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Obituary for John Kent Powers
John Kent Powers, age 69 of Paris and formerly of Brocton went home to be with the Lord on Wednesday, August 22, 2012 at Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana. John was born August 24, 1942 in rural Brocton to Harlin Alonzo and Zella Bernard (Meece) Powers. He married Marian Mott on July 23, 1966 in Paris, IL; she survives. He is also survived by a son, Chad (Tish) Powers of Morrow, OH; a sister, Helen (Rodney) Wood of Brocton, IL; two granddaughters, Hannah Marie Powers and Olivia Grace Powers, both of Morrow, OH; and many nieces, nephews and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Tom Powers; and a sister, Nancy Crum. John graduated from Brocton High School in 1960 and received a B.S. in Education from Eastern Illinois University. He taught one year at Cissna Park High School and then worked for the Illinois Department of Transportation from 1967 to 1998, where he was a Construction Engineer and held the position of Permits Engineer when he retired. He also did consulting work for E.S.I. of Chicago, IL and farmed his whole life. John enjoyed people and cared deeply about his community, as is evidenced by the many social and civic organizations he belonged to. He was a veteran of the Army National Guard, and a member of the Brocton American Legion Post 977, where he served as treasurer for many years. He was also a member of the Society of Professional Highway Engineers, Farm Bureau, Rose Hulman Parents Association, the Easily Amused Dinner Group (retired IDOT engineers), Pheasants Forever, and the Brocton High School Alumni Association, where he served as treasurer. He served as the financial trustee of the Brocton Fire Protection District and was on the Board of Directors of EIU’s Christian Campus House for 39 years. John was also a faithful and active member of the Brocton Christian Church. He loved farming and collecting farm toys, enjoyed hunting pheasants, was an avid Cubs and Illini fan and also loved to travel extensively. He will be missed by the many family members, friends and neighbors who loved him dearly. Visitation will be held Friday, August 24, 2012 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Krabel Funeral Home in Oakland. Funeral services will be held Saturday, August 25, 2012 at 3:00 p.m. at the funeral home, with visitation to be held for one hour prior to the service. Burial will follow at Payne Cemetery. For those who wish, memorials may be made to the EIU Christian Campus House or the Brocton American Legion Post 977 in care of the funeral home.
