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Thomas B Littlewood 1928 - 2021
Savoy, IL—Thomas Benjamin Littlewood, 92, of Savoy died Sunday, June 6, 2021, at the Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana, IL.
Thomas was born Nov. 30, 1928, in Flint, MI to Thomas Nelson Littlewood and Louise Grebenkemper Littlewood. He grew up in LaPorte, IN and caught the journalism bug as a high school sophomore, serving as the part time sports editor of his hometown newspaper. Thomas attended Depauw University and Northwestern University, receiving his BS and MS from the Medill School of Journalism. He was recruited to cover the police beat right out of college and soon after began his career as a political writer. Thomas worked for the Chicago Sun-Times from 1953-1977, first in Chicago and then as a Springfield state capital correspondent, followed by a decade as correspondent in the Washington, DC bureau. During historic and tumultuous times, he covered Congress, the Supreme Court, national politics, presidential campaigns, national conventions and, from 1972-1974, the White House. Thomas witnessed and wrote about such significant events as the civil rights struggles in Cairo, IL, the Little Rock Central High School integration, and the 1960 election of then political newcomer John F. Kennedy. He later covered the Robert F. Kennedy presidential campaign, and was sadly present at his assassination. In 1975, he was awarded a fellowship at the John F. Kennedy Institute of Politics at Harvard University. Thomas followed this with service on the staff of Senator Robert Dole. In 1977, he joined the faculty of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign as Professor of Journalism, and for the first ten years served as department head. Thomas was the author of six books and numerous professional publications covering a range of political and historical subjects, and was the recipient of a number of journalism awards. He retired as professor emeritus in 1996, but never retired from being an Illini sports fan.
Thomas was predeceased by his wife Barbara. They were high school classmates and fellow writers for the LaPorte Herald-Argus. The high school sweethearts were married in 1951. After marriage, they traveled in support of his career and to indulge their many interests. He had a lifelong fascination with the small-town circus, American history, Big 10 football, and the Chicago Cubs. In his younger years, he received a complimentary ticket to see the last game at Wrigley Field, and skipped school to see the Cubs play the Tigers in the 1945 World Series. He proudly displayed the Wrigley Field brick bought for him by his children. Thomas and Barbara summered in Empire, MI, entertaining generations of family. Vacations typically included a checklist of recommended sightseeing excursions, dune climbs, canoe trips, picnics on the beach, and visits to the Empire Area Museum where he volunteered.
Thomas is survived by his four children, Linda Johnson, Lisa Ratchford, Thomas S. Littlewood, and Leah Hamrick; 3 siblings, Ellen Frahm, Mary Littlewood, and Robert Littlewood; 11 grandchildren, and 5 great grandchildren.
A family celebration of life will be held later this month in LaPorte, Indiana.
Memorials may be directed to the University of Illinois Library or The Leelanau Conservancy.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
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