Dustin L. Tague

Dustin L. Tague, of Robinson, IL, left this world on Monday, March 16, 2026, after a tragic, sudden, yet painless medical event. His body followed on Saturday, March 21, when he gave the gift of life through organ and tissue donation. He was only 33 years old.

Dustin was born May 26, 1992, in Terre Haute, IN, to Todd and Amy Tague. He was preceded in death by his mother and by his grandmother, Linda Miller. He is survived by many people who loved him immensely. Amongst the closest of those people are his beloved wife, Mallory, and their six pets; sister, Amanda and her husband Rob Whittier; many close friends who be considered family, grandparents Annice and Barb Miller; in-laws Trent and Janette Routien, & Marissa and Johnny Newlin; aunts and uncles Andy Miller, AJ and Leah Miller, Laura Johnson, and Tracey Sonntag; and many cousins.

Dustin grew up in Paris and Robinson, IL. As a child, he was rambunctious with a daredevil streak a mile wide, to say the least. He mellowed out a lot at 14, when his grandma Linda assumed custody and gave him the stability and calm he needed. Together, they moved to Kingman, AZ for two years in his late teens before they returned to Robinson in 2012. He worked at Hershey in Robinson for a number of years and spent the last few years of his life working for the US Postal Service.

Dustin is remembered by his loved ones as being incredibly kind and funny. He was someone who was always there for the people he cared about, and even some of those he didn't even know. He was the kind of person who donates food to summer lunch programs for local children, and considered it to be just what a person does when they're able to. His kindness continued in death, in the form of his choosing to be an organ and tissue donor.

He was, affectionately, a consummate nerd. He played Dungeons & Dragons, enjoyed long, dense fantasy novels from the likes of Brandon Sanderson and Patrick Rothfuss, and had curated recommendations for his sister when she was getting into anime. He also loved video games, a hobby fostered by his grandma, who was similarly inclined and would often pay him to beat levels in her games when she couldn't. He enjoyed watching esports and was a supporter of Team Liquid. His other hobbies included watching NBA games and he was a particular fan of the Heat. He enjoyed cooking and trying new foods, despite being very picky. He loved music, especially seeing bands live. The bands he experienced live the most were Coheed and Cambria and The Lawrence Arms, two bands he loved enough to get tattoos dedicated to them. The latter of those bands played a key role in Dustin and Amanda going from siblings to close friends.

Dustin was famously color blind and lactose intolerant. His favorite color was yellow, because that was the one he could see correctly.

Given his compassion for those who need it most, it comes as no surprise that Dustin was an animal lover. The exception being horses. Dustin & Mallory's four cats, Macaroni, Merida, Opal, and Ted, and two dogs, Thea and the Good Todd, meant the world to him. His love of animals began early; as a child, he once announced that he was going to be a raccoon surgeon when he grew up, but that he would also have cats as patients because he didn't think raccoon surgery was a full-time job. He had what his sister called The Gift. If there was a lost or stray animal in Dustin's proximity, it was going to find him and he was going to do his best to help it, which is a trait he inherited from his mother, Amy. Over the years, he found homes for several cats, dogs, and even had a stray emu named Rover as a pet for about a year. At the time of his passing, he was feeding and caring for stray cats near the post office locations he worked at.

His wife, Mallory, is what Dustin loved the most in the world. His honor walk wound up being on the fifth anniversary of when he proposed to her. Which was incredibly appropriate as he was giving a selfless gift to others because the "yes" Mallory gave him that day was one of his favorite gifts he ever received, second only to the vows she gave him at their beautiful, intimate wedding ceremony in Hawaii on June 22, 2022. He tried his best to reciprocate those gifts from Mallory with his last words, which he used to thank her, tell her how beautiful she is, and tell her he loved her one more time. He took great pride in being able to call himself her husband and would gush about her accomplishments. He was grateful for the way that her family embraced him without hesitation and loved him. His adoration of Mallory was obvious to anyone who ever saw him look at her or talk about her. He loved their home, their life, and their time together.

Dustin explicitly did not want a funeral because he was never a fan of being the center of attention. If you are looking for quiet ways to celebrate him, consider eating some form of delicious dairy (especially if you are also lactose intolerant), wear the color yellow, consider fostering pets, take a stand against injustice, donate to your local food pantry, accept that Winds of Winter is likely never coming out, make plans to see one of your favorite bands live, have a shot or two of Malort, join a union, or play some MarioKart 64. But most of all, be kind to everyone, everywhere, and make sure your people know you love them.

The Goodwine Funeral Home in Robinson is assisting the family at this time.