Gary Dean Taets

Gary Dean Taets, 68, of rural Sheffield, IL, passed away on Wednesday, November 1, 2017, at his home with his wife and daughters by his side. A Funeral Mass will be held Tuesday, November 7th, at 10:00 a.m. at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Sheffield, IL. Reverends Mark Miller and Paul Meismer will celebrate. Burial will follow at St. Patrick Catholic Cemetery. Visitation will be held on Monday, November 6, from 4:00-7:00 p.m. at Vandemore Funeral Home & Crematory, Atkinson. A Rosary will be recited at 3:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you make a donation to Parkinson’s Disease Research Society (PDRS) at parkinsonsprogress.org, to the attention of Dr. Michael Rezak, MD, Ph.D. (Central DuPage Hospital, 0N150 Winfield Rd., Suite A-2 Winfield, IL 60190) or to the Annawan FFA program (501 West South Street, Annawan, IL 61234).

Gary Dean Taets was born on July 22, 1949, the son of Marvin and Mary (VanPoucke) Taets, in Kewanee, IL. He graduated from Annawan High School in 1968, and Illinois State University (Ag Education). He worked at Lincoln Way and Annawan High Schools. Gary married Peggy Williams on May 6, 1972.  He was a member of St. Patrick Catholic Church, IAVAT and the Knights of Columbus.  He would be the first to joke around with you and could naturally put you at ease when you spoke with him. Everyone that knew Gary could probably tell a story that made them smile about one of the interactions they had with him.  He had a way about him that made your heart happy, whether it was a classroom experience or just a fishing or hunting tale from one of his many adventures. Gary loved his family, FFA, agriculture, farming, fishing, hunting, and HATED Parkinson’s disease. Gary Dean Taets will be remembered as a loving husband, father, son, brother, son-in-law, uncle, teacher, farmer, FFA leader, mentor, friend, fisherman, hunter, a connoisseur of ice cream, and all things that involved getting his hands dirty.  He was 68 years young.

Those left to cherish his memory include his main “squeeze”, partner in life and wife, Peggy; his daughters, Carrie (William) Northcott and Kimberly (David) Hexter; his father, Marvin Taets; his siblings, Dennis (Sharyn) Taets, Nancy (Larry) Dynes, and Jean Ann (Jim) Carter. Gary had great pride in his grandchildren, Ethan, Jackson, Justin, Bennett, and Callen. They would tell you that their Papa hung the moon. Gary is also survived by in-laws, Marilyn and George Williams, and Susan (Bryan) Pape; and many nieces and nephews.

Gary was preceded in death by his mother, Mary, his grandparents, Oscar and Clara VanPoucke, and Phillip and Elizabeth Taets, his aunt, Arlene Taets and uncles, Raymond (Vera) Taets and Raymond (Lynn) VanPoucke.

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