Obituary of Paul Sweeney

Paul Edward Sweeney, 88, of Zion passed away on Saturday, February 11, 2012. He was the son of the late Edward and Ivy (McEwen) Sweeney. He was born in the home on Gabriel Avenue that would be his address for his entire life. In 1941 Paul was a member of the second graduating class of Zion-Benton Township High School. He served in the Army Air Corps during World War II manning the large shore artillery guns on the coasts of Florida, Texas, and California. He was one of the countless soldiers whose train stopped at the famous North Platte Canteen in Nebraska. While in the service he received a severe frontal skull injury from a misfired shell and another time had of his legs crushed by a load of shells that shifted in the truck in which he was riding, leaving him with an ulcerated leg for the rest of his life. He never complained nor sought compensation for his injuries. The many letters he wrote home survive him. After the war and several jobs he became a printer life his father before him. He claimed to have gotten his droll sense of humor working with his fellow printers. He retired early to care for his widowed mother and work from home as an investor. For many years he was the anonymous author of a column in the Zion-Benton News titled "The Sidewalk Superintendent". He was a living encyclopedia of old Zion history and was much interested in his home town politics. He was proud of his Australia heritage. His mother had come to Zion with members of the Adelaide, Australia branch of the "Christian Catholic Church". In keeping with is upbringing Paul avoided medicine and pork etc. he enjoyed corresponding with his Australia relatives. He enjoyed planting gardens and loved the many feline friends that shared his home. He liked feeding the gulls by Lake Michigan and said it was against his principles to even harm an insect. He was fanatic about baseball and fiercely loyal to his many interesting friends. In addition to his parents Paul was preceded in death by one still-born sister and many loved aunts, uncles, and cousins. Paul is survived by many Sweeney, McEwen, Studebaker, Mumford, Ower, Beem, Congdon, Beall, Brown, Griffin, Therkildsen, Oliver and Hammond cousins with Zion ties including his chosen end-of-life care giver, Gordon Studebaker. Visitations will be held on Thursday, February 16. 2012, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the CONGDON FUNERAL HOME, 3012 Sheridan Road, Zion, and again on Friday, February 17th, from 9:30 a.m. until time of service at 10:30 a.m., Dr. Richard Studebaker officiating. Interment will follow at Mt. Olivet Memorial Park, Zion. In lieu of memorials and in remembering Paul's love of gardening, flowers would be appreciated.