Willis M. Hyman, 90, of Galesburg, died at 3:41 p.m. Wednesday, September 18, 2024, in Aledo Rehab and Healthcare.
He was born January 24, 1934, in Morrison, Illinois, the son of George W. and Nelle M. (Cooper) Hyman. He married Carole A. Davis on May 26, 1951, in Galesburg. She preceded him in death on August 29, 2024, after over 73 years of marriage and friendship.
He is survived by four children, Shawn (Nanette Vaglica) Hyman of California, Mary (Craig) Foster of Bushnell, Jenny Hyman of Galesburg, and Roxie (Bill) Leahy of Alexis; eight grandchildren, Tony Main, David Armstrong, Nick (Amanda) Hyman, Dustin (Jessica) Foster, Carley (Kyle) Promisson, Mackenzie (David Bracey) Foster, Tyler (Megan) Leahy, and Zach (Kelsey Meredith) Leahy; seven great grandchildren, Emma and Eire Armstrong, Nathan Hyman, Natalie and Lillian Foster, and Samuel and Miah Promisson; and two sisters, Wilma Curry of Greenville, South Carolina and Barbara Hilman of Galesburg. He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Carole; three daughters, Celine Hyman, Charlene Armstrong, and Cynthia Main; a grandson, Dylan Main; two brothers-in-law, Charles Hilman and Earl Curry; and several other family members.
Willis, or “Willie” as most people called him, was a very hardworking man, sometimes working two or three jobs at a time to support his big family. Although a man of many trades, Willie was most known for working as a General Foreman at Admirals/Maytag, where he worked for over 43 years. He met many great people there and he was very well known and liked. He retired from Maytag in November 1995. After retirement, Willie stayed in touch with many of his Maytag friends and sometimes met with a group of retirees for breakfast.
Willie was also a very talented carpenter. His talent and skill could be seen in the many building projects that he did for other people over the years and in those he did for his family. His most impressive carpentry work can be seen in the beautiful home he built for his family and lived in with his wife, Carole, until their recent deaths.
Willie loved spending time with his family and always looked forward to visits, parties, and holiday gatherings. He loved kids and dogs, so he especially enjoyed seeing his grandchildren, great grandchildren, and their dogs.
Willie was a collector of many things over the years; records, guns, beer cans, laser disc movies in the 80’s, books, CDs, dolls, toys, and collectibles. He loved music of all kinds, and his love of music could be seen in his massive record album collection. He enjoyed going to yard sales, thrift stores, the Antique Mall, and anywhere else he could hunt for record albums, books, and toys to add to his collections. Willie was a life-long baseball fan and in his younger years he coached the Yankees Little League Team. Jim Sundberg played on this team and credits Willie and his dad, Howard Sundberg, for making him a catcher. Willie was a die-hard Cubs fan and passed his love for the Cubbies to his children. He was also an Illini College Basketball fan.
Willie was a good man and a loving husband, dad, papa, and great papa, and we are so thankful that he was ours. He will be greatly missed by his family, friends, and anybody fortunate enough to know him.
Cremation will be accorded. A joint celebration of life for Willie and Carole will be held in the spring. Memorial contributions may be made to the Bushnell/Prairie City Schools Backpack Program, a program where backpacks are filled with food for the weekends for students in need. Hinchliff-Pearson-West Funeral and Cremation Services is honored to serve the family. Online condolences and memories may be shared on the funeral home’s website at www.h-p-w.com.
