Jonathan Delbert "Jon" Gilpin Ii

1923 - 2019

Jonathan "Jon" Delbert Gilpin II 1923 - 2019
Normal, IL—Jonathan "Jon" Delbert Gilpin II, age 96, of Normal passed away peacefully at Bickford House on Sunday, December 22, 2019. Jon will be mostly remembered for his sense of humor, humility, kindness, and love of technology. His funeral service will be 11:00 AM Saturday, December 28, 2019 at Wesley United Methodist Church 502 E. Front St, Bloomington, IL with military rites accorded Saturday at the church by the Bloomington-Normal American Legion Honor Guard. Rev. Sara Isbell will be officiating. Visitation will be 9:00 AM-11:00 AM Saturday, December 28, 2019 at Wesley United Methodist Church, Bloomington, IL. The family suggests memorials be made to Wesley United Methodist Church, Bloomington, IL or Honor Flight. His graveside service will be 1:30 PM Saturday, December 28, 2019 at Oak Ridge Cemetery, 1441 Monument Ave, Springfield, IL.
Jon was born March 6, 1923, in Tracy, MN to parents Jonathan and Grace Larson Gilpin I. He married Dorothy Jones on December 28, 1945, in Bloomington, IL. He is survived by his sister, Genevieve Schentzel of Edina, Minn., two children, Del (Sue) Gilpin III, of Bloomington, and Lisa (John) Brittingham of Normal; seven grandchildren, Tiffany (Eric) Smith, Nathan Brittingham, Jenica Brittingham, Daniel Gilpin, Amanda (Chris) Highland, Eric Gilpin, and Grace Gilpin; 4 great-grandchildren, Peyton and Colton Smith, and Abigail and Davis Highland; 3 nieces, Joanne Schentzel, Mary Farmer, and Virginia Bunner; 1 nephew, Keith Schentzel. He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife of 59 years, 1 sister and 1 brother.
Jon grew up in Tracy, MN, attending and graduating Tracy High School. He enrolled at the University of Minnesota in the fall of 1941 but was called to serve his country in the Navy after the attack on Pearl Harbor. In the Navy, he served as Lieutenant on board the USS McCracken and participated in the Allied landing at Okinawa. After his service in the Navy, he completed and graduated with a degree in economics from the University of Minnesota, where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.
After his father's passing in 1945, Jon returned to Tracy to run the family newspaper, the Headlight Herald, for a short period of time. After selling the paper, he and Dorothy moved to Bloomington, Illinois where he began his career in advertising at the McLean County Courier. Jon followed this with stints in cost accounting at Caterpillar (Decatur) and sales at Addressograph-Multigraph (Springfield), before spending more than 20 years in sales at Xerox, Springfield, IL.
Jon had a passion for technology and innovation. At Xerox, he helped launch the first copier and he especially came to love the technological aspects of that company. He was intrigued by the latest and greatest in technology and was one of very few 90 year-olds keenly aware of the most recent Apple product releases. He was an avid golfer and enjoyed playing bridge, going to the movies, attending grandchildren's activities.
Jon's wife, Dorothy, was truly his sweetheart. They met at a V-12 dance in Normal, IL in 1943 and kept up a long-distance relationship during the war. After the war ended in 1945, Jon returned to Bloomington where he married Dorothy a few days after Christmas. After a few stops in Tracy, Minneapolis, Decatur, IL, they settled in Springfield, IL. During his 59-year marriage to Dorothy, they loved entertaining at their house on Lake Petersburg, traveling to Dorothy's various music clubs/activities, Saturday night dance clubs, and enjoying grandchildren.
After the passing of his wife in 2005, he began spending portions of each winter around Northport, Florida in his beloved "Rialta" RV. One of those years, he met Joan LaRue, another Naval (WAVES) veteran originally from Chippewa Falls, WI. Joan and Jon were soon inseparable and enjoyed living life to the fullest together in Florida, and at their respective homes in Illinois and Wisconsin. With so many common life experiences, they were kindred spirits and proved that it is possible to have more than one soul mate in life.
Calvert & Metzler Memorial Home in Bloomington is handling arrangements. Please view the obituary and share your condolences and memories online at www.calvertmemorial.com