Lawrence W. Weidman

Lawrence William Weidman, age 95, of Grayslake Illinois, died peacefully in his bed on Friday March 26th 2021, at the Flossmoor home of his son Dan and daughter-in-law Audrey Weidman, several months after moving in for the care of a fractured hip.

He was preceded in death by his patient and loving wife of 66 years Mavis (White) Weidman, his son Emmet Weidman (Janine), grand daughter Michelle Bauknecht, and also siblings Elizabeth Lester, Darlene Goslee, Roland Weidman, and Ronald Weidman. He is survived by one sister, Renee Emanuel and his remaining children Cathy Johnson (Richard), Michael Weidman (Marilyn Reddy dec'd), Pamela Bauknecht (Edward), Daniel Weidman (Audrey), and Diane Rodahl (Chris), along with 11 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren (and counting) and many nieces, nephews and their offspring too numerous to mention.

Larry (or Lawry to his siblings) lived a full yet simple life.  He was a child of the Great Depression delivering newspapers and working in the family grocery store as a boy.  He shared many fond memories of his fierce and fearless mother Adeline, who loved to fish and was a crack shot with the 22 caliber rifle he gave her later in life.  He attended Lane Technical HS in Chicago when it was still an all boys trade school.  He joined the Merchant Marine right out of school at age 17, following in the footsteps of his father William Weidmann, even serving on one of the same vessels, the SS William Eaton.  He was called to join the US Army during World War II and served as a combat engineer in both European and Pacific theaters.  After returning to the States he worked summers near Eagle River, Wisconsin where he met and later married the love of his life, Mavis White of Mountain, Wisconsin and with her raised six children in the Sears and Roebuck kit home he built by hand in unincorporated Glenview Illinois.  He worked many years in inventory control jobs for various employers, finally retiring in 1985 from such a role with the US Navy in Glenview.

Larry was a very able craftsman, competent with many hand tools for both carpentry and machine repair.  He was also an avid gardener and arborist growing many seasons of fruits and vegetables in his very large garden on Elmdale, which no doubt contributed to his long and healthy life.  He was not always the easiest man to like, but he was always fair and reliable.  He struggled late in life with hearing and short term memory loss, yet still had extremely vivid memories of his youth in Chicago, his time in the service and early married life.  He and Mavis retired to Grayslake, Illinois later in life to be near adult children Cathy and Emmet, a decision that was instrumental in his ability to live somewhat independently even after Mavis passed in 2014.

A memorial service will be held at 10:30 am on Tuesday April 13th at the Flossmoor Community Church to celebrate his life.  In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to Oasis Hospice Care of Mokena, Illinois.