James (Teck) Edward Teckenbrock

James Edward Teckenbrock (76), known to local sports fans as “Teck”, was born on August 28th,1948 to Odis and Jessie (Osbron) Teckenbrock. Teck was a former Plano High School Graduate Class of 1966. Teck went peacefully to the Great Ballgame in the Sky on June 25th, 2025. He battled a strong fight with numerous health conditions, with pneumonia taking over the final battle. Teck was surrounded by his family when he took his last breath. Towards the end of the night is when everyone realized that it was his 17th wedding anniversary with his wife Leann.

Teck was eager to serve his country. He chose to enlist in the Navy, but fun fact…he could not swim. Despite the fact that he could not swim, the Navy was the branch of service who would accept him and ship him out the soonest. He was one of the fortunate ones who made it home and a proud veteran. For someone who made a career out of talking and was quite chatty in his personal life as well, his military service in the Vietnam War was something he did not often talk about. Thank you for your service, Teck!

Returning home from services, Teck worked at Allsteel and attended Northern Illinois University. Teck was known for getting parking tickets with his friends, as well as not paying for them, which resulted in him not receiving his diploma. Till this day he still has not paid those tickets.

Teck coached at Waubonsee Community College from 1977 to 1984, becoming the school’s first Women’s Basketball Coach in 1979. He played in many adult leagues himself, including baseball, fastpitch softball, basketball, and bowling, as well as umpiring for area schools and recreational leagues. He also worked for a number of years at The Office Works in Plano, and later at the Sandwich Chamber of Commerce and Sandwich Economic Development. He was a long-time participant and then announcer for the Polar Plunge for IL Special Olympics. He has gratefully received many awards over the years, including being named as one of Waubonsee’s Fab 40 and being inducted into the IL High School Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame, but that little part-time radio gig is what made him a local legend.

In his “little” free time, Teck could be found in front of his four TVS holding a few of his doxie babies, watching different games on each TV, chewing ice and dozing off until either his snoring or an exciting play woke him up. He had a deep and abiding love for the Chicago Cubs, Chicago Bears and wished well for the Chicago White Sox. Teck was mesmerized by baseball greats such as: Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth, Billy Williams, Ron Santo, and Harry Caray. While his athletic abilities skipped a generation, he passed his love of sports on to his children and taught them to be stellar athletic supporters. But his dreams were finally realized in watching his granddaughters, who do actually possess some athletic talent, take the softball field and the volleyball court, and to call one of Adelaide’s Newark High School softball games on the radio.

Teck will be remembered most as the iconic voice of local sports after a nearly 30-year career as a sports broadcaster at the WSPY 107.1 radio station. Teck was a defining voice for thousands of families as he did play-by-play of their student athletes’ triumphs and tragedies on the field or court. Tuning that dial into his calmly cheerful voice gave you a feeling of home and all of the comforts of life in small Midwestern towns. Whether it was the championship game or the first game of the season, when the game would heat up, Teck’s voice would speed up with it as he got wrapped up in the excitement and thrill of the moment and his sincere passion for local teams and athletes. Teck will always be remembered as a great husband, father, brother, brother-in-law, grandpa, uncle, great uncle, friend, veteran, doxie dad, and avid sports fan.

Teck is survived by his wife of 17 years, Leann Teckenbrock, his children: James “Jimmy” (Michelle) Teckenbrock of Plano, Jill (Jeffrey) Johnson of Newark, Jay Teckenbrock of Newark, TJ Teckenbrock of Seneca, and Taylor (Thomas) Juns of Burlington. His stepchildren: Johnny Amato of Louisville, Kentucky and Angela (Theo) Lewis of Drain Oregon. His grandchildren: Adelaide and Ferne Johnson of Newark, Thaddeus and Bernadette Juns of Burlington, Otis, Archey, and Hennrietta Lewis of Drain, Oregon. His siblings: Dave Teckenbrock of Plano, Jeannie (Don) Mathre of Texas, and Patricia (Dave) Ballas of Plano, his brother-in-law Sherman (Kelly) Rogers of Canton, Jeff Watson of Montgomery, and sister-in-law Kellie (Don) Medlock of New Albany Mississippi, and his Godson Mason Bulfer of Morton. Teck will be dearly missed by many beloved nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews, friends, student athletes, and 10 dachshund “babies”, who he grew to love despite not being an animal person. He was preceded in death by his parents.

In honor of Mr. Teck’s passion for youth success, in lieu of flowers, the family requests donations for a scholarship in Teck’s name to be given out to a high school graduate wishing to pursue a college degree.

Friends and family are welcome to come to the visitation in their favorite sports team/ gear in honor of Teck.

A visitation will be held on Sunday, June 29, 2025 from 2:00 – 6:00 P.M. at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church, 2465 W Sandwich Rd, Sandwich, IL 60548. A visitation will also follow the next day, Monday, June 30, 2025 from 10:00 – 11:00 A.M. at the church with a funeral service to follow at 11:00 A.M. A graveside service will follow out to Little Rock Township Cemetery in Plano, IL. Arrangements were entrusted to Beverage Family Funeral Home. Online condolences may be made at www.beveragefamilyfh.com