Grant "Bill" Mackey Obituary (1941 - 2014)

Grant "Bill" Mackey, 72, of Bloomington, died at 10:04 p.m. on Sunday, February 23, 2014 at Advocate BroMenn Medical Center in Normal.Funeral mass will be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday, February 27, 2014 at St. Patricks Church of Merna, with Rev. Luke Spannagel officiating. Cremation rites will be accorded after services. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday at Carmody-Flynn Williamsburg Funeral Home, where the Rosary will be recited at 6:45 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the National Diabetes Foundation or C.I.S.A.R. To express condolences online, please visit www.carmodyflynn.com.He was born November 29, 1941 in Greeley, CO, son of Lloyd and Jeanora Farley Mackey. He married Joan "Jo" Reiners on August 31, 1963 at Indianola, NE.Surviving are his wife, Joan, of Bloomington; his daughter, Michelle (Michael) Miller of Bloomington and his three grandchildren, Alex, Nick and Carly Miller, all of Bloomington. Also surviving are two brothers, Max (Lorraine) Mackey of Greeley, CO and Gary (Yvonne) Mackey of Sioux Falls, SD; several nieces and nephews, and beloved family dog, Annastasia.He was preceded in death by his parents and one son, Kurt Mackey in 1990.Bill worked for State Farm Insurance Company, first in Lincoln, NE, then Greeley, CO and later in Cheyenne, WY. After working in Wyoming, Bill then transferred to Bloomington, IL, where he worked for over 30 years. Bill spent the last 15 years of his career in the Westlake Village, CA office. He held several different positions throughout his State Farm tenure. He retired in 2004 as a Claim Automation and Procedures Manager.Bill loved being retired. He loved spending time with his wife and children and he cherished his grandchildren. After retirement, Bill also enjoyed traveling, boating, photography, spending time at the beach, and of course his daily visit to Starbucks. Bill also found great enjoyment in working on computers and providing "tech support" to friends and family in need.Bill was a devoted husband, loving father and proud grandfather (known as "Pappy" to his grandkids). He will be dearly missed.