Richard William Marks, born on July 10th, 1947, in St. Anthony's Hospital in Chicago, Illinois, passed away peacefully at his home in Oswego, Illinois on July 14th, 2025.

Richard was drafted to fight in the Vietnam War and was a door gunner for the First Air Cavalry, Troop A 1st Squadron 9th Cavalry, known as the Bullwhip Squadron, he was the recipient of the Purple Heart and Bronze Star.  During the war, through his amazing friends , was introduced to his true love Pamela Butler. When he returned from Vietnam, he married Pamela on April 5, 1969, and together they raised two sons, Timothy and Kenneth. Richard began his career as a custodian and through his hard work and dedication he became a Buyer at Electro-Motive Division where he was able to complete his college degree from Illinois Benedictine College. Richard went on to work as a Buyer for various other corporations and finally as a small business owner before retiring.

Rich, as he was affectionately known, was a brave Vietnam Veteran, a loving husband to his late wife Pamela Marks, and a Good Man. Rich was always known for his inviting smile, his ability to talk to anyone about anything, and his rich sense of humor. Rich was always the life of the party wherever he went.

He is survived by his brother Walter Marks, his sons Timothy & Kenneth, and his grandchildren Kyle, Emily, and Cassandra.

Visitation is from 12 to 4 PM Sunday, July 20th at Dunn Family Funeral Home, 1801 South Douglas Road Oswego, IL 60534 630-557-3888

Rich's kindness, jokes, infectious personality, and love for his family will remain in the hearts of those who knew him. He took many paths through life and suffered far too many tragedies, but he never let them close off his kindness and love.

An Anecdote from Ken Marks:

My father, Rich, was a role model of dedication and love for his family. I will always remember when we would take vacations with the Horejs family where he would constantly be laughing and making Jim bellow with his own laughter.

An Anecdote from Mandy Marks:

My father-in-law, Rich, was a true role model of strength and love. It was obvious to me from the start that he loved his wife, Pam, and boys, Tim and Ken, fiercely and would do anything to protect and provide for them. As his daughter-in-law, I was lucky enough to be fiercely loved and protected by him as well. He was an amazing grandfather to all of his grandchildren. He loved cooking dinners for them, watching cartoons and movies with them, spending weekends at the lake house in Antioch with them, and celebrating the holidays together. He was present in their lives for the big and small moments, loving them, providing for them, and even spoiling them every once in a while. Rich and I have a very similar sense of humor, and one of the things I will miss most is hearing his laughter. We sure could be sarcastic together! LOL He endured a lot of hard times in his life that required him to be tough, but he had a true soft spot for his wife, his children, his daughter-in-laws, and his grandchildren, and he will be missed tremendously.

An Anecdote from Kyle Marks

My grandfather, Rich, is my greatest hero and role model. As a boy, I remember we would always watch Thomas the Tank Engine together. Most recently, Rich and I flew out to California to visit his brother together earlier this year.

Although Rich has been my companion on many of my greatest adventures, the thing I will remember most about him is his compassion. My grandpa endured many hardships in his life, and could be quite set in his ways; yet he always listened and loved me. He stood by me through my tumultuous mental health journey as a teen, understanding me like few could, was a strong supporter of me when I came out as gay, and he loved my partner, Tyler, like a second grandson. Even when he disagreed with my opinions, my grandpa listened and sought to learn. He wanted to know my perspective, and he showed me how none of us are ever truly done growing.

"I love ya' man," he'd always say, giving my shoulder a firm squeeze as he did. I love you, too, Grandpa. And don't worry, I'll keep the 'stache!

An Anecdote from Emily Marks:

My grandpa wasn't perfect but that didn't stop him from unconditionally loving me. I was lucky enough to live with my grandparents when I was a child which meant home cooked meals and lots of sleepovers in grandma and grandpa's room. My favorite recipe my grandpa would make were his dumplings. I used to ask for them for my birthday dinner and wish that I could've had him make them for me one last time. I am the luckiest girl in the world to have such loving grandparents and I will forever cherish every memory I have from weekends at the lake to sleepovers at grandma and grandpa's.

An Anecdote from Tim Marks:

Rich was a loving father and became a true friend as I grew into my adult life. He was always quick to connect with people on a personal level and make lifelong friends. Rich loved golfing in his Monday night league with his EMD coworkers, and was my inspiration for gathering my "Alcohooligan's" to have an annual golf outing at the lake house. Rich always participated and was the voice of reason when we started to get a little too obnoxious. He will be dearly missed.

An Anecdote from Kim Marks:

My FIL Rich will be missed! He was always a jokester from the start when I began dating Tim. He also was a very compassionate man that loved his family and as like Pam, always wanted to be around his grandchildren. While Rich and I had a rough patch, as anyone that can relate to living with an in-law can be trying at times, I loved him like my own Dad unconditionally no matter what. I hope he knew how much I genuinely cared for him these past 24 years and how I wanted to make him feel loved especially in his last few years with us. Rest in peace "Cool Marks"! ❤️

An Anecdote from Cassie Marks:

My grandpa was someone who always listened. I remember how he always looked out for me, and even when he wasn't feeling his best, he never stopped showing how much he loved me. He was kind, respectful, and always a true gentleman. He made even the smallest moments feel special, just by being there. To many people, my grandpa was a hero — but to me, he was so much more than that. He was my hero, my comfort, and someone I'll always look up to.