Rod Dillehay
Rodney “Rod” Dillehay, 64, passed away September 8, 2025, in Brooksville, Florida after a brief illness.
Born to his Mom, Sandra Carlson in 1960 in Shelby Ohio, Rod had very fond memories of growing up in Barnesville, Ohio and always considered himself a 1978 BHS graduate even though a divorce sent him to another town for a year to graduate from another high school. Rod worked two jobs in college and piled on student debt to graduate from The Ohio State University and later earn an MBA from the University of Southern California. Yes, a man can change his stars.
Long an adventurer, world traveler, and expert at free travel, Highlights included flying at Mach 2.0 on the Concorde, being in steel cage surrounded by great white sharks off the coast of Africa, skiing the Wasatch in Utah, SCUBA diving in his 60s in distant oceans, glaciers in New Zealand, European Christmas Markets every year, New Years Eve in Sydney twice, speaking parts of six languages and being as at home in Sydney, Singapore or Berlin as he was in Barnesville or L.A.
College football season was Rod’s favorite time of year and he enjoyed Buckeye and USC Trojans games in over 50 college football stadiums across the country and attended 7 National Championship games. Rod likely passed with no regrets and nothing left on the bucket list as he packed as much adventure into every day as one man could. Rod hoped his travels could inspire others to explore and understand the world.
Rod did more than live for himself….he connected with others in ways most don’t. He was a friend and teacher to many. He was a lifelong student of everything in life, beyond football and travel, he was a culinary savant…..if you wanted to know where to eat and what to order in any city on the planet, he could most likely give you a solid recommendation.
He was gracious, professional, funny…no one left a conversation with him feeling discouraged. He was contagiously inspired and optimistic. Always excited for what was next. He brought you along in his journeys and experiences either in person or through the pictures he sent you making you wish you were there with him. If you were in his orbit, you were better for it…knowing him made you happier, made you want to see and do more, to explore life in ways you may not have otherwise considered.
Rod was an only child survived by a sister – his step-sister Deena Seaton and her wonderful family, his mother Sandra, long time friends across the time zones, his favorite cousins Penny Sims and Lynn Louise Evans.
A Celebration of Life service will be held October 25, 2025 at 4:00pm with Pastor Van Fisher officiating at Campbell-Plumly-Milburn Funeral Home, 319 North Chestnut Street in Barnesville, Ohio. Friends and family will be received an hour prior to the service at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Wanake Camp, Barnesville High School via the Barnesville Area Education Foundation, ALS Association, or to the donor’s choice.