Donald MarkleyDonald Markley
Donald L. Markley, 73, of Peoria died at 6:42 p.m. Oct. 22, 2009, at Proctor Hospital in Peoria.
He was born June 10, 1936, the son of Roy K. and Mabel Markley. He married Phyllis Harris of Vermont in August, 1964.
Surviving are one sister, Betty Roeder of Peoria; two daughters, Angela (and Garth) Peterson of Kansas City, Mo., and Melissa J. Markley of Valparaiso, Ind.; and one grandchild.
He attended Hines Grade School in Peoria. The Markley family moved to Ipava where he attended and graduated from Vermont-Ipava-Table Grove (VIT) High School.
He enlisted in the Navy in 1954. He trained at Great Lakes and then at Treasure Island, Norfolk, Va., and Key West, Fla. He served in the Navy for three years, 11 months, nine days and 1/2 hour. Three years of that were served on the Destroyer USS Hyman.
Upon completion of his naval career, he attended Milwaukee School of Engineering and Bradley University. He graduated with both the bachelor of science and master of science in electrical engineering degrees. In 1964, he began a teaching career in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Technology at Bradley University. He continued teaching until establishing his own consulting firm for radio and television, that has been in business for more than 40 years. His firm serves local, national and international clients.
He was a member of the Association of Federal Communications Consulting Engineers, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, where he was named Engineer of the Year in 1992 for Illinois Valley Section, Bradley University Chiefs Club, numerous honorary organizations and a Registered Professional Engineer in the State of Illinois. He mentored a number of young engineers in the broadcast field throughout his career including his protege Jeremy D. Ruck of Canton.
He was a writer of hundreds of articles on radio and television, as well as a frequent conference presenter, and an amateur radio operator with callsign K9WFG.
Visitation was held Sunday at Shawgo Memorial Home in Astoria. Services were private. Burial was in Vermont Cemetery.
Memorials may be made to D.L. Markley Scholarship Fund at South Side Bank in Peoria. Funds will be used to establish a scholarship for electrical engineering students at Bradley University, or to Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, 383 Main Ave., 5th Floor, Norwalk, CT 06851, in memory of Don.