John M. Polancic, 85, of Rochelle, died Thursday, Feb. 10, 2011, at Provena St. Anne Center in Rockford. He had been briefly under the care of Northern Illinois Hospice.
He was born Nov. 9, 1925, in Ottawa, the son of John and Anna (Ecimovic) Polancic.
He graduated from St. Francis Grade School and Ottawa Township High School in Ottawa and Brown's Business College in LaSalle. He attended DeKalb State Teachers College (now Northern Illinois University).
He served in the U.S. Marine Corps for three years, including one in China, during World War II. He was part of U.S. Marine Air Group 25 and the South Pacific Combat Air Transport Command.
He worked for International Harvester Company and Rochelle Municipal Utilities, from which he retired as comptroller in 1986.
On Sept. 17, 1949, he married Dorothy M. Hartshorn at St. Columba Catholic Church in Ottawa. The couple moved to Rochelle in 1953. She died Dec. 6, 2001.
Polancic was a parishioner at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Rochelle, a lifetime member of American Legion Post 33 in Ottawa, and of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and St. Patrick Church Knights of Columbus Council in Rochelle.
He was elected to the Illinois Valley Sports Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984.
He served on the boards of St. Patrick Catholic Church, St. Patrick Kelley Foundation, Rochelle Municipal Utilities, Rochelle Economic Development, Rochelle Chamber of Commerce, Rochelle Country Club, Rochelle First Federal Savings and Loan Bank and Rochelle Knights of Columbus.
He also served on the boards of the American Public Power Association and the Illinois Municipal Utilities Association, of which he was a past president.
In addition to his wife, he was preceded in death by his parents.
He is survived by his daughters, Sharon (the late Chris) Boehlefeld of Durand; Mary Jane (John) Acardo of Rockford; Janet (Jeff) Holdridge of Moore, OK.; and Joan Polancic of Englewood, CO.; his brother, Frank Polancic of Ottawa; his sisters Mary Doucey of Tucson, AZ.; Ann Gerding of Naperville; and Frannie (Jim) Graffis of Ottawa; sisters-in-law Helen Tress and Judie (Dale) McConville, both of Ottawa; Donna Hartshorn of St. Germain, WI.; brothers-in-law Don (Dee) Hartshorn of Leland; Harry Barnett of Mesa, AZ.; grandchildren Anna, Chris Jr., and John Boehlefeld of Durand; John (Megan) Acardo of Sycamore; Jeff (Tara) Holdridge, Joshua (Lacey) Holdridge, Janell (Chuck) McCornack, Jared, Julianne, Jennifer, Jessica and Jacquelyn Holdridge, all of Oklahoma; three great-grandchildren and many nieces, nephews, cousins and other extended family members.
Visitation will be 2-5 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 13 at Unger-Horner Funeral Home, 400 N 6th St., Rochelle.
Funeral Mass will be at 10:30 a.m., Monday, Feb. 14, at St. Patrick Catholic Church, 244 Kelley Dr. Rochelle. Burial will be 2:00 p.m. at Calvary Cemetery in Ottawa.
The family would like to thank the staffs of Rochelle Community Hospital; Provena St. Anne Center, the Heart Hospital at Swedish American Hospital, and Northern Illinois Hospice, all in Rockford. Memorial to be established.