- Date Of Birth: September 13, 1925
- Date Of Death: November 3, 2016
- State: Illinois
James P. “Pat” Devlin, 91, of rural Ashland, IL died Thursday evening, November 3, 2016, at his home.
He was born September 13, 1925 in Jacksonville, IL, the son of J. Leo and Frances Plummer Devlin. He married Bernice Francisco on November 27, 1954 at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Springfield, IL and she preceded him in death on March 15, 2005.
He is survived by four children, Karen Devlin of Springfield, Patricia “Trish” Pugh (husband, Rodney) of Davenport, IA, Larry Devlin (deceased wife, Connie) of Ashland, and Debra Devlin of Chelmsford, MA; two grandchildren, Phillip and Brandon Pugh, both of Davenport, IA; two step grandchildren, Karmen Knowles of Auburn and Christina Newbern of Beardstown; three step great grandchildren; a sister, Margaret “Peggy” Devlin of Ashland; and several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents and six siblings, Leo Francis Devlin, Sue Mahoney, Mary Ann Ruppel, and two sisters and a brother in infancy.
As a member of Virginia High School’s Class of 1944, Pat left school early to serve with the US Army from 1943 to 1946 during WW II. Following his military service, he began a long career in grain and livestock farming in Cass County. He was also a life-long member of St. Augustine Catholic Parish in Ashland.
Pat was a member of the Knights of Columbus in Springfield, the VFW and American Legion Posts in Ashland, and the Amvets Post in Jacksonville. For many years, he was proud to honor his fellow veterans by decorating graves with flags at St. Augustine Cemetery and participating in military funeral ceremonies for deceased veterans.
