Mandy Jo Harris

Mandy Jo Harris, 42, of Robinson, IL, passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, May 2, 2026.

She was born on January 29, 1984, in Olney, to Kevin & Jeri (Vancil) Bilyeu, and Olney is where she grew up. From the start, she loved being in motion, and at Richland County High School, she was a multi-sport athlete. She played softball and tennis, swam competitively, and even picked up some golf, a sport she'd come back to as a hobby later in life. Summers were spent lifeguarding at the city pool and teaching swim lessons to the local kids. Looking after other people came naturally to her, even then.

After graduating from Richland County High School in 2002, Mandy headed to Olney Central College to study psychology, earning her associate's degree in 2004. She continued on to Southern Illinois University and then Eastern Illinois University, where she finished her bachelor's in psychology in 2006. Her first job out of school was with WADI as an at-home case manager, where she spent her days in the homes of older folks across the area, connecting them with the right people and services so they could live well.

In time, she went back to Olney Central College and earned a second associate's degree, this one in radiology, and that new training reshaped the path of her career. She found work at the acute care clinic in Robinson, then moved on to the Magnolia Center, and when it closed, she returned briefly to acute care before joining AIMI, the mobile radiology unit. Eventually, she landed at Crawford Memorial Hospital as a certified MRI technologist while still picking up part-time work with AIMI on the side. Mandy was a hard worker through and through, and she loved what she did. She'd talk about her job to anybody who'd listen.

The job mattered, but home mattered more. Mandy was a doting and loving mother to her two daughters, Madilyn and Katelyn, who were the center of her world. She poured herself into them in all the ways a mother does, including a pair of baby blankets she sewed for them by hand. Her crafty streak ran into scrapbooking and embroidery as well. She had a way of making the house feel full, with dogs, cats, and fish always underfoot, plus a windowsill of plants she tended carefully, including a Venus flytrap she got a kick out of keeping alive. And then there were the cookies. Her hands turned out chocolate chip and iced sugar cookies for anybody she could think of, and she'd tell you they were the best. She wasn't wrong.

Beyond the home she made for her family, Mandy had a life full of other loves. She was an avid reader who often reached for motivational and historical books and was a serious lover of music as well. Not only did she play the piano, but she also enjoyed attending concerts whenever she could. Her tastes ran wide, from Fleetwood Mac—whose shows she caught a few times back in her younger years—to contemporary artists like Post Malone and Ed Sheeran, with Trans-Siberian Orchestra at Christmas and the quiet piano of Ludovico Einaudi when she wanted to slow down. Many of those concerts were nights out with friends, and Mandy's friends were a real gift to her. Some of her favorite times with them—and with her family—were spent traveling, be that to the beaches of Florida or the mountains of South Carolina.

Not every journey of her life was one she'd have chosen. A few years back, Mandy walked the long road through breast cancer and came through it. She was proud to have beaten it, and rightly so. That road drew on every bit of her courage and on her faith, too. Through it all, every high and low, Mandy relied on the Lord. She worshipped at Highland Church of Christ, and her faith ran underneath everything else she did. The struggles of this life are over for her now, and we find peace knowing that she's been met with the mercy and love of Christ.

Mandy is survived by her husband, Kyle Harris; her daughters, Madilyn Harris and Katelyn Harris; her father and stepmother, Kevin and Mary Jane Bilyeu; her sister, Keri Mullins; her half-sister, Christi Sorensen; and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her mother, Jeri Bilyeu.

A time of visitation will be held from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. on Friday, May 8th, at the Goodwine Funeral Home in Robinson. A memorial service will follow immediately at 6:00 p.m., with Pastor Shane Bopp officiating. In honor of her fight with breast cancer, memorial contributions may be made to the "Think Pink" charity, with envelopes available at the funeral home.