Terry Dean Terrill

Terry Dean Terrill, of Fairbury, NE, age 60, passed away on Tuesday February 2, 2016. Terry was born in Lincoln, NE on May 27th, 1955 and on July 25th, at 2 months of age, God placed him by adoption to his chosen parents, Dean and Marge Terrill.

At 12 years of age, Terry accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior and was baptized at Fairbury First Baptist Church where he grew up in the church and was active in Sunday School, Bible School and Youth Group.

He graduated from Fairbury High School in 1973, attended Fairbury Junior College and then he began working and traveling as part of a road crew, assisting with set-up, lighting and sound for the Zipper band and then The Pelican Peace band for several years. ln 2004, the band members from the Pelican Peace Band including Terry were inducted into the lowa Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

ln February 1980 he married Kathy Beethe of Elk Creek, NE and to this union their son Brian Dean was born.

Terry worked at several different jobs during his life including Lottman's Construction and Fairbury Foods and in 2005 and 2006 he had the opportunity to spend two 6 month stints as a park maintenance employee in the Wasatch National Forest in the Wyoming/Montana mountains, miles and miles from civilization, but abundant with wildlife and beauty. But no job was more suited for and rewarding for him than when he worked in the human resource field and most recently since April 2012, when he started working with Region V Services as a community support professional. He was so dedicated to the care and well-being of his 2 guys that co-workers and family alike spoke highly of his work, but better than that, he truly loved them and they him.

Terry loved sports. He especially looked forward to taking his son Brian and two nephews Caleb and Chance to a KC Royals baseball game each summer. And he delighted in going to his nephew's football and basketball games and was very proud of them. However, the sport he most enjoyed and was skilled at was bass fishing, which he learned with and from his dad at a very young age. He knew where all the best fishing ponds were in the county and surrounding areas. Some of his happiest times were fishing at a pond with his dad, son or a friend or two for the afternoon.

He acquired the nickname "Slim", in high school and some 40 years later people call him "Slim" more than they call him Terry.

That big grin, the unmistakable laugh/giggle, the overalls, the bandanas, conversations that were sometimes "a lot about nothing" and a heart of gold that was bigger than he was, will never be forgotten. He will be deeply missed by anyone who knew and loved him.

Terry was preceded in death by his father, Dean Terrill. He is survived by his son, Brian of Lincoln, mother, Marge Terrill, sister Nancy Amundson and husband Chris and 2 nephews Caleb and Chance Amundson all of Fairbury and numerous cousins.

Memorial Services will be at 10:30 am Tuesday February 9, 2016 at the First Baptist Church in Fairbury, with Pastor Robin Stoops and Pastor Darrell Sutton officiating. Memorials are suggested to the family’s choice. Burial in the Fairbury Cemetery. Gerdes-Meyer Funeral Home in Fairbury is in charge of arrangements.