James R. Locke passed away Aug. 7, 2020. Jim had many passions in life, mainly service of God, service of his fellow people, and teaching. After graduating from Woodstock High School, Jim attended Cornell College for two years before serving two years as a U.S. Army chaplain’s assistant. While serving, he was company and battalion soldier of the month and Honor Graduate from the basic Army Administration school at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. Jim then completed his bachelor’s in education and master’s in learning disabilities at NIU as well as being state certified in gifted education. He taught at Central (Husmann) Elementary, and North (Bernotas) Junior High in Crystal Lake. He was honored to be recognized as Crystal Lake Kiwanis

Joe Edd Estes, 80, died Aug. 5,2020, in Cedar Park, Texas. Joe was born in 1940 to Elbert and Nola (Henson) Estes in Marshall County Ky. Joe married his love Peggy Marsh on April 15, 1961, in Woodstock, Il. Of that union two children were born, Keith and Kathy. Joe was the county road commissioner for Greenwood Township for several years before starting his own business, Estes Excavating, in 1972. Joe followed his dream to Texas in 1982, but was drawn back to his roots of Kentucky in 1986, when he started a logging business. Texas called Joe back again in 1997, and he continued in excavating and construction until his retirement. Joe loved classic country music and was very

Dennis E. Paloumbis, 84, was born in Patrikata, on the island of Kefalonia, Greece.He was the beloved husband of Kalifroni Paloumbis, devoted father of Angela Sourasis, and his late beloved son Angelo Paloumbis; cherished grandfather of Christo Sourasis.Dennis was a loving relative of many in the U.S., Greece, and a dear friend of many.Dennis came to the USA about 52 years ago. He fell in love with the town of Woodstock about 40 years ago and became the proud business owner, along with his brother-in-law, of Angelo’s Restaurant, located in downtown Woodstock on the Square, until his retirement. He loved his customers, residents and community.Visitation is Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2020, at 9 a.m. at St. John Chrysostomos Greek Orthodox Monastery,

Born: August 25, 1939Died: July 30, 2020 Irving Jay Townsend, Jr., 80, of Woodstock, Ill., passed away Thursday, July 30, 2020, at home, from complications of COPD. Irv (Jun) was born, the sixth of 12 children on Aug. 25, 1939, on the farm in Hebron, Ill., to Irving Richard Townsend and Georgia Edna (Vasey) Townsend. He graduated from Woodstock High School in the Class of ’57, joined the Army and, after his service, married his high school sweetheart, Beverly J. Freeman, on Oct. 29, 1960, at Grace Lutheran Church, in Woodstock. He was a long-time employee of UPS and was known as the “UPS Guy” on his Woodstock Square deliveries in the 1960s and 1970s. He later was employed as

Mary Ellen Simpson, known as Ellen, unexpectedly passed away in her sleep on July 10, 2020, in Spring Park, Minn., at the age of 95. Despite the aches and pains that come with that age, she lived independently, remained active, and was mentally sharp. Her favorite activities included going on daily walks to visit her friends, playing bridge, and dining out frequently with her sons and their families. Ellen was born in Gillespie, Ill., on May 1, 1925, to Lillian Dale Wyatt and James Loy Bowman, DDS. She earned a B.S. in nursing from Washington University in St. Louis and was a registered nurse. She married Dr. Robert (Bob) Simpson in Woodstock on Feb. 11, 1950, and they made Woodstock

Jan. 12, 1946-July 4, 2020 David grew up in Elmwood Park and developed an appreciation of plants and the environment at an early age. He attended the University of Illinois for his undergraduate degree and went on to Iowa State University to earn a Ph.D. in botany. David researched, collected, and grew orchids as a hobby and a home business, Greenview Gardens. Before retirement, he worked for the Illinois Department of Transportation as a botanist in the Environmental Planning Division. David enjoyed listening to classical music, including that of Miklos Rozsa and other 20th century composers. He volunteered to produce a radio show for Elgin Public Radio called “Plant Man,” in which he answered commonly asked questions about growing plants.

Robert F. Carr, 92, of Woodstock, passed away on Wednesday, July 1, 2020, peacefully surrounded by his family. He was born April 3, 1928, in Cicero, Ill., to Maurice T. and Bess (Foster) Carr.Bob, as he was known to his family and friends, was very involved in the community of Woodstock, Ill., where he spent most of his adult life with his wife and children. He helped to found the Townsquare Players at the Woodstock Opera House, where he acted and created the sets for the plays they performed. Bob was known to play Scrooge on the Woodstock Square at Christmastime. He was an artist and a lover of music. He could play the piano, the harmonica, and almost any

Mary Ann Stompanato, age 83, passed away at her home in Woodstock.She was born on March 15, 1937, in Beardstown, Ill., to Thomas “Max” and Edna (Nelson) Shultz. Mary graduated from WCHS in 1955. She attended Iowa State University, then graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Education at Northern Illinois University and took advanced courses at National College of Education in Chicago. She worked as a special education teacher for Sedom, District 200, for 25 years. Mary was very active in the McHenry County Retired Teachers Association, as well as the Women’s VFW Auxiliary, McHenry County Historical Society, McHenry County Mental Health Board, and was the secretary and treasurer for the Kishwaukee Valley Garden Club. She enjoyed gardening, knitting, tatting,