Doris McCoy

Doris McCoy
Jerseyville - Doris June McCoy, 93, passed away on Friday evening, October 10, 2025 at Mercy Hospital in St. Louis, MO, surrounded by the love of her family. She was born on April 3, 1932 in Calhoun County, IL, one of four children born to the late Peter L. Gress Sr. and Catherine E. (Banghart) Gress. As a small child during the Great Depression, Doris was raised on Blue Ridge in Calhoun County, where her faith, her deep love for family, and her work ethic grew. She attended St Michael School, Indian Creek School, and graduated with the Class of 1950 from Hardin High School. After graduation Doris moved to Alton and worked in the Powder Mill at Olin Brass and as a secretary in the Buder Building in downtown St. Louis, MO. On a girls' night out at Busch's in Jerseyville she met the love of her life: a handsome young man named Jim who tried to trip her going to the dance floor. He definitely got her attention and the rest is their history. On November 17, 1956, she married James Henry McCoy at St. Michael Catholic Church inMichael. Shortly after, they made their home in Jerseyville, in a house built by Jim and his father, perched atop a hill to remind Doris of her Calhoun roots. Within those walls, they built a life rich with love, laughter, and family traditions. It was where they raised their two daughters, gathered around the dining room table for meals and games, and watched the seasons of life pass together. Jim preceded her in death on August 31, 2019, after nearly 63 years of marriage. The timing of the isolation caused by the COVID pandemic was especially hard but our "tough little Granny" endured. Doris was devout in her Catholic faith and a longtime member of Holy Ghost Catholic Church in Jerseyville. As members of the Jerseyville Moose Lodge she worked along with Jim every Friday night for many years serving food and enjoying the Saturday night dances, making life long friends. Doris was known for her love of cooking, which was always "for" someone special: lasagna, dumplings, au gratin potatoes, pies, cakes, and cookies. Trying new recipes from magazines or TV was always a treat for her family and friends. She eagerly helped the family canning garden vegetables while sharing tips and many childhood stories making the process so much fun. Her favorite sports teams kept her company in later years, following the Cubs and the Yankees, along with Illini, Loyola, and Michigan State College Basketball, and the Chicago Bulls and theNY Knicks. Football season brought the Kansas City Chiefs and Green Bay Packers. She was our in-house sports analyst and knew many details about her favorite teams and players. Surviving are her two daughters and their husbands, Cathie and Ron Sears of Jerseyville, and Jill and Jeff Plato of Kane; a grandson and his wife, James Nicholas and Tashi Sears of Millbrook, NY; a granddaughter, Megan Plato of Wood River; and great grandsons, James Khyentse and Neil Chogyal Sears, also of Millbrook. In addition to her parents and husband, she was preceded in death by a sister, Maxine Hagen, and two brothers, Gerald Gress and Peter L. Gress, Jr.
Visitation will be held from 9 to 11 a.m., Wednesday, October 15, 2025 at Crawford Funeral Home in Jerseyville. A Mass of Christian Burial will follow at 11:30 a.m. at Holy Ghost Catholic Church, with Father Martin Smith officiating. Private inurnment will take place at a later date. Memorials may be given to an organization dear to the family's heart, William B. Dell Achievement and Resource Center in Wood River, where Doris's granddaughter, Megan, resides. Memories and condolences may be shared atwww.crawfordfunerals.com.