- Date Of Birth: May 27, 1935
- Date Of Death: October 10, 2014
- State: Illinois
Thomas Ellerbrock, 79, of LaSalle, passed away Friday, October 10, 2014, at his home. Mr. Ellerbrock was born on May 27, 1935, in Ladd to Andrew and Margaret (Foy) Ellerbrock.
The youngest of 4 children, the family moved to Peru when Tom was a young child. He graduated from St. Joseph’s Commercial School and Illinois Valley Community College. He enlisted in the Navy with his brother William “Tucky”. Together they served on the carrier-The USS WASP for 4 years during the Korean War and toured around the world. He worked at Westclox in Peru, then Fisher Body Auto Plant in Willow Springs, IL. He married Linda Cramer on October 19, 1957. Together they had four children, Andrea, Tom Jr., Michael, and Julie. Tom went to work at Coca-Cola Bottling Plant and Peru Public Library Bookmobile before starting to work for Sundstrand (Sauer Danfoss), where he worked for 29 years until his disabling rheumatoid arthritis forced him to retire. Tom enjoyed many sports, including bowling, baseball, golf, boating, and fishing on their family pontoon at Lake Wildwood and Southshore Boat Club where he was a member. He was also a past member of the Eagles Club in Casa Grande, AZ, and the VFW. After retiring, Tom and Linda camped in their motor home and traveled to all 50 states, plus Mexico and Canada. They enjoyed cruises to Hawaii and Alaska, as well as the Mediterranean. They enjoyed being snowbirds, wintering the past 20 years in Casa Grande, AZ where they made many new friends, golfed, and explored the southwest. He was known for his humor and was always a jokester.
He is survived by his wife, Linda of LaSalle; two daughters, Andrea Levitt of Deerfield and Julie (Peter) Yanush of Oglesby; two sons, Thomas J. (Denise) Ellerbrock of Peru and Michael (Laurie) Ellerbrock of Oglesby; 3 grandchildren, Nicholas Ellerbrock, Mitchell Ellerbrock, and Andrew Ellerbrock.
He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, William and Francis Ellerbrock; and one sister, Betty Hotze.
