Chenoa - Gary Dreher, age 82, passed into the arms of the Lord on August 2, 2026 at Flanagan Rehab & Health Care Center, Flanagan. As per his wishes, cremation rites were accorded. A private family celebration of life will be held at a later date. Duffy-Pils Memorial Home, Chenoa is in charge of arrangements.

He is survived by his daughters, Dawn (Dave) Malone, Chenoa, and Melanie (Ted) Weiss, Joliet; his eight grandchildren, Hayley (Brandon) Beyers, Fairbury; Jack Malone, Iowa City, IA; Josh (Ellie) Malone, Houston, TX; Jillian, Kiera, Paul, Peter, and Parker Weiss, all of Joliet; and his three great-grandchildren, Emersyn, Eliana, and Everly Beyers. He is also survived by his dear cousin, Patty Lindberg.

He was preceded in death by his parents, and a beloved cousin, Craig Lindberg.

Gary was born July 25, 1944 in Berwyn, IL, the son of George and Elsie (Lindberg) Dreher. He spent his childhood in Brookfield, playing sandlot baseball, causing harmless mayhem, and living in close proximity to a large, extended family of aunts, uncles and cousins.

A retired maintenance supervisor with the Downers Grove school districts, Gary moved to Chenoa in 2004. He served as a library board trustee and city commissioner during his time in Chenoa. Gary was also a steadfast steward of the environment, having made countless trips to recycling centers with truck loads of scrap metal. Collecting hundreds of thousands of pounds is not an exaggeration since he kept meticulous logs of the amounts he delivered on a weekly basis. He was also a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan, loved NASCAR and the San Francisco 49ers, and was an avid reader with an insatiable thirst for learning. One of his greatest thrills was finally seeing the Cubs win the World Series. Above all, his most cherished role was that of a father, grandfather, and great-grandfather.

Gary attended many churches throughout his life, and had received Him as his savior. He’d most recently enjoyed Sunday mornings at Christ Community Church in Chenoa, listening to the Good News.