John D. Wombles

John Dennis "Denny" Wombles, 81, of Quincy, IL, passed away at 12:20 am Saturday, October 29, 2022, at Blessing Hospital in Quincy, IL.

A Funeral Ceremony will be at 1:00 pm Friday, November 4, 2022, at the New Canton United Methodist Church in New Canton, IL. Pastor JoAnn Ruff will officiate. Burial will follow at Shearer Cemetery in New Canton, IL. Military honors will be provided by the American Legion Post #222 & the Illinois National Guard Funeral Honors Detail.

Friends and Family are invited to Denny's Life Celebration at a visitation that will be Friday, November 4, 2022, from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm at the New Canton United Methodist Church.

The family is being served by the O'Donnell-Cookson Life Celebration Home in Quincy, IL.

Denny was born December 14, 1940, in New Canton, IL to John Dee and Eulave (Main) Wombles. He was married to Bird Musolino on December 23, 2003, in Quincy, IL. She survives.

In addition to his wife, other survivors include nine children, Kelly Wombles, Tracey Motley, Beth (Mark) Hofmann, Todd (Stacey) Wombles, Tammy Sprinkle, Krista (Chris) Schindler, Craig Wombles, Marci (Gary) Mayes, and Jami (Jamie Angell) Musolino; 18 grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren, with two more on the way; his brother, Kevin (Terri) Wombles; his sister, Jacque (Bruce) Penstone; and many nieces and nephews.

Denny was preceded in death by his parents; two grandsons, Spencer and Maxwell; four brothers, Tom, David, Mike, and infant brother, DJ; and two sisters-in-law, Rhonda and Eva.

Denny proudly served his country in the United States Army from 1959 until 1962. He remained in the Army Reserves until 1965. In 2017, he was able to go on a Great River Honor Flight with his three brothers and grandson to Washington D.C. to visit the memorials that honor their service and sacrifices.

Denny graduated from West Pike High School in Kinderhook, IL in 1958. Following graduation, he was employed by Electric Wheel from 1963 until 1965. He later went on to work for the Carpenters Union and retired as a Carpenter Superintendent in 2004. During his time with the Carpenters Union, Denny was a distributor for Golden Eagle Archery and simultaneously an umpire and referee for several sports teams across Illinois, Missouri, and Iowa for 25 years. After his retirement, he worked several odd jobs.

Denny loved everything and anything that had to do with sports. He played for several local softball teams over the years and coached his daughters' teams, enjoyed attending Quincy University Basketball games, and always found time to play a few rounds of golf. Denny also followed the St. Louis Cardinals and all of his grandchildren's, nieces', and nephews' teams; he was always happy to attend their games and be their #1 fan. He was also an avid shotgun and bow hunter. When Denny wasn't at a game or hunting, he could be found at home mowing his yard on his John Deere (or in later years, simply "supervising"), or at one of his favorite restaurants, Kelly's or The Copperhead. His favorite things to get were fish from Copperhead and livers from Kelly's, and more often than not, he would snag a cookie or two off of the salad bar. Watching old westerns, using tape and glue to fix everything, and listening to country music were a few of his other favorite things. When he heard a good song on the radio, especially at Christmastime, he was known for calling around to his family to tell them which station to tune in to for the best holiday tunes, especially if "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" was playing! Above everything, Denny was a proud father, grandfather, and uncle, and he loved his family more than anything.

Denny was a member of New Canton United Methodist Church.

Pallbearers will be Ryan Motley, Adam Kenady, Matthew Hofmann, Evan Wombles, Jordan Stovall, Landen Motley, and Wyatt Schindler.

Honorary pallbearers will be Korey Wombles, Caleb Wombles, Dan Wombles, Mike Fray, Spencer Wombles, and Maxwell Wombles.

Memorial contributions may be made to Shriners Children's Hospital or the donor's choice.

Online condolences may be shared, and a video tribute may be viewed at www.ODonnellCookson.com.