Cover Story
Remembering
Our annual REMEMBERING edition, the last issue of the year, reminds us small-town folks that people we thought we knew we didn’t know as well as we wish we had, and those we didn’t know, we wish we had known. It reminds us that many more have died this year than we could possibly write…
THOMAS ALLEN GUM Aug. 2, 1936 – July 18, 2022
Thomas Allen Gum was a kind, quiet, gentle man who always put his family first, from giving up smoking when his daughters developed asthma, to spending his two-week vacation driving to various parts of the country to give his daughters educational and fun experiences. He was a man of faith and attended the First Church…
ELIZABETH GERALDINE TINSLEY BANKS ALEXANDER Sept. 9, 1940-Jan. 20, 2022
Throughout this year we have all witnessed the loss of loved ones and others who have touched our hearts in ways we might not have imagined. For many of us within the Springfield area – with emphasis on the Black community – one of those great losses was that of Elizabeth Alexander. Born Elizabeth Geraldine…
MICKY SHOMIDIE Sept. 25, 1958-June 16, 2022
Lots of young men dream of living the life of a rock star, but few ever achieve the status necessary to qualify for that exalted position in our society. Those that do and make it to the big time are few and far between. Our late friend Micky Shomidie did it on his own terms,…
SUNDERINE TEMPLE Oct. 29, 1936-March 4, 2022
Sunderine Temple’s life was not ordinary. Her mother died when she was two or three, according to her husband, Wayne “Doc” Temple. She ran away from an orphanage when she was nine or so, he says, and fell in with a carnival, which helps explain her fascination with the merry-go-round at White Oaks Mall. Long…
DOROTHY O. BECK March 2, 1925 – Aug. 23, 2022
On Aug. 23, my siblings and I lost our mother, who was 97 years old. Although she was an only child and raised by a single parent, she and our father had nine children. It wasn’t until after Dad’s death in 1989 that we realized who the real source of strength was in the family.…
MICHAEL LEATHERS May 13, 1961-Aug. 3, 2022
Springfield-area residents read and heard Michael Leathers’ name many times in Illinois Times and The State Journal-Register and on television and radio as he spoke on behalf of Memorial Health for 20 years. Yes, he was a PR guy for an important health care institution in Springfield, the one that operates Springfield Memorial Hospital and…
BARBARA SUE THULL March 18, 1941 – July 27, 2022
This holiday season, my husband Joe and I are remembering the life of my mother, Barb Thull, who passed away unexpectedly in late July. Not a day goes by that I don’t think of her and miss her. We were the best of friends and enjoyed spending time together. In years past that included vacations…
LEO R. DAPRON Aug. 3, 1937 – March 4, 2022
Leo married the love of his life, Sharon, when he was 17 and she was 16. Together they raised one son and four daughters. He was a wonderful father and husband. At one time, he worked three jobs to make ends meet. He retired from CWLP in 1995 at the age of 57. He had…
BOB PRATHER Oct. 23, 1944 – April 4, 2022
This year at Christmas we remember a beloved husband, stepfather, grandfather and friend. Bob was born in Charleston, Illinois. After high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and was stationed in San Diego, California. He made Fountain Hills, Arizona, his lifelong home along with a summer home in Springfield, Illinois. He was a…
SAA Film Festival 2023
SAA Film Festival 2023 Insert
DR. JOANNE MARIE MAURER, D.D.S. Dec. 6, 1956 – Feb. 1, 2022
Mom was the Lorelai to my Rory and always lived her life to the fullest. She was feisty, independent, extremely smart, adventurous, fun-loving, strong and welcoming to anyone in need. She loved spending time with family and friends who she called family. Mom also enjoyed watching a good Hallmark movie or a “Gilmore Girls” episode…
SAM DRAPER Jan. 8, 1963-Sept. 14, 2022
When Sam Draper passed away, he left behind a legacy of music-making in Springfield that reached far beyond the notes he played and melodies he sang. Through a lifetime of performance, along with the thousands of listeners he touched who took the good feelings he sent out home with them, Sam also gave the gift…
ALEXANDER LEE FAHNDERS May 20, 1991 – April 19, 2022
My son’s life was focused on helping others. Even during his own health and physical complications, Alex said, “I am alive for a reason. The reason is to help people.” That’s exactly what he did. He worked and volunteered with youth organizations, cheered the downtrodden, helped individuals with disabilities and addictions, and befriended everyone he…
