Obituaries

William Gene (Bill) Dillon

   William Gene (Bill) Dillon, 70, of West Union, WV, died on Saturday, May 1, 2021, at his home. He was born in Parkersburg, WV, on December 4, 1950, a son of Naomi Haught Dillon, Parkersburg, WV, and the late William Jennings Dillon.

    Bill is survived by a daughter, Laura Grace (Gracie) Dillon-Moore and her husband Adam Dillon-Moore of Chattanooga, TN; two sons, Joshua Lee Dillon and his husband Jurriaan Odé, who live in France, and Guy Nathan Dillon and his wife Erin Cole of Bloomington, IN. He had five grandchildren, whom he dearly loved: Cy Dillon, Lou Dillon, Alice Dillon-Moore, Julien Dillon-Moore, and Loic Dillon-Moore. In addition, Bill is survived by three brothers, Greg Dillon, Eric Dillon, and Mike Dillon, who reside in West Virginia; and longtime close friend Sue Dillon, who lives in Brown County, IN. An infant brother, Shawn Dillon, preceded him in death.

   Bill was a 1969 graduate of Parkersburg High School. He attended Lipscomb College in Nashville, TN, and later earned a degree in Graphic Design at Ivy Tech Community College in Columbus, IN.

   For several years, Bill was a leather craftsman in Nashville, IN. He owned and operated Brown County Leathersmith in Antique Alley, next door to John Mills Pottery.

   Bill taught graphic design courses at the Columbus, IN, campus of Ivy Tech. He later worked at Northrop-Grummond in Fairmont, WV, as a graphic designer. He was well-known for his art work. Until his death, he was the portrait artist for the Indiana University Athletics Hall of Fame. 

   Bill was a fun guy to be around. He enjoyed his family, his students, and his co-workers, and they enjoyed him. He was a great storyteller who could recall and describe vivid details about his life experiences. Bill was also a car enthusiast. He especially enjoyed MG’s and Volkswagen Things.

   Memorial services will be held at a later time in West Virginia and in Brown County, Indiana. 

   Expressions of sympathy may be extended to the family at www.spurgeonfunerals.com.