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Obituaries

  • May 15, 2019 | People
    Ralph Turner 1946-2019

    The youngest child of James B. and Katherine Eleanor (Witham) Turner, Ralph was born May 27, 1946, in Lincoln.

    He is survived by three daughters, Christine (Eduardo Moreno), San Mateo, California; Ashley, Los Angeles, California; and Andrea (Steven Moffitt), New York, New York; two grandchildren, Hayden and Grayson Moffitt, with a third due in late May, and two stepgrandchildren, Eddie and Josue Moreno, Annapolis, Maryland. Others surviving are four sisters, Susan (Kenneth) Walden, McLean; Nancy (Roger, deceased) Miller, Polo; Ann Turner, Pekin; and Alice (Richard) Girdler, Shelby Township, Michigan; close friend, Martha Mitchell; his former wife, Karyn Pitts Turner; and many nieces and nephews and their children, all of whom he was immensely proud. He appreciated the great love of his family.

  • May 14, 2019 | People
    Donald P. Reynolds 1929-2019

    Donald Patterson Reynolds was born in Plattsburgh, New York, in 1929 to Thomas and Mary (Patterson) Reynolds. He grew up in Willsboro and Ossining, NY.

    After his Navy service, he went to college on the G.I. Bill. He earned a bachelor’s in electrical engineering (1953) from Cornell University, a J.D. from Cornell Law School (1955), and a master’s of electrical engineering degree from Syracuse University (1964). Don taught electrical engineering for four years at University of Tennessee in Knoxville. He then moved to the Chicago area and became a patent attorney and educator.

  • May 14, 2019 | People
    Mark Elliott Barmak 1942-2019

    Mark E. Barmak, 77, died May 5 near his home in Encinitas, California.

    Mark grew up in Lowell, Massachusetts, before attending Massachusetts College of Pharmacy in Boston. He then went to University of Rhode Island to obtain his master's degree, followed by University of Connecticut to acquire his law degree. Mark eventually moved to Lake Bluff, where he was an attorney at Abbott Laboratories for many years, eventually becoming associate general counsel and a corporate officer, before retiring to southern California. In retirement, he served as a trustee on the board at Carthage College and was involved with other various charities.

  • April 30, 2019 | People
    Ralph Derango 1937-2019

    Ralph John Derango Jr., 81, of Swansea, died Tuesday, April 23, 2019, from complications related to heart surgery, at Missouri Baptist Medical Center in St. Louis, Missouri.

    He was born on Aug. 12, 1937, in LaSalle. After graduating from LaSalle-Peru High School in 1955, he attended LaSalle Peru Junior College and the University of Illinois. He graduated at the top of his class from John Marshall Law School in Chicago in 1961. Shortly thereafter, he began practicing law in Belleville and continued practicing part-time until his death. He fought hard for his clients and never hesitated to help anyone who needed legal advice. In addition to his law practice, he worked briefly as an assistant state's attorney and an assistant public defender. He served for many years as school board attorney for Belleville Township District #201, O'Fallon District #203, Central District #104, Pontiac-William Holliday District #105, and High Mount District #116.

  • April 25, 2019 | People
    Philip Baker Benefiel 1923-2019

    Philip Baker Benefiel, 95, died Sunday, April 7, 2019, at home in Champaign.

    Judge Benefiel was born June 25, 1923, in Lawrenceville, to Ross J. and Amanda Jane (nee Baker) Benefiel. He attended Lawrenceville public schools and the University of Illinois. During World War II, Philip served in the 667th Field Artillery Battalion at the Battle of the Bulge and the Rhine Crossing at Remagen. Upon his return to the University of Illinois after the war, Philip completed a bachelor’s degree in history, followed by a J.D. in law in 1948. Returning home to Lawrenceville, Philip was elected as state’s attorney of Lawrence County and served in that position from 1948-1952. At the time, Philip was the youngest Democrat in the U.S. to serve as state’s attorney, a post contested and won in an Illinois Supreme Court case due to his having been elected prior to successful completion of the bar exam.

  • April 16, 2019 | People
    Michael T. Haughan 1968-2019

    Michael T. "Mike" Haughan, 51, died Friday, April 12, 2019, surrounded by his loving family.

    He was born in Jan. 12, 1968, in Oak Park, the only son of Robert and Joyce Haughan. Michael received a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, followed by a law degree from Chicago-Kent College of Law at IIT.

  • April 9, 2019 | People
    Lloyd John Tyler Jr. 1924-2019

    Lloyd John Tyler Jr., 94, of Geneva, formerly of Aurora, died Thursday, April 4, 2019, surrounded by his loving family.

    Lloyd was born May 28, 1924, in Aurora, the son of Lloyd and Dorothy (nee. Curtis) Tyler Sr. He was united in marriage to his first wife Mary Lou Council on Sept. 3, 1953. After her passing, Lloyd found love again and married Inez C. Busener, on Feb. 25, 1972, in Cincinnati, Ohio.

  • April 9, 2019 | People
    Gary Eiten 1954-2019

    Gary R. Eiten, 65, of Peru, died April 3, 2019, in his home surrounded by his family after a 17-year battle with cancer.

    Gary was born Jan. 24, 1954, in Spring Valley to Lyle and Ellen (Knauf) Eiten of Ladd. He married Mary Alice Lund at St. Patrick’s Church in LaSalle on Nov. 28, 1981.

  • April 5, 2019 | People
    Stacia Hollinshead 1988-2019

    Stacia Faye Hollinshead, 30, of Sycamore, died Saturday, March 23, 2019, in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin.

    Stacia was born Aug. 20, 1988, in Effingham, the daughter of John and Ann (Webster) Hollinshead. Stacia was the fourth child of five born into the Hollinshead family. She grew up with three sisters and one brother in rural Dieterich. From an early age Stacia was a tenacious, passionate, and ambitious person.

  • April 3, 2019 | People
    Lawrence A. Smith, Jr. 1936-2019

    Lawrence Anthony Smith Jr., 82, of Champaign, died March 31, 2019.

    He was the cherished husband of Pastor Donna (Hacker) Smith for 31 years. He is survived by her, as well as his children, Lawrence III (Jackie) of Spokane, Washington, Amy Smith of Pardeeville, Wisconsin,  Ann (William) Petersen of Crossville, Tennessee, Andrew (Lisa) Smith of Winnebago, Sean (Laurel) Smith of Priest Lake, Idaho, Alicia (Kent) Downs of Edwardsville, and Margaret (Chris) Bausman of Winnebago. He is fondly remembered by his nieces, Cindy (Ted) Neumann and Jenny Hacker. He is also survived by 21 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren, as well as nieces and nephews and many dear friends and colleagues.