Scott Arthur DeBelle

Scott Arthur DeBelle, 63, of Robinson, IL, passed away unexpectedly on Monday, September 14, 2026. He was born on December 26, 1962, in Vincennes, IN, and grew up in the Flat Rock and Robinson areas. Scott was baptized in his youth, and his aunt would sing him to sleep with "Power in the Blood." When he got old enough to make requests, he asked for it by name: "Power, power!" He was a boy who knew what he wanted, and from the very beginning, what he wanted was fast cars. Just as early, he figured out that cars cost money. He was seven or eight when he decided it was time to start earning some. His parents bought a lawn mower and told him that if he wanted to mow other people's yards, they would cover the gas. So Scott walked into Weber's Realty, which had houses for sale and rent all over town, and asked if they needed any yards mowed. He came home with twenty-two! Within a few weeks, the whole family was pitching in. Needless to say, it wasn't long before they had to cut back.

But that was simply how Scott was built. Before he was old enough for a driver's license, Bob Jones hired him to wash and detail cars at the Chevy dealership. By the third night, Scott came home with his own set of keys so he could come in early and stay late. That trust was earned. He did things the right way, and he did them his way, and in Scott's mind, those were usually the same thing. He held himself to the highest of standards and refused to take "no" for an answer. The payoff was a 1967 GTX. He and his dad built its motor from the ground up, but in less than a month, Scott had totaled it racing. The GTX was gone, but the love of speed was just getting started.

It was no surprise to anyone when Scott traded the classroom at Robinson High School for a paycheck, though he later went back and earned his GED. At sixteen, he moved to San Diego, CA, to live with his mom and took a job at Buck Knives in El Cajon. California had its own adventures in store. His mom and stepfather, John, owned a Baja, and while Scott had a Cadillac of his own, it was the Baja he wanted to take up a nearby mountain. He and a buddy made it almost to the top before it stalled out and rolled all the way back down. Scott brought it home with the windows gone and baling wire holding the doors shut. John looked it over and announced that the Baja was now Scott's, and he would be taking the Cadillac. Scott thought about it and said, "That's a fair trade."

By his early twenties, Scott was back in Robinson, and at twenty-two he welcomed his son, Jason. He had always worked hard, but now he had someone to work hard for. The paychecks came from Tip-E-Pack in Hutsonville first, and then from Pepsi, which sent Scott out on sales routes reaching all the way to Evansville, selling product and stocking shelves. Somewhere along the way, his good friend Dave Newlin taught him how to drive a truck, and it changed the course of his life. In 1990, Scott started driving for North American Van Lines. The work was hard, but it paid well, and Scott was never afraid of hard. In 1996, he switched to United Van Lines and stayed with them until 2019. His work there earned him Van Operator of the Year not once but twice, one of the most respected recognitions a driver can receive.

He had plenty of company on the road. The cab of his truck held a collection of CDs as varied as the highways he drove. When girls were around, they would find that his collection even included rap! He took his job seriously and took pride in doing it well, but the deepest sense of pride came from what that job made possible. Scott was a provider, and he was proud to take care of his whole family. Those long years of providing earned Scott a retirement lived exactly his way. He spent winters in Florida, found his way back to motorcycles, and even made a trip to California to see buddies who had become family over the years.

Wherever he went, speed followed. Jason still remembers riding in the back seat of Scott's 1969 Camaro, stopwatch in hand, timing how fast his dad could go. Scott loved racing in all its forms and never missed a NASCAR race, lower divisions and all, with Dale Jarrett as his favorite. The last few years, he made a winter tradition of Bike Week followed by the Daytona 500. Cars stayed a constant too. Scott was always buying and always trading, and apart from the family heirlooms, there was always another one out there he liked better. He took up camping in the late 2000s, and in 2012, he built Field of Dreams Campground in Flat Rock. Scott thought of it as a business at first, but it turned into something far more valuable: a place where family and friends could gather.

For Scott, that was always the point. He was a loving, caring man who put everyone else first and would give away the shirt off his back if he knew you really needed it. He never left his grandkids without a hug and a kiss, and he never left his mom without telling her he loved her. He could make Danielle laugh even when she was angry with him—often with a goofy dance—and he was the kind of dad Tucker could always go to for answers. He taught his kids to work hard and to take pride in what they did.

Scott took pride in a lot of things—a job well done, a fast car, a good trade—but none of it came close to the pride he felt in his family. Scott loved seeing the people they had become, and the family he raised is the truest measure of the man he was.

That family includes his children, Jason, Danielle, and Tucker DeBelle; his stepchildren, Michelle, Danielle, Whitney, and Carleigh; his grandchildren, Gage, Khloe, Kynzli, and Karsyn DeBelle; his step-grandchildren, Blaze, Breeze, Bentley, Gracyn, Hadlyn, Skylar, Penelope, and Axton; his mother, Judy Crane; and his stepbrother, Todd (Kristen) Thielvar. He was preceded in death by his father, Harry DeBelle, and by his grandparents, Maxine DeBelle and Kenneth Rush.

Family and friends will gather to remember Scott on Friday, September 18th, at the Goodwine Funeral Home in Robinson. A time of visitation will be held from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m., followed by a funeral service officiated by Celebrant Curt Goodwine at 3:00 p.m. During the service, friends and family will have the opportunity to share their favorite memories of Scott. For those unable to attend, a live stream of the service will be available at https://www.goodwinefuneralhomes.com/live-streams.

Following the service, Scott will be laid to rest, as was his wish, at his campground, Field of Dreams, 12767 E 375th Ave, Flat Rock, IL 62427. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.