Douglas Roehlk

Douglas Roehlk

Knoxville, Illinois

Douglas J. Roehlk, age 65 of Knoxville, Illinois died peacefully at home at 7:30 PM on Wednesday, January 3rd, 2024, following a three-year battle with esophageal cancer. Doug fought this fight with a positive attitude while staying as productive as possible. He was an inspiration to all who met him.

He was born in DeWitt, Iowa on August 13, 1958, the son of William Roehlk and Deanna Harmsen. He graduated from Knoxville High School in the class of 1976. He served in the United States Army from 1986 -1989.

Surviving are his siblings, Susan (Jeff) Buch of Fairfield, Iowa; Brett (Laurie) Roehlk of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Bridget Bell of Las Vegas, Nevada. He was preceded in death by his parents. Doug wished to mention some special friends that became family to him over the years: Jim (Debbie) Bizily, Park City, Utah; Bill Berghoff, Chicago, Illinois; Steve Ferguson, Knoxville, Illinois; Don and Shelly Lockwood, Knoxville, Illinois; Jane Eiker, Knoxville, Illinois.

Following his service in the Army, Doug moved to Las Vegas, Nevada where he began his work in the building trades. He became a true craftsman in his field, and spent his life as a self-employed contractor, specializing in home renovation. Doug took pride in his work and stated his customers became his friends. He spent twenty years in Las Vegas before moving on to other adventures that would include Horseshoe Bay, Texas, Park City, Utah and Salt Lake City, Utah. Doug returned to his roots in Knoxville, Illinois in 2022 and spent the last few years of his life remodeling his current residence. Doug enjoyed watching football, baseball and golf and believed that anyone living in Illinois should be a Cubs and Bears fan, which he was. Doug spent many years on the golf course with good friends enjoying the beauty of nature, hours full of jokes and laughter and a true love of the game. Later in life, Doug began to enjoy the art of cooking and he did this with the same flare and enthusiasm that he approached everything in life. While undergoing chemotherapy, Doug spent time learning to paint (with the help of You Tube) and completed many beautiful paintings that he shared with special friends. He took pride in knowing that he was a lifelong learner, and his interests were endless.

A celebration of life will be held at Hurd-Hendricks Fellowship Center in Knoxville, Illinois on Saturday, January 13th from 2:00-4:00 PM. A tribute and video presentation with be held at 3:00 PM.

If you wish to send a memorial in his honor, they may be sent to family for their designation.