Edwin J. Benoit

Edwin J. Benoit, 87, of Loda, formerly of St. George, died peacefully Wednesday (Sept. 12, 2012) at his home. Visitation will be from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday at the Clancy-Gernon Funeral Home in Bourbonnais. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Saturday at St. George Catholic Church. Father Dan Belanger will officiate. Burial will be in St. George Catholic Cemetery. Memorials may be made to St. George Catholic Church. Mr. Benoit was a retired employee of Kankakee Auto Leasing and a retired Buckley area farmer. He was born March 13, 1925, in Bourbonnais, the son of Homer and Sylvia Rivard Benoit. His first wife, the former Maxine Martin, whom he married Sept. 26, 1945, passed away April 5, 1983. He later married Gwen Thilmony on June 27, 1987, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Loda. She preceded him in death March 29, 2007. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army, serving during World War II and was a 60-year member of the Bourbonnais American Legion Post 1164. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus. He was a former volunteer for the Bourbonnais Fire Protection District and a former member of St. George School Board. He was a board member of Buckley Farmers Elevator and was on the parish council of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Loda. Surviving are four sons and eight daughters, Carolyn (Patrick) Monahan, of Concord, Calif., Mary (Larry) McTaggart, of Onarga, Suzanne (Vernon) Savoie, of Vienna, Va., Marty (Julie) Benoit, of Springfield, Vincent (Chris) Benoit, of Kankakee, Dolores Benoit, of Hoffman Estates, Christine (Dan) Hayes, of St. Louis, Mo., Brian (Ann) Benoit, of Gibson City, Linda (Bill) Hardy, of Springfield, Donna (Shandy) Husmann, of Franklin, Tenn., Joel (Peggy) Benoit, of Springfield, and Diane (Daniel) Hoyt, of Cartersville, Ga. Also surviving are his 38 grandchildren, 37 great-grandchildren and one stepgreat-grandchild; brother, Zephyr (Joan) Benoit, of Bourbonnais; and sister, Monica Ruder, of Herscher. He was preceded in death by his parents; stepmother, Antoinette Morrissette Benoit; two brothers, Louie George Benoit and Leandre Benoit; one granddaughter, Bridget Benoit; and one aunt, Georgianna Benoit, who helped raise him. Memorials may be made to St. George Church, 5272 E. 500 N. Rd., Bourbonnais IL 60914

Edwin J. Benoit

March 13, 1925 - September 12, 2012