Dorcas E. Sills

Dorcas E. Sills, 88, of Robinson, IL, passed away Wednesday, September 23, 2026, in the comfort of her home after several months of failing health. Her name is Greek for "gazelle," and anyone who tried to keep up with her would say it fit. But her parents, a pastor and a missionary, had something more in mind. They named her after Dorcas in the book of Acts, the seamstress whose story didn't end at her death. Her daughter, Susan, calls Dorcas's passing her "rebirth," and we hold onto this hope with her.

She arrived on Valentine's Day, February 14, 1938, in Polk, OH, the daughter of Rev. Harold "HV" Falor and Lolleta Irene (Blue) Falor. Dorcas spent most of her youth in Marion, OH, where her father pastored Oakland United Methodist Church for 25 years, and she was a member. Growing up in a musical family, melody and rhythm were a through-line throughout her life. It began in her formative years, when she learned both piano and drums (though she much preferred the latter). After graduating from Marion Harding High School in 1956, music went with her to Malone College in Canton, OH, where she sang in a 12-voice radio chorus and in a trio that traveled as representatives for the college. She also served her school as a publicity model and hostess.

Dorcas finished her college work at Union College in Kentucky, having majored in Home Economics and Music. She later graduated from MATA Computer School in Columbus, OH, and became the Head Computer Programmer for the Health Department. She was also the secretary at the Petroleum Club in Marion, where a transplant from Oklahoma named Rhonnie Dee "RD" Sills kept finding his way to her desk and pulling up a chair. Eventually, he won her over. Rhon called her "Dorc" at first, then "Duke," and she spent the next 58 years as what she proudly called a "Domestic Engineer."

Her "engineering" came with its own specifications. She made Susan's clothes when her daughter was a girl. She collected teacups, and her one extravagance was the little paper napkins she tucked under the water glasses. When she took Susan camping for the first time, the pop-up camper went out stocked with every comfort of home. That set the tone for years of family trips. Sullivan Lake and then Mill Creek were the local favorites, but Rhon hauled the boat just about everywhere, even to Arkansas, and they spent countless hours on the water making memories together. Wherever they went, she brought the comforts of home along.

She was a diva and a practical woman all at once, and nowhere did both sides show more than at the table. The practical side could make a quick pie crust right in the pan, even while insisting she couldn't make one at all because, after all, she didn't really like pie. (She made an exception for coconut cream.) The diva side wanted lobster...and lots of it. In between were the everyday pleasures: custard, fluff-filled donuts, Texas sheet cake, Dairy Queen chocolate malts and turtle sundaes, and of course, the moist red velvet cupcakes Adam found in Atlanta. She was a foodie in the simplest sense. She just wanted something delicious. Of course, "delicious" was in the eye of the beholder, as a mayonnaise, peanut butter, and onion sandwich made her list of favorites.

Good food was a pleasure, but family was the point. Nothing mattered more to Dorcas than time with the people she loved, and she was loyal to them and to her friends. She had a big, caring heart, the sweetest kind smile, and eyes that simply sparkled. That's not to say she was all sugar. She was also a stubborn, sassy, fiery redhead with an ornery streak a mile wide, and her step-granddaughter Robin took after her that way. And if Dorcas didn't say what she was thinking, her eyes did. One look, and you knew exactly where you stood.

For all that fire, people were drawn to her. She had a way of forging friends into family, and she became a mother and grandmother figure to more people than anyone could count. Put her at a table with the people she loved, and she needed nothing more. It didn't take much to make her happy, and it never took much for her to make everyone else happy, either.

No one knew that better than her family. She was "mom" to Susan Elaine Sills; "Grandma D" to Adam Parrish and Robin (Doug) Williams; and "Great-Grandma D" to Hudson Williams and Kyson Williams. She also leaves several nieces and nephews, including Dilene Slaton, Nanette (Rodney) Duenix, Teresa Franklin, Lorna (Steve) Noe, Mathew (Anna) Franklin, and James Gregory Falor. She was preceded in death by her husband, Rhon; her parents; her brother, Elwin Falor; her sister, Patty (Don) Franklin; her father-in-law & mother-in-law, Wayne & Ethel Sills; her sister-in-law, Becky (Nick) Baker; and her nephew, Wayne Baker.

It seems only fitting to celebrate Dorcas around good food. Friends and family are invited to gather on Monday, October 19th, at Tuscany Grill in Robinson. From 4:00 to 5:00 p.m., guests will enjoy finger foods, look through photos, and remember her together. At 5:00 p.m., Celebrant Curt Goodwine will lead a celebration service, including a time for anyone who wishes to share a favorite memory of her. Memorials may be made to "Shriner's Children's Hospital" or to the "Robinson First United Methodist Church Foundation", with envelopes available at the restaurant. The Goodwine Funeral Home in Robinson is in charge of arrangements.