OBIT Simeon Dionne, son of Victorie Dionne & Lucina LaPlante
Information about Si Dionne
Born Feb 4, 1917Died August 20, 2010
Simeon (Si) was born in 1917 in Fort Kent, Maine, and was the youngest of 11 brothers and sisters.He proudly served in the Army and Air Corps, where he flew the last flight of the war in a B-17 as a ball turret gunner.He was one of a few surviving military with distinction of being in both the Army and Air Corps (now renamed Air Force).After the war, he made his home in Chicago, where he met and married Lorraine Rohde.Si was a carpenter for the city of Chicago and worked at O’Hare Airport, McCormick Place, many schools and pumping stations, and on all the bridges in downtown Chicago.
Si and Lorraine had 4 children, Wayne, Darlene, David and Yvonne. There were also 7 miscarriages and 1 stillbirth.They had 14 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildrenSi and Lorraine were married 44 years.Due to Lorraine’s polio and arthritis, after the children were married, Si was Lorraine’s total caregiver until her death.After Lorraine’s death, he married Alice Gable and they shared 15 years together until her death.
Si was known for his sense of humor and constant, genuine smile from his heart and a twinkle in his eye.He was 93 years old and hoped he could match Methusaleh’s age of 900+, but he missed by a few hundred years.He had a strong handshake that made many men “fall to their knees” from the sheer power it had.
He worked more than half of his life on the family tree, discovering links that include Celine Dion, Dionne Quintuplets, Robert Goulet, Marcel Dionne, Madonna, and even Charlemagne.He typed a sheet of information with about 8000 relatives and he was the only living person on the chart.He cheerfully cornered anyone who would allow him to proudly share his family heritage.Si was always eager to add a new name like a spouse or a baby to the family tree.
He was a faith-filled man, attending retreats yearly, working as an usher at 2 different churches most of his life, but not at the same time.He also was in the Holy Name Society.
He was a loving caretaker and devoted family man, as well as an eager volunteer.Someone commented that he always had either a Halloween mask or a stack of raffle tickets in his hands.He volunteered at all the schools the children attended.When his mother-in-law was in the nursing home, he visited her almost every day.It was the same nursing home Si chose when he needed the extra care.
He enjoyed having a good time with family and friends and was known at many events as the “man who danced with all the women.”He had a hearty appetite and many recalled his steak and lobster “double order” and out-eating several grandchildren at a smorgasbord.
Even in his last weeks, when asked “how do you feel?” He commented – “with my fingers.”We knew he was on the road to recovery when we heard that answer.“When one of his favorite aides at the nursing home was on duty, he carefully studied her, then said with his usual twinkle, “she’s got pretty legs.”
One of his grandchildren commented that he “lived and loved life.”Truer words were never spoken.
Si, we will all truly miss you, and will wait for the “new family reunion” in Heaven in the future.