Rosemary Ann Paxton

KEWANEE - Rosemary Ann Paxton, 87, of Kewanee, died at 7:25 a.m., Monday, June 27, 2016 at her home.

A Memorial Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, July 16 at Visitation Church, St. John Paul II Parish in Kewanee. Celebrant will be Fr. Johndamaseni Zilimu. There will be no visitation. Private inurnment will be in Pleasant View Cemetery at a later date. Memorials may be directed to Visitation Church or to the Henry County Humane Society-Kewanee Chapter.

She was born February 14, 1929 in Peoria, the daughter of Arthur J. and Gladys (Houghton) McCraw. She married Clarence J. Paxton on November 7, 1953 in Belvidere, IL and he preceded her in death on June 28, 1988. Survivors include her children, Michael (Persephone) Paxton of Lisle, IL, Patrick (Marilyn) Paxton of Geneseo, IL, Thomas (Dawn) Paxton of Port Byron, IL, Peggy Sue Paxton Bosley of Peoria, IL and C. Daniel Paxton, Andrew Paxton, Frank (Rhonda) Paxton, Joseph (Sherril) Paxton, and Matthew Paxton, all of Kewanee, IL; 19 grandchildren, 23 great grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews. She was also preceded in death by her parents, a son in infancy and a brother, James McCraw.

Rosemary enjoyed camping and tubing the past 6 years with her children; she bicycled thru Alaska at age 60; also in her 60's she bicycled thru Louisiana, Wisconsin and Iowa with a granddaughter; canoed the wilderness boundary waters of Minnesota with her daughter for 15 years until age 75; bicycled the Natchez Trace with a son and daughter; and enjoyed many other cross country camping adventures.

Rosemary received her Bachelors Degree in 1972 and her Masters Degree in Psychology in 1974 from Bradley University. She had worked as a School Psychologist for the Orion School District and for Alwood and Sherrard School Districts and had taught at Black Hawk East for 5 years.  Rosemary was also an area reporter for the Quad City Times and the Star Courier. She was a member of the Bradley University Alumni Association, honorary member of Phi Kappa Phi at Bradley University, charter member of the Illinois School Psychologists Association and member of the National Association of School Psychologists and the Western Illinois School Psychologists Association where she had been the coordinator. She was currently a member of Visitation Church, St. John Paul II Parish where she had been a Religious Education Instructor and was a former member of the Liturgy Committee and Parish Council and was an extraordinary Minister of Communion. She was an associate member of the Sinsinawa Dominicans.  She was a former member of St. Stanislaus where she had been a PTA member and secretary and a member of the choir. Rosemary had also been on the Visitation Board of Education, the Diocesan Board of Education, RCIC Coordinator, and member of the Kewanee Hospital Hospice Board.

The family would like to give a special thank you to Vicky Lappin for all of her support.

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