Raymond Hardin "Pete" McIlvoy Jr.

Raymond Hardin McIlvoy, Jr., affectionally known as "Pete," age 79, of Sulphur, Kentucky, passed away on Wednesday, September 20, 2023 at his residence. He was born February 21, 1944 in Louisville, Kentucky, the son of George Raymond and Georgia Mae (Kemp) McIlvoy.
Mr. McIlvoy was raised in Sulphur and a 1962 graduate of Henry County High School. He retired in 2003 as a commercial construction laborer with the Laborers' International Union, Local 576 in Louisville after working for many years.
How the nickname Pete came about is a bit of a mystery. The long-standing rumor is he ate a lot of popsicles in one sitting at some point in his youth and "Popsicle Pete" was born.
He was very resourceful in being able to work on and fix almost anything. Sometimes it was repaired in the least expensive way possible, but he seemed to always get the job done. He was known to carry a handkerchief - a lost art - and readily available in his back pocket. Also on his person always was a comb. Despite urges from his son just to "let it go," he embraced the comb-over for most of his life. However, his greatest nickname of all was Pawpaw when Makenzi Ann McIlvoy was born in 2012. Pete came to life for this little girl who he saw multiple times a week and participated in every tea party, coloring book challenge, birthday party, Christmas morning, and buying her desserts. He never missed a softball or basketball game. He loved her dearly.
Survivors include one son and daughter-in-law, Corey and Rebekah McIlvoy of Goshen, Kentucky; one granddaughter, Makenzi McIlvoy of Goshen; and his former wife, Sissy McIlvoy of Bedford, Kentucky.
He was preceded in death by his parents; one daughter, Sheila McIlvoy in 1967; one sister, Claudine Abbott; and one brother, Harry Black.
The Reverend Dr. Mike Huff will conduct the funeral.
The family requests memorial contributions be made to the North Oldham Little League in Lagrange, Kentucky.