Darl Gene Elsea

Darl Gene Elsea was born on May 27, 1951, in East St. Louis, Illinois.

Darl Gene Elsea, 74, passed away from Acute Myeloid Leukemia on May 22, 2026, in St. Louis, Missouri. Dart lived a life marked by curiosity, creativity, and a deep passion for music, motorcycles, and animals.

A graduate of Ritenour High School, Darl pursued his interest in technology by graduating from the Computer Programming Institute of St. Louis. He continued to expand his knowledge through coursework at Columbia College and numerous night classes focused on computers. His dedication to learning laid the foundation for a long and successful career.

After high school, Darl began working at Plastic Molders Supply, which later became PolyOne Corporation. Over the course of 32 years with the company, Darl wore many hats, including mixing room associate, quality control specialists, the computer "go to guy", manager of quality control and product development, safety systems development analyst.

He advanced into the IT department as a business analyst testament to his technical skills and commitment to excellence.

After leaving the company he worked for Francis Howell School District in logistics and ended his work career with FedEx Corporation.

Darl was born an identical twin-arriving five minutes after his brother Carl Dean-and shared a close unique bond with him throughout life. He also has an older brother, John Micheal and a brother James Thomas who sadly passed before Darl was born. He was preceded in death by his beloved twin Carl Dean Elsea; his mother, Lillie Ethelyn Elsea (Blogette); and his father, James Russell Elsea.

Music was one of Darl's greatest passions. A lifelong enthusiast who believed music should be felt as much as heard, he enjoyed attending concerts and listening to his extensive collection at home-always played loud enough to stir the soul.

Motorcycles were another defining part of Darl's life. From a young age, he was captivated by them—not just riding but building them as well. At just 22 years old, he constructed a motorcycle from scratch. Over the years he owned several bikes and cherished riding alongside friends and family.

In later years, Darl found joy in Pinewood derby car racing with his twin brother Carl. Their shared enthusiasm led them to great success in the hobby; Darl even built a custom racetrack to test their cars for peak performance.

Travel was yet another avenue through which Darl explored life's richness. He journeyed across nearly all fifty states-including Hawaii-as well as many Caribbean islands, Canada, Great Britain, and Paris.

An animal lover at heart, Darl cared deeply for the many cats who shared his home over the years. He dreamed of one day creating a sanctuary where cats and dogs could find refuge and wildlife could be rehabilitated-a vision that reflected his compassion and gentle spirit.

After retirement, Darl bought an RV and loved to go camping and kayaking and tubing on the clear streams around Missouri with dear friends.

Though he had no children of his own, Darl leaves behind his brother John and his wife Cathy, sister-in-law Mary "Terry" Elsea, many nieces and nephews, cousins, his former wife Diane Rice (Miller), and countless cherished friends whose lives were touched by his Loyalty, warmth and humor.

May Darl Gene Elsea's memory bring comfort to those who knew him and inspiration to those who shared in his passions.

Darl asks that you "Keep me in your heart for little while".

Donations to the American Cancer Society are appreciated.