Jacob Sturm

Born July 11, 1937 in Peoria to Jacob J. and Mary Rebecca (Rockhold) Sturm, he married Patsy (Shallenberger) Sturm on February 14, 1959.

Surviving are his two daughters, Brenda (Bob) Adams of Pekin and Denise (Steve) Tumilty of Tremont, seven grandchildren, Janessa (Jonathan) Kingdon and Justin Adams both of Pekin, Jeff (Kristie) Adams of Bartonville, Jody (Doug) Simmons of Morton, Starsha, Trista and Tiffany and several great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife of 65 years, Patsy and one brother, John (Delores) Sturm and two sisters, Bernadine Ing and Mary Lou (Clifford) Sisk.

Jake worked as a steamfitter/pipefitter through Steamfitters Local 353 in Peoria, Illinois. He was initiated into the Steamfitters union in 1957 and retired in January, 1999. He was a lifetime member of the steamfitters union for 66 years. He loved being a steamfitter and always talked about his working days long after his retirement.

An avid Cubs fan, Jake also loved watching boxing, his cadillacs and his boats too. He enjoyed boating on the river and Lake Shelbyville and the family boating vacations to Lake of the Ozarks. He looked forward to spending winters in Florida with his wife, Patsy. They also enjoyed taking long walks along Park Avenue to the Pekin Park Lagoon and riding bikes together on the Rock Island Trail. Jake loved golfing and was a huge Tiger Woods fan. He also loved fishing with his grandson, Justin and his brother-in-law Ronnie and taking his fishing trips to Minnesota with his childhood friend, Ed.

Jake was a family man who loved nothing more than spending time with his family and friends. He looked forward to traveling to his granddaughter, Janessa's softball tournaments and later in life he loved going to his great-grandsons, Grayson and Brody Kingdon's sporting events to cheer them on. He also enjoyed caramel iced coffees and eating out. He liked playing cards and Yahtzee with his family and came to be known as Jake the champ due to his frequent wins. He also had a great sense of humor.

A gathering celebrating Jake's life will be Sunday, August 4, 2024 from noon to 3 p.m. at the Pekin Park Pavilion. Cremation has been accorded by Preston-Hanley Funeral Homes & Crematory in Pekin.

Memorial contributions may be given to Central Illinois Autism Association, 507 East Armstrong Avenue, Peoria, Illinois 61603 or www.autismpeoria.com.

To express condolences online, visit www.preston-hanley.com.