James Douglas (JD) Darr, 80, of Benton, Illinois, passed away at Deaconess Hospital in Marion, Illinois on April 15, 2026, surrounded by his loving family and friends. JD was born on August 16, 1945 in West Frankfort, Illinois to Denzil James (DJ) and Ethel Fern (Farmer) Darr. JD was preceded in death by his parents.
JD married Wanda Sue Teffertiller Overturf on September 10, 1983. JD and Sue were happily married for more than 36 years, until her passing on March 18, 2020.
JD is survived by his daughters: Tara (Darren) Myers of Savoy, Jan (Lynn) Bush of Carbondale, Christina (Steven) White of Elgin; son: Ryan (Stephanie) Darr of Carlyle; grandchildren: Shelby Bush (Adam Lisiewski) of Bloomington, Leyton (Jessica) Bush of Carbondale, Marc White of Chicago, Lauren White of Elgin, Caleb (Taylor) Darr of Breese, Riley Darr of Carlyle, Andrew, Jacob and Jackson Myers of Savoy; great-grandchildren: Charlotte “Charlie” and Lincoln Bush of Carbondale, Amelia Darr of Breese. JD is also survived by his faithful pups, Buddy and Daisy, and Meathead the cat.
JD graduated from Benton High School in 1963, where he lettered in football, track and basketball. He attended barber school after graduating high school, and worked as a barber for many years. JD also worked as a coal miner at the Freeman United Coal Mining Company at Orient No. 3 mine in Waltonville, Illinois.
JD loved fishing and spending time with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. JD also cherished the many bonds and friendships made through his affiliation with the Stormriders Motorcycle Club (MC) for more than 45 years. JD was a founding member of the Stormriders MC and his club brothers were his brothers for life.
JD’s true favorite pastime was giving his friends and family a hard time – the bigger the insult, the deeper his love for you! And you can bet that there would be a big ol’ kiss, right on the lips. “Give me some lip lock”! JD had a huge heart, a quick wit, and was a loyal and faithful friend to so many people.
JD’s family would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the following special friends and brothers who helped care for him during the last months of his life: Roy “Layne” Dobbs, Calvin “Champ” Lauderdale, Tommy “Homer” Conner, Nathan Robasse, Angie Dunning and Cassi Gunter Hartley.
A memorial visitation to honor and celebrate the life of JD Darr will be held on Sunday, April 19, 2026 from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. at Gilbert Funeral Home in Christopher, Illinois. Please dress casually and bring your best JD stories. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the American Diabetes Association or to the pet rescue of your choice. JD’s wishes were that he be cremated, with his ashes distributed at a later date.
For more information go to our website www.gilbertfuneralhomes.com
Speak Your Mind
You must be logged in to post a comment.