John 'Jack' Cavanaugh

John Jack W. Cavanaugh, 91, of Ridge Farm, passed away at 3:35pm, Sunday, October 13, 2013, Pleasant Meadows Christian Village, Chrisman. He was born on February 21, 1922, in Danville, IL, the son of Harry and Hazel B. {Brown} Cavanaugh, both deceased. He was united in marriage to Helen Chew on January 31, 1976, in Danville. She will miss him dearly. He will also be missed by: his sons, James A. Cavanaugh of Wonder Lake, FL, Robert (Catherine) Cavanaugh of Green Bay, WI, Richard K. (Susan) Cavanaugh of Enfield, CT, & William E. Cavanaugh of Batavia, IL; his step-daughter, Rhonda (Bob) Swisher of Robinson, IL; his brother, Thomas R. Cavanaugh of Navarre Beach, FL; his ten grandchildren; and 2 great grandchildren. Jack served in the US Army during WWII as a drill sergeant & mechanic. He retired from Hyster Company as a supervisor in inventory control. He grew up during the Great Depression and during his young life, made money by helping to make maps of the trails & ponds at Kickapoo State Park. He enjoyed volunteering with the Boy Scouts that met at St. James Church & Cub Scouts that met at Edison School in Danville. He served as Scout Master for the Boy Scouts and during the 50s & 60s, he engineered about 10 Boy Scout trips to The Boundary Waters in Minnesota & Canada. In his spare time, Jack could be found hunting pheasant and deer in Wisconsin and he especially loved duck hunting in Lake Vermilion. He was also an avid reader and loved spending time with his family. A Memorial Service will be held at 12:00pm (noon), Saturday, October 19, 2013, at Sunsets Houghton-Leasure Funeral Home, Georgetown, visitation for family and friends will be one hour prior to the service on Saturday.