Rochelle

Tom Winebaugh, 65, passed away peacefully at his home with his family by his side Tuesday, March 31, 2020. Tom was born on January 8, 1955 to Bill and Berneice (Eckhardt) Winebaugh in Elkhart, Kansas. Tom said his life truly began when he married the love of his life, Barbara Carr on August 3, 1985.

Tom is survived by his wife of 35 years, Barbara of Rochelle and their children: Dr. Josh Winebaugh of Ft. Wayne, IN; Aimee (Kurtis Smith) Winebaugh, M.A. of Springfield, IL, Dr. Lucas Winebaugh of Alton, IL, and his fur-baby, Jackson. Tom is also survived by his parents, Berneice and Darroll Richardson of Rochelle; brother, Bill (Natalie) Winebaugh of Dixon, IL and their family; sister, Linda (Dave) Munson of Wamego, KS and their family; and sister, Tracy Richardson of Rochelle and her family. Tom was also blessed with many cousins who were more like siblings to him, including Gary (Cathy) Alderks of Henderson, NV and their family; Denese (Mike) Ciacco of Double Oak, TX and their family, and Randy (Barb) Alderks of Plainfield, IL and their family. Tom had many lifelong friends that he loved as brothers including Davey Speed and several others that know who they are and how much they meant to Tom. Tom was preceded in death by his father, Bill Winebaugh, his Aunt Pauline, Uncle Lum, and Uncle Bud who loved Tom as their own son, and many other dear relatives and friends.

As the consummate family man, Tom's favorite pastime was time spent with his beloved wife and children. He was happily married to his best friend and frequently said that Barb made him a better man. Together, they built a beautiful life working to conquer all of life's curveballs. Tom's kids cherished him and looked to him as their hero and he was incredibly proud of their accomplishments. Tom was a dedicated son and brother and he enjoyed time spent with his many cousins. Tom was the kind of man you wanted as a friend; he was extremely loyal and would always drop what he was doing in order to help someone in need. As a highly intelligent and extremely compassionate man, Tom mentored numerous individuals and was an excellent role model. Tom would always give people who were often overlooked by others a chance and he made people feel important and valued. As a steadfast rock in countless people's lives, Tom provided unwavering faith, wisdom, and strength. Tom was always a beacon of positivity to those in his life keeping a positive attitude even when dealt a rough hand of cards. He often remarked that his glass was "half-full" that "he was a Winebaugh: rough and tough and hard to bluff and used to many hardships," and that "life was about the journey and not the destination." Tom was also known for his sense of humor and his diehard love for the Chicago White Sox.

Tom served as the coach for many of the sports that his kids were involved in, including tee-ball, baseball, and soccer. Even in the sports that he was not the coach, Tom spent countless hours with his kids in the backyard working on skills or taking them to sports clinics. Tom was also a Boy Scout leader from the time his sons were Tiger Cub Scouts until they both received their Eagle Scout recognition. Tom helped his daughter work on her 4-H projects and accompanied her on trips to Springfield to work as a "Page for a Day" on the Illinois House of Representatives and Senate floor. He was always a devoted fan in the stands for all of his kids' extracurricular events from sports to speech as well as academic meets. Tom arranged his schedule to pick up and drop off his kids at school every day and he always helped explain things when they had homework issues. His family was always his first and utmost priority. Even as his kids grew older, Tom continued to be their confidant and he was always there for advice and guidance from career decisions to community organization issues to life advice. Tom was always a patient and dedicated life coach to his kids and his valued mentorship expanded beyond just to his kids but to his kids' teammates and friends as well.

Beyond his leadership roles in youth community organizations, Tom was also very active elsewhere in the community. He was a longtime member of the local Kiwanis Club until its recent merger. As a Kiwanis member, Tom traveled the country attending various conventions and spent time serving in every board position possible. Tom also served the community through roles on the credit union board, civic center board, and school board. He was very civic minded and tried to make the town a better place to live.

Tom always told his kids to find a job they loved and he truly loved his career, his employees, and his clients. He graduated from Illinois State University and went on to serve individuals, businesses, and local governments for 39 years as a C.P.A. Tom was the proud owner of Winebaugh & Associates, P.C.

Tom's legacy will live on in the loving, honest, and hardworking example that he set, his priceless words of advice, and through his wife and kids, as well as the many other lives that he touched.

Cremation care has been provided by the Unger-Horner Funeral Home in Rochelle. There will be a celebration of Tom's life at a later time. Visit www.ungerhorner.com to sign the online guest book.