George F. Coussens

George F. Coussens, 83, of Pekin, formerly of Canton, Avon, St. Augustine, and Port Byron, passed away on Saturday, May 17, 2025, at 8:55 p.m. at OSF St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria. He was born to Remy August and Alma Mary (Maertens) Coussens in Moline on February 21, 1942. He married Nadine A. Schormann of Dieterich, IL, on May 18, 1969, in Fulton, IL.

He was preceded in death by his parents, grandson Remy, two brothers, Clifford and Walter, and brother-in-law Melvin Schormann. George is survived by his beloved wife of 56 years, Nadine; one son, Ted (Staci) Coussens of Bloomington; one daughter, Sheila (Greg) Coussens-Martin of Pekin; six grandchildren, Jacob, Leah (Josh), Jenna, Andrea, Jordan, and Ava; two brothers, Thomas (Carole) Coussens of Rapid City, IL, and Lawrence (Barb) Coussens of Washington, IL; two sisters, Jilleen (John) Wagner of Normal, IL, and Judy (Lee) Thomas of Galva, IL, sisters-in-law Joan (Floyd) Bohnhoff, Sarah Coussens, and Jill Coussens and 20 nieces and nephews.

After attending St. Marys in E. Moline and graduating from Riverdale HS, George attended DeVry Technical Institute in Chicago. From there, he proudly served in the US Navy as a radar technician aboard the USS Kitty Hawk Supercarrier, where he was awarded multiple Vietnam Campaign ribbons, stars, and medals. After military service, he attended Black Hawk College and Western Illinois University, where he earned a Bachelors degree in Math and Physics. Georges professional career was exclusively with Gates Rubber Company, in Galesburg as a foreman/engineer, out of Peoria in sales, and then splitting time from his home office and Denver as a Senior Field Engineer.

George was a devoted member of the Catholic Church, belonging for years to the St. Augustine, IL, parish where he did everything from singing in the choir to teaching CCD classes to constructing a confessional. Most recently, he was a member of St. Josephs in Pekin, where he spent many hours volunteering at the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry.

Georges experiences growing up on a farm, combined with his education and own natural abilities and interests, made him a true renaissance man. He could fix pretty much anything in a car or house, and homes across central Illinois have benefitted from his expertise. His projects combined three of his loves: spending time thinking about how to solve a problem, going to hardware stores, and helping others. Anyone who needed help could call George, and he never hesitated, saying "Ill grab my tools!" He also enjoyed the great outdoors, especially in areas with abundant trees. In later years, he especially loved trips to Northern MN, where he could catch a lot of fish in Big Ole Lake.

Georges greatest love was undoubtedly the people in his life. As anyone who knew him can attest, he never knew a stranger and was quick with a laugh and a smile. With a sparkle in his eye, he would give people a hard time, which was how he showed his affection. He loved to hear what people were up to, and was especially interested in his childrens and grandchildrens exploits.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, May 28, 2025 at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Pekin with Father Michael Andrejek as celebrant and Deacon Mark Wilder as homilist. A visitation will be held the prior evening from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 27, at Henderson Funeral Home & Crematory in Pekin. Cremation will be accorded after the Funeral Mass and burial will be at a later date with full military honors.

Memorials may be made to the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry in Pekin.