HARVARD, Ill. – David M. Grote, 76, of Harvard, passed away Monday, May 13, 2019, at Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital in McHenry, Ill, after a brief battle with recently-diagnosed non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
David was born Nov. 18, 1942, to John G. and Janice (Umphenour) Grote in Kimball, Neb. Whe he was four, the family moved off the Kimball farm and settled in Bushnell, Neb., where David attended elementary school through the fifth grade. The family then moved to Lingle, in 1952, where he completed his education. David participated in football, band and wrestling. He graduated from Lingle Public High School in 1960.
After graduation, David enlisted in the U.S. navy at the age of 17. He served on active duty for 22 years before retiring. He was stationed at the Navy base on the Great Lakes, where he was an electronics instructor the last few years of his Navy career.
Upon retiring, David used his Navy training and degrees in education and electronics to pursue work as a technical writer in satellite communications, robotics instructor at Casper Jr. College and calibration specials in the private business sector with Gould Enterprises, Stauffer Foods and Intermatic. He also obtained a realtors license in Illinois, working for Caldwell Bankers until his death.
David married Judith Vioski on Dec. 27, 1978, in Torrington at the Goshen County Courthouse while home on leave. The couple enjoyed traveling, riding motorcycles, piloting their small plane together and volunteering at the animal shelter in Harvard. David was also a member of the Knights of Columbus, VFW Post No. 5040, serving as Post Commander in 2017-18, and volunteered at the food pantry in the Harvard/Woodstock area.
David also constructed their dome house in Harvard, in which they lived for the last 30 years. He and Judy were in the process of moving to their retirement property in Ava Maria, Fla.
David is survived by his wife, Judy; a daughter, Carol Grote Thompson of Jacksonville, Fla.; two granddaughters, Brittany (James) and Megan (Asgon); great-grandchildren; a sister, Carol Ann (Bill) Carr of Lingle; sister-in-law Mary Grote of Auburn Mass., and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; sister, Dolores King in 2003; and his brother, Richard, in 2018.
A funeral Mass was held Friday, May 17, 2019, at the St. Mary Catholic Church in Woodstock. Military honors were rendered in Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Woodstock following the Mass.
