John Tuohy

Following a life of great challenges and accomplishments, John Tuohy of Champaign passed away on February 18, 2023 at the age of 74. He is survived by his wife Lynn, son Kurt, daughter Erin Nieto, and his younger siblings: Thomas, Kevin, and Carina Tuohy, and two grandsons: Mario and Nico Nieto. All feel the impact John made on their lives and will miss him greatly. John was born on May 25, 1948, to John and Mary (Mineo) Tuohy. A Brooklyn native, John explored the city of New York from a young age. Starting at age 10, he hopped on trains and buses and explored the neighborhoods they led to. He would also slip away to listen to Hank Williams with friends. Life changed dramatically for John and his family when he broke his neck while diving into a pool at age 15. Having just learned she was pregnant with Johns youngest sibling, Johns mother arrived home to share the news, only to be greeted by a priest. Johns parents sent his two younger brothers to live with grandparents while they helped care for him in Coney Island Hospital. They were told he might live only ten years as a paraplegic, and that learning to feed himself would be the most hed be able to do. John went on to prove his doctors wrong. Thanks to the influence of young PT Carol Levin, John relearned basic skills and learned how to swim. He explored New York again, going to museums, festivals, and Broadway plays. He went back to high school and was a classmate of Judy Heumann, who became a leading advocate for disability rights. John remained good friends with both Carol and Judy. Most of all, John got the urge to attend college. Starting at Brooklyn College, he transferred to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, one of the most wheelchair-accessible educational institutions in the country at the time. He began to shoot and develop his own photographs, capturing amazing subjects despite limited mobility. In Champaign John met his bride-to-be Lynn Fitzsimmons Little, who had children Kurt and Erin. Married in a small ceremony in 1976, John cooked wedding chicken for his new family, followed by a wedding cake of Twinkies. A few months later John adopted Kurt and Erin, fulfilling his dream of being a father. Later he would bundle his family into the car along with two overnight bags, a cooler and a wheelchair to visit relatives and tour the country. Brooklyn and the Colorado Rockies were favorite destinations. Originally a salesman for Eyegate educational filmstrips, John became a program assistant administrator at UIUCs College of Medicine. From there he became assistant to the associate dean while completing his Bachelor studies through EIU, followed by a Master of Public Administration through Governors State University. At the same time, John followed through on his interest in disability rights and skills. He was one of the founders and the first chairman of PACE, Inc., a center for independent living in Champaign-Urbana. He also advised an Illinois governors commission on disability rights, helping lead to passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Moving first to Lincoln Land College in Springfield, then to North Lake College in Irving, Texas, and finally to Governors State University in University Park, Illinois, John pursued his interest in education for underserved populations and for working adults. While in Texas, he helped develop key public/private partnerships for North Lake. At GSU he became Vice President of Administrative Affairs. During his stint in Texas, John and Lynn explored city life, and they always had new restaurants, theaters and events to treat visiting friends and family. Returning to Illinois partly to care for Lynns mother, John and Lynn soon attended the happy wedding of daughter Erin to Marco Nieto of Champaign. Not long after that they became delighted grandparents. Now retired, no one was happier than John to pick up the two boys from school, take them to parks, watch clouds, and pick out which ones looked like superheroes and bad guys. His grandsons soon christened him "Papa", and sometimes "Wolverine". Lynn became "Thor", but the title of "Gaga" stuck permanently. John and Lynn designed their own house with accessibility in mind. This became especially important as John faced an increasing raft of health issues. Less and less mobile, John was eventually confined to bed. Here he exhibited world-class patience, enjoyed visits from kids and grandkids, and introduced them to cool music, movies and TV shows that he discovered. Lynn functioned as Johns primary caregiver, but she began to experience her own mobility issues. The two hired a number of capable staff to help keep the household running. Soon Johns physical issues accumulated, and he passed away at Carle Hospital after his body became too weak to respond to treatment. But his mind and fun-loving personality are ingrained in all who knew him, and his memory will remain treasured. John, you were our Superman. We love you.

In lieu of other expressions of sympathy, please consider donating in John Tuohys memory to one of the following by clicking on the links: Habitat for Humanity: https://www.habitat.org/ PACE, Inc. - 1317 E. Florida Ave., Urbana, IL 61801: https://pacecil.org/

To view a selection of the photos John took and developed, visit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/johntuohy

Cremation Rites have been accorded at Sunset Funeral Home and Cremation Center 710 N. Neil St. Champaign, IL. 61820. Please join his family in sharing memories, photos and videos on his tribute wall at www.sunsetfuneralhome.com