Vitus J. Mockaitis

DECATUR - Vitus (Vic) J. Mockaitis, 70, of Decatur, IL, passed away in the early hours of Sunday, May 1, 2011, after having suffered a stroke which ended his brave 2 year battle with bladder cancer. Funeral services will be 1:00 P.M., Thursday, May 5, 2011, at Brintlinger and Earl Funeral Home, Decatur, IL, with visitation 5 to 7 P.M., Wednesday, May 4, at the funeral home. Burial will be in Macon County Memorial Park, Harristown, IL. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Cancer Care Specialists of Decatur (http://www.cancercarespecialists.org/cancer_care_center_of_decatur.htm) or the American Red Cross (http://www.redcross.org/). Vic was born October 27, 1940, in Sakai, Lithuania, the son of John and Agota "Agnes" (Kalvaitis) Mockaitis. He graduated from Georgetown High School in Georgetown, IL, then went on to graduate with a B.S. degree in Chemistry from Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, IL. He married Janet Elaine Plummer on December 26, 1965 in Arthur, IL. He worked 39 years as a chemical engineer at Bridgestone-Firestone in Decatur, IL. He retired January, 2001. After retirement he became a consultant in his field. He also worked part-time at Miles Chevrolet as a courtesy van driver, where he loved the interaction with the variety of people he met. Vic was a member of The First Congregational United Church of Christ. During his many years as a member there, he was a trustee and served on many ministries and committees. He was a member of the Order of the Elks where he held several leadership positions. Given his lifelong love of gardening, after retirement he became a certified Master Gardener through the University of Illinois Extension Office. As a Master Gardener, he gave many volunteer hours on community garden projects and was actively involved in organizing the Spring Garden Walks. In addition to gardening, Vic and his wife Jan were avid travelers. They had a love of cruising, taking over 20 cruises in their 45 years of marriage. Along their journeys, they had trekked to all 50 states, all Canadian provinces, many Caribbean islands, Italy, France, North Africa, South America, and Mexico. In his spare time, he loved to read, cook, grill out, dance, and spend time with his family and friends. He was a kind, generous, and loving husband, father, grandfather, and friend. Vic had a wonderful sense of humor and patience which stayed with him even through his last days. He will be dearly missed by all and live in our hearts forever. He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Jan of Decatur, IL; children Vicki Lynne (Mockaitis) Dabrowka and husband Kenneth of Pasadena, MD, Jeffrey Wayne Mockaitis and wife Constance of Lindenhurst, IL; grandchildren Delaney Paige Dabrowka and Ian Dennis Dabrowka, both of Pasadena, MD, Paxton Charles Mockaitis and Parker Jane Mockaitis, both of Lindenhurst, IL; brother Zigmas Mockaitis of Georgetown, IL; sister Mary Mockaitis and husband Kevin Watkins of Iowa City, IA; sister-in-law Janis Kouzmanoff and husband Jim of Danville, IL, sister-in-law Kay Long of Belleville, IL, brother-in-law Larry Plummer and wife Cindy of Arthur, IL; several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother John Mockaitis, and his sister-in-law Suzanne Mockaitis. Special thanks to the exceptional care, kindness, and compassion from the doctors and nurses of the Cancer Care Specialists of Decatur and Decatur Memorial Hospital. Our most high regards and gratitude go to Dr. Perry Guaglianone and the infusion nursing staff. Condolences may be left to the family at www.brintlingerandearl.com. Obituary written by family members. Online guest book at http://legacy.com/obituaries/herald-review/