John Tilley, Sr.

TILLEY

John Lewis Tilley, Sr. was born November 22, 1941 in Lockborne, Ohio.   He was raised in Lockborne by his parents, Homer and Dorothy Tilley.  Dorothy’s maiden name was Compton. John, Sr. was preceded in death by his wife, Linda Tilley.  Linda’s maiden name was Phillips.  Linda died in 2004.  He was also preceded in death by two siblings, Joanne Bell and James (Jim) Tilley.  Joanne was married to Tom Bell; he is also deceased.   He is survived by his other sibling, Lois Paul.  Lois is married to Edgar (Ed) Paul.  They live in Marietta, Georgia.  They have one child, a son, Ed Paul, Jr.  He is survived by two children, a daughter (Erika) and a son (John, Jr.).  John, Jr. is currently married to Ashley Tilley.  They have three children:  Ella (age 9), Eden (age 4), and John III (Jack; who is due to be born any day now).  John Sr. also has another grandson, Travis (age 15).  John, Sr. is also survived by Pat and Jackie, his sister-in-law’s.   He was also close to his neighbors, Sonny and Tammy, and their sons, Anthony and Alex.  He was additionally close to Lena, who is Travis’s mother. John, Sr. graduated from Hamilton Township High School.  Following high school, he was in the United States Navy.  He served in the Korean War.  He was honorably discharged after four years of service. Following the Navy, he joined the Columbus Police Department, where he served for a total of 24 years before retiring in 1990.  During that time, he was a Patrolman for 8 years, a Sergeant in Homicide for 8 years, and a Lieutenant in the Narcotics Division for 8 years.  He was named Patrolman of the Year in 1968 and was cited for a number of other achievements and accomplishments throughout his tenure with the Columbus Police Department. From 1992 to 2006, he served as the Chief of Police at Twin Valley Behavioral Healthcare (TVBH) in West Columbus.  He retired from TVBH in 2006.  He never missed a day of work, ever.  He was incredibly hard working, was a consummate professional, and cared deeply for those with whom he worked, including his subordinates. John, Sr. had a fantastic sense of humor.  He had a very quick wit and a dry, somewhat twisted sense of humor.   He was also a gentle man and was always kind toward others.  He made an ideal policeman:  he was tall, well build, but kind and compassionate. He loved to gamble.  He and Linda went to Las Vegas several times, and they particularly liked the Luxor.  They also frequently traveled to Biloxi, Mississippi and Wheeling, West Virginia to gamble.   He, like Linda, liked to play the slots.  He also liked to play Texas Hold ‘Em with his friends at home games. He coached John, Jr.’s soccer and baseball teams when John, Jr. was younger.  Many of the teams he coached were undefeated and champions of their respective leagues. He had a fondness for dogs.  His first pet dog was Duke, which he had as a boy.  His last two dogs were a pair of sister Bassett hounds:  Charlotte and Scarlet.  He and Linda were particularly close to those dogs, and he became closer to them after Linda died in 2004.  Both Charlotte and Scarlet have also died. John, Sr. died from complications related to lung cancer.  He died at home in his sleep while in hospice care, all of which were consistent with his wishes.  He was surrounded by family and close friends at the time of his death.  He would likely want people to know that he died peacefully and in a manner consistent with his desires.  A memorial service will be held Sunday, May 15, 2016 at 2:00 pm with visitation 1 hour prior at the SHAW-DAVIS FUNERAL HOME, Victorian Village Chapel, 34 W 2nd Ave, Columbus, OH 43201.  www.shaw-davis.com