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News • Leader • Press Thursday, December 27, 2012
Obituaries THOMAS JAMES BENNETT
JEAN E. CRABTREE
RUTH HELEN FRANK
20, of Sparta, NJ
Age 89
Age 84
Thomas James Bennett, 20, of Sparta, NJ, formerly of Warrenville, IL, passed away suddenly on December 15, 2012. Thomas was born in Collinsville, IL, graduated in 2011 from Wheaton- Warrenville High School, and was attending Sussex County Community College in Newton, NJ. Thomas was predeceased by his beloved mother Debra McDevitt and survived by his loving sister Cristina Smith, her husband Vaughn and her daughters Ella and Sophia of Stuart, FL; his devoted aunt Sharon Mataga and her husband Peter of Sparta, NJ; and his cousin and fellow tradition-keeper Megan Mataga of Brookline, MA. A private funeral service will be held at 9AM, Wednesday, December 26, 2012 at the Goble Funeral Home, 22 Main St, Sparta, NJ 07871. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society in memory of Thomas and his mother. Info: (973) 729-5530.
Jean E. Crabtree, age 89, a resident at Luther Oaks Retirement Home in Bloomington, IL died on Monday, December 17, 2012 at Luther Oaks. She was born on April 7, 1923 in Muscatine, IA In 1959 the family moved to Wheaton, IL. She retired as Registrar of Wheaton North High School in 1982 and was a member of Gary Memorial Methodist Church in Wheaton, she served as pianist for the Wheaton Silvertones, the Lombard Lilacs and the Beacon Hill Hilltoppers for many years and at the Wyndemere Retirement Facility in Wheaton and Luther Oaks in Bloomington. Her survivors include two sons, Jim and Jerry (Jan) of Bloomington, IL; one daughter, Jolene (Don) Butts of Plainfield, IL; six grandchildren, Bryan (Jenna) Crabtree, Janelle (Brady) Knight, and John Crabtree, all of Bloomington, and Katie Crabtree of Vista, CA, and Donny and Kyle Butts from Plainfield, IL; five greatgrandchildren, Alayna, Adriana, and Ava Crabtree, and Brevin and Abby Knight, all of Bloomington; and one sister, Kay Runquist, of Orinda, CA. She was preceded in death by her husband Martin in 1976, a long time elementary principal in District 200 in Wheaton, IL. She was also preceded by her parents; two brothers; one sister; and a daughter-in-law, Susan Crabtree. Burial will take place in Nichols, IA. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, January 5, 2013, at 1:00 p.m. at Gary Methodist Church, 224 N. Main St., in Wheaton, IL. Memorials gifts may be directed to the Nichols Christian Church, Nichols, IA. 52766. Family and friends may sign a guest book at hultgrenfh.com. For more information, please call Hultgren’s Christian Funeral Services at 877-771-4513.
Ruth Helen Frank, 84 years old, a resident of Glen Ellyn, Illinois for 54 years, passed away in Franklin, TN on December 13, 2012. Ruth was born on August 6, 1928 in Chicago, IL. She worked as a Paraprofessional at Glenbard West and then at Glenbard South High Schools. Graduate of Austin High School in Chicago, IL. Ruth Took great pride in taking care of her family and her home. She is survived by her three children, Raymond Frank, Amy Wyatt, Timothy Frank and her three grandchildren, Tamara Condon, Ashley Frank and Matthew Wyatt. Interment will be private. Memorials to Alzheimer’s Association National Office, 225 N. Michigan Ave., Flr. 17, Chicago, IL 60601 appreciated. Arrangements by Leonard Memorial Home, (630) 469-0032.
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JOHN W. DAN 89, of Glen Ellyn John W. Dan, 89, of Glen Ellyn, passed away December 18, 2012. Arrangements by Adams-Winterfield & Sullivan Funeral Home, (630) 968-1000
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RICHARD W. JOHNSON Age 86 Richard W. Johnson, age 86, passed away at Hospice of Atlanta on Tuesday, November 13, 2012. He was the cherished husband of Lois Sachs Johnson (Kennesaw, GA) for 56 years, adored Dad of Ilene Sue Smith (Bryan S.), and loving Grandpa of Adam C. Smith, Jenna L. Smith, and Alex M. Smith, all of Acworth, GA. Dick was the beloved son of the late Nathan and Mildred Carlson Johnson of Jamestown, NY. He is survived by his sister, Dorothy Pettit (William J.) of Jamestown, NY; brother, Gordon S. Johnson (Kathleen H.) of Ft. Myers, FL; nieces, Dru Anne Cole (Scott), Wendy Pettit, and Debbie Swan (Jeff); and nephews, Todd Johnson (Tiffany), and Chad Johnson (Joanna), and their families. Dick was born July 16, 1926 in Jamestown, NY. He was baptized and confirmed in the Zion Covenant Church of Jamestown, and is a graduate of Jamestown High School and Alfred University in New York State. His career began in Chicago as an underwriter for Health Service, Inc. He retired as an
Actuary from National Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association after 33 years in 1989. Dick was an empathetic, eclectic, strong, compassionate man who loved all his family. He was an avid chess, poker, and bridge player and was known for his pipes, dry sense of humor, teaching at Purdue University, and his original children’s stories and poems. He was a friend of many. Dick served on numerous boards including United Cerebral Palsy in Chicago, IL where he was responsible for funding their non-funded Adult Cerebral Palsy Program. This program served hundreds of adults who were born with cerebral palsy as was Dick. He was an equal partner with his wife, Lois, in building two developments for people with disabilities, one in Roselle, IL, and the other in Tucson, AZ. The silence with him gone is deafening. Memorial contributions may be made to the Richard W. Johnson Fund for Adult Assisted Technology Programs at United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Chicago, Attention Richard Brown, 547 W. Jackson Blvd., Suite 225, Chicago, IL 60661, 312-7650419. Arrangements by Byars Funeral Home & Cremation Services, Cumming, Georgia, (678) 455-5815.
LINDA PAGÁN 63, of West Chicago Linda Pagán, 63, a thirty-two year resident of West Chicago, passed away on December 8, 2012. She was born in 1949 in Chicago, Illinois. With three children under the age of six, she began nursing school and became a registered nurse in 1983. She spent most of her time working with the elderly and in the last ten years before she retired, she worked exclusively in hospice, devoting her life to the terminal ill with skill and compassion. She loved to garden, design, draw, and paint. Her children and grandchildren were the great joys in her life. She is survived by her husband of forty-five years, Edelmiro Pagán; her daughters, Darlene and Diana; her son, Edward; and seven grandchildren, Jake, Jenna, Danielle, Tristen, Adam, Blaine, and Ilana.