George S. Marquis, Jr.'s Obituary
MATTOON, IL - George Slavens Marquis, Jr., age 90 of Mattoon, passed in the comfort of his home and in the loving presence of his family on Tuesday, February 17, 2015. Visitation for family and friends will be held from 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. at the First Baptist Church, located at 1804 South Ninth Street in Mattoon, on Friday, February 20, 2015. Masonic Services will be conducted by members and guests of the Mattoon Masonic Lodge #260 A.F. & A.M. at the beginning of the visitation. Funeral Services honoring and celebrating his life will begin at 1:00 p.m. on Friday at the church with Pastor Dennis Strawn officiating. Burial with military honors conducted by the Mattoon VFW Post 4325 will follow in Dodge Grove Cemetery, Mattoon. It is requested that thoughtful donations in his honor be made to Shriners Hospitals for Children or to the First Baptist Church in Mattoon. Gifts may be left on the memorial table during the visitation or service or may be mailed to Adams Funeral Chapel, 2330 Shawnee Dr., Charleston, IL 61920. George was born on January 27, 1925 in Des Moines, IA, a son of the late George S. and Ola (Cook) Marquis, Sr. He married Marion Walton on August 11, 1951 in York, NY, and they have celebrated and enjoyed 63 years of marriage. In addition to Marion, he is survived by three children, Roxane Netzler and husband Bruce of Mattoon, Susan Petrea and husband Chip of Urbana, IL and Gary Marquis and wife Barb of Charleston; 4 grandchildren, Tiras Petrea of Savannah, GA, Zach (Samantha) Petrea of Bloomington, IL, Kate (Alex) Burch of Washington, D.C., Kelsey Marquis of Wilmington, NC; 2 step-grandchildren, Micah (Vanessa) Petrea of Buda, TX and Tasha (Ryan) DeHart of Dallas, TX; a great-granddaughter, Bethany S.R. Petrea; and 3 step-great-granchildren, Bailey Davis, Torsten DeHart and Dane DeHart. George was also preceded in death by a granddaughter, Bethany J. Petrea and 2 sisters, Esther Kress and Martha Gray. George was a Navy Veteran and honorably and faithfully served his country aboard a combat submarine during WWII. He attained his Bachelors and Masters Degrees from the University of Kansas and was employed as a microbiologist with Abbott Laboratories, receiving the Abbott Award for Scientific Achievement in 1965. He was a member of First Baptist Church in Mattoon as well as additional scientific organizations, belonged to the Veterans of Foreign Wars and was a member and Master Mason of Anchor and Ark Masonic Lodge No. 1027 in Waukegan, IL. George enjoyed an afternoon on the golf course and was a fan of sports - especially Chicago Cubs baseball. He was an avid reader and maintained an interest in genealogy. For George, his family remained the most important aspect of his life and they always came first. He was truly loved and appreciated by his family and friends and will always be fondly remembered.
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