew him as "Chief" and whose loyalty and support throughout the years was tremendously appreciated by he and his own family. Visitation will be held on Wednesday November 4th from 5-7PM at Heyworth Christian Church in Heyworth, IL. Funeral Services will also be held the church on Thursday November 5th at 10AM. Due to health concerns, masks and social distancing will be enforced. Calvert & Metzler Memorial Home, Bloomington is in charge of arrangements. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Randolph Township Fire Department are greatly appreciated.