Edwin "Ed" Dreher

Edwin (Ed) Dreher, 87, of Oakwood, IL, passed away Saturday, October 4, 2025.

Ed was born on September 30, 1938 in Danville, Illinois, the son of Oscar and Sarah (VanCamp) Dreher.

Ed graduated from Danville High School. Ed worked at TeePak where he served as a production clerk and retired as a supervisor. After retirement, Ed worked as a shuttle driver for Carmack Car Capitol.

Ed married his loving wife, Shirley Sanders, in Las Vegas, Nevada on March 23, 1985.

Survivors include his wife, Shirley of Oakwood, IL; two daughters, Cathi Saunders of Indianapolis, IN and Connie Cannon of Georgetown, IL; one step-son, Derek (Erin) Sanders of Henning, IL; one granddaughter, Emily (Colton) Murray of Georgetown and two great-granddaughters, Vyla and Mayra. He is also survived by two sisters, Brenda Demos of Danville and Mary Nuku of Ludlow as well as 20 nieces and nephews.

Ed was preceded in death by his parents, Oscar and Sarah; stepson, Neil Culpepper; son-in-law, Bryan Cannon; nephew, Bill Demos and brother-in-law, Ed Nuku.

Ed was an avid Indy car racing fan. He was proud of the fact that he attended 72 consecutive Indy 500 races. Ed was also an avid Illini Sports fan and would take his family to Illini basketball and football games. You could also find Ed hanging with his “coffee buddies” or traveling miles to check out a restaurant that someone would recommend.

Ed was dedicated to his family and referred to many friends as one of his “good” friends. Family and friends were all considered valuable to him. It seemed everyone knew Ed and Ed didn’t know a stranger. Ed was so proud of his family and loved all of the many family gatherings with his children, grandchildren, wife, siblings, nieces, nephews and cousins.

Ed’s memory will remain in the hearts of all who knew him. 

A Celebration of Life for Ed will be held at 10:00 AM on Saturday, October 11, 2025 at Sunset Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Danville, Illinois, 3940 N Vermilion St. Danville, Illinois 61834. Raymie Gordon will officiate. Burial will be in Young America Cemetery in Hume, IL. Visitation will be held from 5-7:00 PM on Friday, October 10, 2025 at the funeral home.

Memorials may be made in Ed’s memory to the National Brain Tumor Society at https://www.braintumor.org

Please join Ed’s family in sharing memories, photos, and videos of his life through his tribute wall at www.sunsetfuneralhome.com .