John A. Harwood

CHARLESTON – John A. Harwood, age 90 of Charleston, passed away on Tuesday, August 11, 2020 while at Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center.  Visitation will be held on Sunday, August 16, 2020 from 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. at Adams Funeral Chapel in Charleston.  Face masks would be appreciated when not social distancing.  His Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, August 17, 2020 at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, 921 Madison Avenue in Charleston with Father Braden Maher officiating.  Burial with Military Honors will follow in Roselawn Cemetery, Charleston.  Memorials may be made to the Alzheimers Association and may be left at the visitation/funeral mass, or mailed to Adams Funeral Chapel, 2330 Shawnee Drive, Charleston, IL  61920.

John was born August 8, 1930 in Charleston, Illinois, a son of the late Roy P. and Carrie (Easton) Harwood.  He married Joyce (Curtis) Harwood on September 30, 2000 and was not only blessed with a loving wife but also a loving family.  He is survived by Joyce, his devoted wife of 20 years; four stepchildren, Annette Spicer (Martin) and Denise Myrick (Jim) all of San Jose, California, Bob Cinq-Mars (Jodi) of Grayslake, Illinois and Michelle Kanel (Nick) of Elmhurst, Illinois; seven grandchildren, Dan Spicer, Liz Myrick, Matt Myrick, Zachary Cinq-Mars (Sarah), Tyler Cinq-Mars, Tia Kanel and Jimmy Kanel; his niece and her family, Carol King (Scott) of Mattoon, Illinois; and two nephews and their families, Phil Harwood (Jane) of Jackson, Tennessee and Jeff Harwood (Sarah) of Charleston.  In addition to his parents, John was preceded in death by two brothers, Roy Alec Harwood and Jesse Harwood.

Following high school John attended Utterback’s School of Business in Mattoon before enlisting with the United States Army.  He faithfully served his country from August 1951 until May of 1953, with a tour of duty in the Combat Infantry during the Korean War.  John was employed with the United States Postal Service for 35 years in Paris, Illinois, first as a mail clerk and then as a rural mail carrier prior to his retirement.

John was a faithful member of St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church and a member of the Knights of Columbus Charleston Council #4024.  He was also a member of the Mattoon VFW Post 4325 and the Mattoon American Legion Post 88.

John enjoyed an occasional cruise out on the seas with Joyce and trips to Las Vegas to try his luck.  John was sometimes spotted out on the dance floor with Joyce or enjoying the scenery during an evening stroll.  He was quite skilled as a handyman and loved the challenge of buying a house and making improvements before adding it to his list of rental properties.   John cherished the family that his marriage to Joyce blessed him with, and always enjoyed family time spent with his stepchildren and grandchildren.  John was a kind and thoughtful man who was polite and courteous and respected by those who knew him.  He will truly be missed by his family and friends.

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