John E. Doherty Obituary (1923 - 2016)

John Edmund Doherty, 93, of Normal, passed away at 1:01 p.m. Sunday, August 28, 2016 at the McLean County Nursing Home, Normal. His funeral will be at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, September 3, 2016 at Epiphany Catholic Church, Normal, with Rev. Jeffery Windy officiating. Burial will be in Holy Cross Cemetery, Normal, where military rites will be accorded. Visitation will be from 4-7 p.m. Friday, September 2, 2016 at Carmody-Flynn Funeral Home, Bloomington. Memorials may be made to the Knights of Columbus Council #574, Bloomington, or to the Epiphany Catholic School Building Fund. He was born February 2, 1923 in Ottawa, a son of William and Katherine Travers Doherty. He married Virginia Spohn on May 12, 1948. He is survived by his wife, Virginia Doherty of Normal; five children, Pamela of Normal, Jim (Karen) of Sisters, OR, Barbara (Mark Gordon) of Melbourne, Australia, Michael of Normal and Edmund (Julie) of Lake Oswego, OR; six grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers; and one sister. John enlisted in the US Army Air Corps in December 1942, attaining the rank of PFC. He served in the South Pacific arena, including the Invasion of Leyte. John farmed for twenty years, and then worked at the McLean County Service Company/Growmark for twenty years, retiring in 1988. He was an alumnus of Earlville High School, the National School of Aeronautics and Bradley University. John was a member of the VFW, the American Legion, the McLean County Farm Bureau and the Knights of Columbus. He was a charter member of Epiphany Catholic Church. He enjoyed woodworking, gardening and spoiling his dogs.