Homer Suprenant, Jr.

A memorial service for Homer L. Suprenant Jr., 81, of Colorado Springs, Colo., formerly of Kankakee, will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Clancy-Gernon Funeral Home, Bourbonnais. He had willed his body to science. In lieu of flowers and donations, the family is requesting written memories to be shared at the service. He died Dec. 10, 2009, in Colorado Springs. Mr. Suprenant was retired from H. Suprenant & Co. in 1994 after 46 years in business. He was born Sept. 16, 1928, in Kankakee, the son of Homer L. Sr. and Elsie Blanchette Suprenant. He became a member of the Bricklayers Union Local 37 in May 1948, a fourth-generation mason. He served on the Bricklayers Pension Board and several committees. His craftsmanship can be seen throughout the county. He served on the Kankakee Township Board from 1966-1968 and in 1969 became the Kankakee Township Assessor, where he was in office until his retirement in 1994. In the third year of his 25 years served, he instituted the change from county multipliers to township multipliers (whereas homeowners weren't penalized with a multiplier from outside townships that didn't meet their own value changes.) He also wrote the amendments to the Senior Citizen Homestead Exemption, passed by the General Assembly just one session after the law was enacted. This meant that the original law only allowed the exemption if the person owned the home. With the changes, homeowners that had a home in a living trust or buying on contract now qualified. He also sought tax equalization for manufactured homes and testified before the state House of Representatives' Revenue Committee. He helped to standardize a computer program for assessors which was almost 10 years in the making. He became a member of the Knights of Columbus on Jan. 25, 1959 and reigned as Grand Knight from 1972-1974. He began several new programs such as the Special Olympics, which at the time of his retirement, was in its 20th year. He was also a member of the Sons of Italy, Chamber of Commerce, American Heart Association, as well as the Kankakee Country Club and the Kankakee Elks Lodge, where he loved the game of golf. He served in the U.S Navy from 1946-1948. He was a member of both St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church and St. Patrick Catholic Church. He enjoyed football, as from his sophomore through senior years at Kankakee High School, he was the all-star center. He is survived by his wife, the former Mildred J. "Milly" Pippin of Colorado, whom he married Sept. 9, 1950, in Kankakee; five children, Brenda (Tom) Menard and Dana Suprenant, both of Kankakee, Lorna (Terrell) Osborne of Momence, Blair (Lori) Suprenant of Springfield, and Mara Bailey of Washington; 10 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren; one sister, Julianne (Wayne) Langdon of Tampa, Fla.; and one nephew and niece with their respective families of Florida. He was preceded in death by his parents.

Homer Suprenant, Jr.

September 16, 1928 - December 10, 2009