Francis "Foo" Chamness

Visitation for Francis "Foo" Chamness, 84, of Bourbonnais, will be from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday at the Clancy-Gernon Funeral Home, Bourbonnais. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Monday at Maternity BVM Catholic Church. Father Richard Pighini will officiate. Burial will be in Maternity BVM Cemetery, Bourbonnais. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Bourbonnais Fire Protection District, Provena Our Lady of Victory, Bourbonnais Terrace or to Maternity BVM Grade School. He died Wednesday (July 6, 2011) at his home. Mr. Chamness was the retired owner of Tri-City Meats in Kankakee. He was born June 7, 1927, in Bradley, the son of Perry and Anna Skube Chamness. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army and a lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force Civil Air Patrol. He was a graduate of Bradley High School, class of 1945. He was a deacon at Maternity BVM Catholic Church and a graduate of the Joliet Diocese Deaconate program. He did communion services at Provena Our Lady of Victory and Bourbonnais Terrace for many years. He hosted annual backyard picnics for a group of residents from Provena Our Lady of Victory and dressed as Santa Claus for Christmas. He had his pilot's license and enjoyed flying with his airplane partner, Paul Dionne. Mr. Chamness was a 4th degree member of the Knights of Columbus and was involved with restoring bicycles with the K of C bicycle program that donated bikes locally, and to Belize and other countries. He was one of the founding members of United Parents for Exceptional Children. The group home, Chamness Square, in Bourbonnais is named in his honor. He was a board member of the Kankakee County Victim's Assistance Center. He was an avid woodworker and enjoyed traveling and fishing with his grandchildren. Surviving are his wife, the former Henrietta M. Marcotte, of Bourbonnais, whom he married Oct. 9, 1948, at Maternity BVM Catholic Church; three sons and daughters-in-law, Michael and Linda Chamness, of Bourbonnais, Randy and Ruth Chamness, of Clifton and Jerry and Gloria Chamness, of Kuwait City, Kuwait; four daughters and three sons-in-law, Sandra Hernandez, of Albuquerque, N.M., Roseann and Nick Eldred, of Bourbonnais, Eymarde "Amy" and Patrick Lawler, of Peoria, and Margaret and Bob Wehrle, of Kankakee; nine grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren; one sister, Maxine Cassidy, of Kankakee; one brother and sister-in-law, Gerald and Freida Chamness, of Bourbonnais; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Kenneth and Esther Marcotte, of Bonfield, Ambrose and Pat Perrault, of Irwin, Mush Marcotte and Mary Marcotte, both of Bourbonnais, Roland and Eleanor Marcotte, of Dugger, Ind., Rose Longtin, of Bourbonnais, and Oletha Chamness, of Iowa City, Iowa; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, Perry and Delbert; brother-in-law and former business partner, Ralph "Red" Marcotte; and two sisters-in-law and two brothers-in-law, Yvonne Marcotte, Jim and Phoebe Ealy and Harold Longtin.

Francis "Foo" Chamness

June 7, 1927 - July 6, 2011