Judge invalidates cash bail reform in some counties; Supreme Court appeal pending
A Kankakee County judge ruled Wednesday, Dec. 28, that lawmakers overreached their constitutional authority in passing a measure to abolish cash bail in Illinois, while other provisions in the wide-ranging SAFE-T Act criminal justice reform were not affected by the ruling. The ruling by Judge Thomas W. Cunnington leaves the impending cash bail reform in…
Kenley Wade June 19, 1935-June 2, 2022
Kenley Wade was so accomplished in his career that he was admitted into one of the nation’s most prestigious MBA programs, even though he had never earned an undergraduate degree. The Springfield civil rights leader left behind behind a legacy of fighting racism in Springfield and beyond. “He was very, very smart,” his daughter Francine…
LISA TOMASINO Sept. 15, 1965 – Jan. 26, 2022
After battling breast cancer for five years, my wife and one true love of 22 years lo st her fight with this horrific disease. Lisa was kind, caring and giving, and she cared deeply about people. After working in social services for over 25 years, she changed careers to become a licensed esthetician and owner…
JOAN MARIE MOORE March 25, 1949 – Aug. 17, 2022
Joanie! Grandma! Mom! With a verve and focus on what a positive attitude can bring to any person or group, Joan moved through life’s changes with a strength and humor that kept everyone around her smiling and strong. Car wrecks – walked away Love problems – talked away Hanging’ wallpaper, settin’ tile All home remedies…
LAURA T. SAMPSON Oct. 31,1965 – Oct. 24, 2022
One of Laura’s favorite places to be was in the kitchen. Many times she told me that cooking was her therapy. She loved food and to cook. She was always searching for new recipes, which she’d usually tweak. She’d come up with a new dish to try on her own. I was more than happy…
MARK KESSLER Nov. 16, 1947-April 24, 2022
If Adams Street had a mayor, Mark Kessler qualified. Genial? Could be, depending on circumstance. Genuine? Always. Shrewd? In spades, and bridge. As co-owner of Recycled Records, Kessler could, gently, tell a hopeful customer that her late grandfather’s trove of Terry Baxter LP’s might be best off at Goodwill. He was sharp with the sketchy,…
KENLEY WADE June 19, 1935-June 2, 2022
Kenley Wade was so accomplished in his career that he was admitted into one of the nation’s most prestigious MBA programs, even though he had never earned an undergraduate degree. The Springfield civil rights leader left behind behind a legacy of fighting racism in Springfield and beyond. “He was very, very smart,” his daughter Francine…
CULLOM DAVIS May 2, 1935-Sept. 9, 2022
Cullom Davis began his time in Springfield in 1970, helping to create the innovative learning experience that was Sangamon State University (SSU), which later became University of Illinois Springfield. From planning courses to recruiting and hiring instructors, Davis was far more than an administrative vice president and teacher of history. Larry Golden, one of Davis’…
J. MICHAEL “MIKE” ZIMMERS Oct. 15, 1949-Oct. 5, 2022
Mike Zimmers was a giant among the teachers and administrators he mentored, the junior high students he taught and, most of all, the kindergarteners he tutored. At 6 foot, 6 inches tall, he towered over most everyone he met. But among his peers, his stature wasn’t measured in inches but in his keen intellect and…
Jim Turpin Feb. 26, 1932 – April 10, 2022
Jim was a popular Springfield personality and well-known radio broadcaster for University of Illinois football and basketball games. He worked in public relations and advertising in the late 1970s for the newly built Prairie Capital Convention Center and also for Watt Bros. Pharmacy West. He was also a popular master of ceremonies for events. Much…
ROBERT D. GORDON Oct. 15, 1927 – July 22, 2022
My father, who was born in Colorado City, Texas, passed away at the age of 94. He was a remarkable man. With the exception of his service in World War II and Korea, and a few years with the government in Washington, D.C., his career was spent in the broadcast industry. As a pioneer broadcaster…
ROGER L. SCHIMTZ June 26, 1949 – March 3, 2022
Roger passed away at his home. He is survived by his companion, Dave Ridenour. Roger was an innkeeper and operated the Rippon-Kinsella House bed and breakfast in Springfield. He loved to cook, play cards and Scrabble, and walk his dog, Benny. He was loved by everyone and will be greatly missed. A few years ago,…
