Obituary of Edmund and Mary Ellen Gaffney
Edmund F. Gaffney, Jr.
Edmund F. Gaffney, Jr., age 74, formerly of Divernon, IL, passed away June 13, 2021 in Lombard, IL with his family by his side. He was born April 27, 1947 in Chicago, IL to the late Reba and Edmund F. Gaffney, Sr.
A U. S. Air Force veteran, Ed grew up in rural Arkansas and moved to northern Illinois where he met Mary Ellen.
He owned E. F. Gaffney and Associates which provided computer programming consulting for the State of Illinois.
Ed was an avid Ham Radio operator and equally passionate about science and space exploration. He gave back to the community in many ways but was an especially active supporter of the Pawnee Boy Scout Troop 73.
Mary Ellen Gaffney
Mary Ellen Gaffney, age 74, formerly of Divernon, IL, passed away June 19, 2021 in Elmhurst IL. She was born January 4, 1947 in Dixon, IL to the late Helen and Hugh Wood.
Mary Ellen started her career as a math and science teacher and later transitioned to being a computer programmer for Sangamon County.
Mary Ellen was an avid baker, she took great pride in growing the fruit for her pies & her perfect crust from scratch. Members of the Methodist church would reserve a slice before she walked through the door.
Ed and Mary Ellen were married for 52 years. They enjoyed their garden and grew the majority of their own produce. They enjoyed bicycling, riding between 8-12 miles a day through the rural community that they held so dear. Ed and Mary Ellen were dog lovers and especially loved their Shelties. Both were deeply intellectual, avid readers, and spent many vacations in pursuit of new museums. They particularly enjoyed chatting with the resident museum docent for unusual facts.
It is both a deep sorrow and a great blessing that they passed so soon, one after the other. They were happiest together.
They are survived by their children, Edmund F. “Tri” (Colleen Kelly) Gaffney, III and Dianne (Humberto) Garcia; and their adoring granddaughter, Rowan Garcia.
Memorial service will be 1:00 p.m., Saturday, July 24, 2021 at Sugar Creek United Methodist Church, 1022 New City Rd., Chatham, IL. After the service, friends and family will gather at 3:00 p.m. at Locals Restaurant, 605 Douglas St, Pawnee, IL for an additional time of remembrance.
Memorial donations may be made to Pawnee Boy Scout Troop 73, through GoFundMe https://gofund.me/a7e98bf4
For more information, please call (815) 741-5500 or you may visit their Memorial Tribute at www.fredcdames.com where you can share a favorite memory or leave an online condolence.
