Chad Hugh Dilling, 76, of rural North Manchester, Indiana, died at 6:26 pm, Friday, May 4, 2018 at Parkview Regional Medical Center in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He was born December 30, 1941 in Wabash, Indiana to David M. and Gladys M. (Alger) Dilling.
Chad was a 1959 graduate of Urbana High School, attended the Purdue University Short Course, received his Realtor’s License, and was a member of the Ijamsville-Laketon Cemetery Board. He married Peggy Sue Eads at the Ijamsville United Methodist Church on January 2, 1960. He was a retired farmer, operated Gamma Chicken House, made feed for Strauss Feed Mill, and in 2005 he retired as the Wabash Planning Commission Director, after 19 1/2 years. Chad was instrumental in the making of the Wabash County 911 system. He was definitely an “International” man, his 1955 Farmall 300 brought great pleasure to him along with his farm toys, he loved to tell jokes and stories, enjoyed feeding licorice to Hot Shot, meeting the Breakfast Bunch on Wednesday mornings, and in earlier years, you would see him and Peg dancing to Spike and the Bulldogs. But most of all, he loved his family and sitting at home, in the garage “His Church, looking out over God’s world.
Chad is survived by wife, Peggy Sue Dilling of North Manchester; three children, Chad Kent (Natalie) Dilling of Kendallville, Indiana, Katrina (Tim) Shoemaker and Pam (Chris) Hann; and his mother Gladys M. Dilling, all of North Manchester; nine grandchildren and their spouses, Erica (Kurt) Snyder of Roann, Katie Dilling of Fort Wayne, Travis (Mandi) Dilling of Chicago, Illinois, Sarah (Austin) Carrothers of North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, Marx (Christina Baucco) Shoemaker of Indianapolis, Tye (Tyler) Borsa of Fort Wayne, Sam (Amanda) Hann of Wabash, Kody Shoemaker of Huntington, and Baylee Shoemaker of North Manchester; and nine great grandchildren, Nick, Avery, Asia, Jayden, Allis, Wyatt, Arthur, Easton, and Simeon. He was preceded in death by his father, David M. Dilling, and great grandson Micah James Carrothers.
There will be no services. There will be a Celebration of Chad’s life at a later date. Arrangements by Grandstaff-Hentgen Bender Chapel, North Manchester.
Preferred memorials are the Wabash County Cancer Society, Laketon Cemetery Association, or the Family of Chad Dilling
The memorial guest book for Chad may be signed at www.grandstaff-hentgen.com.