Richard E. Hildebrand

Richard E. Hildebrand, 80, of Bourbonnais, died Sunday (July 17, 2011) at Provena St. Mary's Hospital, Kankakee. Visitation will be from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Clancy-Gernon Funeral Home, Bourbonnais. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Thursday at Maternity BVM Catholic Church, Bourbonnais, where he was a member. Father Richard Pighini will officiate. Entombment will be in All Saints Mausoleum, Bourbonnais. Memorials may be made to Maternity BVM Building Fund or to the donor's choice. Mr. Hildebrand was a construction superintendent for Ray J. Benoit Construction Co. in Kankakee and Gust Newberg Construction Co. in Chicago. He was born July 9, 1931, in Kankakee, the son of Charles and Evelyn Schmidt Hildebrand. His wife, the former Donola Mae Benoit, whom he married May 7, 1955, at Maternity BVM Catholic Church, died April 17, 1999. He was a graduate of Herscher High School, where he was a three-sport athlete. He was a veteran of the U.S. Navy Seabees, serving during the Korean War from 1950 to 1954. He was a member of the Navy Seabee Veterans of America, was past commander of Island X-14 of Kankakee, and a member of the Bradley American Legion Post 766 and the Vintage Squadron. He was a life member (since 1949) of Carpenters Local 496 of Kankakee and taught apprentice training for five years. He was a life member of the Bradley-Bourbonnais Sportsmen's Club and served four different terms as president and was a director for many years. He was a charter member of the Illinois Sheriffs' Association and a member of the Northern Illinois Anglers Association. He was an avid Cubs and Bears fan. Surviving are four sons and two daughters-in-law, Karl Hildebrand, of Bourbonnais, Charles and Barbara Hildebrand, of Monterey, Tenn., Donald and Jen Hildebrand, of Charleston, S.C., and Gary Hildebrand, of Holland, Mich.; two daughters and one son-in-law, Karol and Tom Grizzle, of Kankakee, and Nancy Hildebrand, of Bourbonnais; six grandchildren, Mike and Shelleigh Skopik, Carlie Hildebrand, Rebekah Hildebrand, Haley Clayton, Parker Hildebrand and Landon Hildebrand; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Wayne and Linda Benoit, of Centralia, Mo., Steve and Carolyn Benoit, of Kankakee, Marguerite Hildebrand, Darlene Mason and Midge Daucanski, all of Bourbonnais. He was preceded in death by his parents; one sister, Barbara Hildebrand; and one brother, William Hildebrand.

Richard E. Hildebrand

July 9, 1931 - July 17, 2011