David Bryan Foote, 72, of Galena, IL, passed away unexpectedly on Monday, August 11, 2025, at Midwest Medical Center in Galena. A private family service will be held at a later date. The Furlong Funeral Chapel in Galena is assisting the family. Dave was born on June 12, 1953, in Inglewood, CA, to George and Ann (Kauten) Foote. Dave earned both his undergraduate and master’s degrees from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He attended the University of Illinois Abraham Lincoln School of Medicine for medical illustration. Dave married Mary Tessitore on December 28, 1975, at St. Mary of Celle in Berwyn, IL. He served as Vice President of VTI and later worked as a Coldwell Banker Real Estate Broker until his retirement. Dave was also a professional photographer in the Galena Territory. He enjoyed fishing, boating, photography, and spending time with friends and family. He was a past president of the Multi-Image Society and a current member of the Galena Elks Lodge. He is survived by his wife, Mary Foote; two daughters, Laura (Matthew) Delagrange and Molly (Doug) Foote; two grandchildren, Matthew II and Juliette Delagrange; a sister, Julie (Tom) Hayes; two sisters-in-law, Joanne Foote and Paula Hambrick; three nephews, Andrew and Robert Hayes, Michael Hambrick; and three nieces, Jennifer Proffit, Jeanne Salazar, and Elizabeth Garino. He was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, John; a brother-in-law, William Hambrick; and his in-laws, Americo and Anina Tessitore. The family requests that donations be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at st.jude.org, the Galena Elks Lodge, or Tunnel to Towers in his memory. The family would like to extend a special thank you to the Galena Territory First Responders and Midwest Medical Center for their care and compassion during this difficult time.
David Bryan Foote
Dave was a gem. First to lend a hand to family and friends. Talented artist and loving man. We will all miss him dearly. Mary and Family, my heart is with you.
I’m very sorry to hear the news about your father. My sincerest condolences to you and your family.
Heartfelt condolences to the family! Our thoughts and prayers are with you! May you find peace and strength!
David was an awesome human being. I truly believe if it wasn’t for David’s awesome photography talents my career in new home sales may not have been as successful as it was. He truly cared deeply about his work his friends and family and his passion for photography. My only regret is we never made it up to Galena to go on that boat ride with him and Mary.
Much love to Mary and the family.
Dave helped me get through my freshman year at U of I. He was like a second big brother to me. 🥰
Mary, I’m so sad to hear about Dave. I will always remember him as a great guy. I’m glad we saw both of you at our last class reunion a couple of years ago, and I wish we had been able to gather after that for a great Italian dinner. He will be missed by all who knew him. You and your family are in my heart and prayers.