THOMAS ALLEN GUM Aug. 2, 1936 – July 18, 2022
Thomas Allen Gum was a kind, quiet, gentle man who always put his family first, from giving up smoking when his daughters developed asthma, to spending hi s two-week vacation driving to various parts of the country to give his daughters educational and fun experiences. He was a man of faith and attended the First…
DEIDRE SILAS July 30, 1985-Jan. 4, 2022
Deidre Silas was a “go-getter” and “always one to diffuse a situation” rather than allow it to escalate, her mother says. Silas’ parents said those traits made it all the more painful to lose someone with her ambition, talent and energy. She was killed Jan. 4, 2022, while working as an investigator for the Illinois…
BOB PRATHER Oct. 23, 1944 – April 4, 2022
This year at Christmas we remember a beloved husband, stepfather, grandfather and friend. Bob was born in Charleston, Illinois. After high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and was stationed in San Diego, California. He made Fountain Hills, Arizona, his lifelong home along with a summer home in Springfield, Illinois. He was a…
CARL FISCHER April 19, 1939-March 25, 2022
“Both were very ambitious,” notes Karen Prange of her parents, Carl and Kay Fischer, “both in our family life, and in their careers and professional lives. When people think of my dad, it’s hard to think of him without Kay. They had the most amazing love affair, worked together, sailed together and raised a family…
ROBERT (BOB) SLOAN Sept. 11, 1948 – Dec. 29, 2021
Bob was a self-proclaimed hippie who wore his hair long, loved fishing and sci-fi, supported live music and the arts, and told you exactly what he thought about politics, human rights and marijuana legalization. He was a gifted computer programmer and musician who mentored a blended family and many friends freely and willingly. Music defined…
PATRICK COBURN March 3, 1941-May 18, 2022
Pat Coburn loved chardonnay, art, travel and Springfield. He hung Christmas decorations early. Among veterans at the State Journal-Register, where he rose from cops reporter to publisher during a journalism career spanning from 1966 to 2006, he is remembered for microwave popcorn. Jack Clarke, Coburn’s predecessor in the publisher’s office, had an MBA from Harvard…
Pre-New Year’s Music
Welcome to almost 2023 or actual 2023, depending on when you read your Illinois Times, but I always believe everyone grabs a print copy (or goes online) every Thursday with bated breath to see what we have in store for you. And while we are in the mindset, isn’t it really remarkable and wonderful we…
JIM TURPIN Feb. 26, 1932 – April 10, 2022
Jim was a popular Springfield personality and well-known radio broadcaster for University of Illinois football and basketball games. He worked in public relations and advertising in the late 1970s for the newly built Prairie Capital Convention Center and also for Watt Bros. Pharmacy West. He was also a popular master of ceremonies for events. Much…
LISA TOMASINO Sept. 15, 1965 – Jan. 26, 2022
After battling breast cancer for five years, my wife and one true love of 22 years lost her fight with this horrific disease. Lisa was kind, caring and giving, and she cared deeply about people. After working in social services for over 25 years, she changed careers to become a licensed esthetician and owner of…
CULLOM DAVIS May 2, 1935-Sept. 9, 2022
Cullom Davis began his time in Springfield in 1970, helping to create the innovative learning experience that was Sangamon State University (SSU), which later became University of Illinois Springfield. From planning courses to recruiting and hiring instructors, Davis was far more than an administrative vice-president and teacher of history. Larry Golden, one of Davis’ fellow…
MARY COOKSON Oct. 4, 1943-May 9, 2022
Mary “Ma” Cookson was a legend. She was, in a very real sense, the matriarch for a great many years to the many haggard spirits who came in search of a hot meal served with kindness and hospitality at the St. John’s Breadline in Springfield. Working as a cook at a soup kitchen was no…
DAVE SHAW Aug. 8, 1956-April 24, 2022
It’s hard for me to call Dave Shaw anything other than Mr. Shaw. Even as our orbits continued to collide during my adulthood, he was always my teacher. His classroom moved around the Rochester High School campus during seemingly endless renovations. Regardless of his location – a trailer, a garage – Mr. Shaw’s classroom was…
