Robert “Bob” D. Corlett, 81 of Viola, Illinois, died Wednesday, May 15, 2024, at home surrounded by his family. Visitation will be from 1 to 3 p.m., Saturday, May 18, at Dennison Funeral Home, Viola. Funeral services will follow at 3 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be left to the Backwater Gamblers or the Arbor Day Foundation. Online condolences may be left at www.dennisonfuneralhome.com.
Bob was born June 13, 1942, in Altus, Oklahoma, the son of James and Mary McShane Corlett. He married Mary Smith on December 10, 1961; she passed away on March 17, 2014. Bob later married Sherry Martin on October 4, 2014. He worked as a millwright at Alcoa and retired in 1996 after 30 years.
Bob was a member of the Moose Club, Eagles Club, and the Local 105 Aluminum Workers. Bob served as a Boy Scout Leader for several years. He loved to waterski and skied over 9 years with the Backwater Gamblers. Bob enjoyed coaching baseball, traveling, and working on the Corlett Tree Farm with over 27,000 trees. Bob was an avid collector of “hidden treasures.” He was very proud of his favorite car, a 1954 Mercury Sun Valley.
Those left to cherish his memory are his wife, Sherry; three children, Harold Corlett of Viola, Brenda (Mark) Chaney of Chilhowie, Virginia, and Wayne (Becky) Corlett of Viola; step-children, Chris, Bill, Ed, Diana, and Kathy; several grandchildren and great-grandchildren; one brother, James Corlett, Jr., of Walkertown, North Carolina; and many nieces, nephews, and friends.
Bob was preceded in death by his parents and wife, Mary.