Obituary of Kurtis J. Tillery

Kurtis James Tillery, 53, of Iowa City, Iowa, passed away peacefully on Thursday, July 11, 2024. Arrangements are with Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service, Iowa City.

He is survived and greatly missed by his daughters, Victoria (Jayson Blunt) Tillery and Jenna (Jacob Wickenkamp) Tillery; along with his mother Kathryn Tillery, who he communicated with weekly; and sisters Kristi (Kevin) Bruch and Kelli (Jeff) Hill. 

Kurtis was born on January 21, 1971, in Peoria, Illinois, the son of James and Kathryn (Manns) Tillery. He graduated from East Peoria High School in 1989 and then continued his education studying engineering at the University of Iowa. Following his studies, Kurtis worked for over 30 years as a talented craftsman with a strong work ethic. Using his love and special gift of carpentry, he completed thousands of projects as well as built many homes.  The project most special to him was building rocking horses and doll cradles which were donated to Toys for Tots during the holiday season.

Kurtis, an avid fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Iowa Hawkeyes, also enjoyed shooting pool and playing backgammon, and from age 3 until he passed, Kurtis maintained friendships with the “Arnold Avenue neighborhood gang”. Most of all, he cherished and loved every project, inside joke, and moment with his proudest accomplishments, his girls. 

He was proceeded in death by his father, Jim, who taught him how to fix anything, his grandmothers Marie Manns and Ethel Tillery, grandfather Truman Tillery with whom he shared a special bond, and his uncle Jimbo Manns, a mentor who never failed to see his talent. 

Memorials to celebrate Kurtis’ life may be made to Freedom Paws Service Dogs, a group which provides veterans and first-responders who suffer from PTSD with trained service dogs. Contributions will be used toward the training and ongoing care of a service puppy, who will be named in his memory.  Donations may be mailed to Freedom Paws Service Dogs, 5407 East Cambron Avenue, Chillicothe IL 61523. They may also be made online at https://givebutter.com/freedom-paws-service-dogs-foundation.

A celebration of life will be held at a later date.