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Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2011 12:22 am Post subject: Uncle Passed Away Today :-(

Found out that one of my favorite uncles passed away this morning back home in Illinois.

He was my dad's only brother-in-law (dad only has 1 sister).

He'd been sick for a very long time. He was a lifelong smoker and even when he was suffering from emphysema and had to use oxygen, he'd still go out and smoke. Sad

Chance's Halloween costume this year is very appropriate as he was in law enforcement.

Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2011 10:50 pm Post subject:

I'm so sorry.

Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2011 11:47 pm Post subject:

There was a fantastic write up on him in the area newspaper.

He was a village police officer for 1 year and then served in the Army for 2 years.
When he was discharged from the Army he went back to being a village police officer for 2 more years.
He joined the county sheriff's department.
He was the chief of investigations in the sheriff's office for 11 years and then became chief deputy.
He was elected county sheriff and held that position for 12 years until he retired.
For most of his law enforcement career, he refused to carry a gun. He didn't need one because all the bad guys assumed he carried one.

He got bored with being retired and sold telephone systems to county sheriff's offices.

He was elected to the village board and did that for 6 years and then was elected mayor.

After leaving the mayor's office he became the the county's appointed public guardian so he would accept court appointments to make decisions for individuals disabled by physical or mental problems among other things.
He did this almost until the day he died.
My aunt would wheel him around the courthouse.

Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2011 11:21 pm Post subject:

Wow, what an incredibly accomplished life. I so deeply admire people who keep on keepin' on, even when their health or circumstances become inconvenient. You uncle really made the most of his time here on earth, from how you've described him.

I am so sorry for your loss. Deepest condolences, 2nd. Sounds like this was a life well lived, and that he will be missed by many.

Posted: Thu Dec 08, 2011 4:16 pm Post subject:

Thanks Manylegs and Koronin.

I learned quite a few things about him in that article that I didn't know.
One of the most interesting was finding out a judge ordered his arrest for housing inmates in the corridors of the county courthouse to drive home his point about an overcrowding problem at the jail. He wasn't arrested.

He was the reason I seriously considered going into law enforcement.
2 of his sons (identical twins and 2 of my favorite cousins) are police officers on the same force and 1 daughter-in-law became a corrections officer at the county jail a few years after he retired as sheriff.

Posted: Thu Dec 08, 2011 9:02 pm Post subject:

I am so very sorry 2nd. Sounds like he was a wonderful man.. runs in the family obviously.

Posted: Thu Dec 08, 2011 11:35 pm Post subject:

I am so sorry for your loss. However, it sounds like he led a very advenutre filled life with a fantastic legacy to follow in his steps.

Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2011 6:18 pm Post subject:

So sorry to hear of your Uncle's passing. Sad

My deepest sypathies to you and your family.

Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2011 9:12 am Post subject:

I am sorry to hear of your loss.

Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2011 7:16 pm Post subject:

Thanks everyone.

He did live a very full life. It was a shock to everyone that he lived as long as he did with all his health problems.
My aunt was a retired nurse so who knows how much her skills helped him.

Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2011 12:55 pm Post subject:

He was probably one of those people who simply didn't get a chance to die until he was finished with what he needed to do. He obviously had a zest for life, health problems or not! The health problems probably just made him more stubborn about staying alive, lol.

How are you doing with the loss? I'm so sorry. I lost a much loved uncle back in my early 20s, and it was hard. I still miss him sometimes.

Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2011 4:24 pm Post subject:

Except for the fact that I somehow got bread down my sleeve while I was eating my egg salad sandwich, I'm doing pretty good Manylegs!

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