Kenneth James Ingwalson, 84, entered into eternal life on October 15th, 2020 surrounded by family at home. Jim was born in Minneapolis MN on Jan 27 1936, the second child of Kenneth & Katherine (Lewis) Ingwalson. His young years were spent in Minnesota, 5 years in Germany and in Virginia where he graduated from High School. College years led him to Washington State University. Always a proud patriot, Jim entered the US Army stationed at Fort Worth, TX. It was here he met & married the love of his life, Joyce Andrée Slack. Regardless of the fact that their formal wedding was just 9 weeks away, Jim & Andrée followed their hearts and eloped to Ardmore OK, where they were married on Dec 30, 1958. Their planned wedding at Presbyterian Congregational Church of Ashland WI was celebrated on March 7, 1959. Moving to Chicago IL, Jim & Andrée began their life together. The first of their 5 children and a career in retail were both born in the Chicagoland area. Jim’s career & family quickly grew with life’s journey taking them to Wisconsin Rapids WI, Waukegan IL, Milwaukee WI and New Berlin WI, each move bringing another cherished child & another promotion. Jim lived his quintessential American dream working his way up from entry level at Montgomery Wards to an executive position at the JC Penney Co. During this time the family lived in Crystal Lake IL until his retirement in 1991. Jim truly believed anything was possible with the right attitude and hard work. A card carrying patriot, his honor & duty to country was evident in his volunteer military service and his time served with the Army Corps of Engineers. While Jim fervently believed in honor & duty to country, his joy in & love of family was the centerpiece & focus of all he worked & strived for. Making sure his children knew their extended families, he would drive across the country at holidays to visit his parents, sister, brother-in-law and their family. Summer vacations were spent at his wife’s family home on Big Round Lake in Hayward WI. Thus began a lifetime & world of cherished memories at the beloved family cottage. Retirement came and Jim fulfilled his long held desire to move to a warmer climate. He & Andrée became snowbirds traveling between their home in Spring Hill FL and the family cottage in Hayward. After several years in sunny FL, countless cross country trips and 9 different homes, Jim & Andrée made their final home in Huntley IL with summers continuing to be spent on Big Round Lake. An avid golfer & bicyclist, Jim’s recreational interests also included HO trains, and traveling the open road to visit friends & family. Jim’s biggest enjoyment was family fun & games for all. Whether he was teaching folks to waterski, providing a crazy tubing ride, or a relaxing cruise around the lake, with Cap’n Jim at the helm it sure to be fun. Memorable times spent with friends & family playing cards or dice, and watching football games often included high spirited shenanigans and always included lots of laughter. His family and friends were not only woven into the days of his life, we all were intricately woven into his God-given heart & soul. Jim’s life was joy filled & beautifully carried on through his last 5 years with the loving & heroic efforts of Dana, Monique, Michelle & their families. Jim was able to age in place with dignity due to the help of all of his children, his extended family & his dear friends. Additional help came from the compassionate & able caregivers from Assisting Hands & Home Care Assistance. His final days were also supported by the sensitive and thoughtful caregivers from Kindred Hearts Hospice. These collective loving efforts were a profound comfort & deep blessing to Jim. He is survived by his five children, Rene’(Waino Juslen) Ingwalson, Michelle Lowack, Monique (Michael) Mahon, Dana (Michele) Ingwalson and Nicolle (Robert Jr) Mercer, 12 grandchildren, 5 great grandchildren, sister-in-law Marie Slack, nephew Ken (Monna) Kreitz and niece Lynda Kae (Bob) Bailey. He was preceded in death by his wife of 51 years Joyce Andrée, parents Katherine & Kenneth, parents-in-law Marcella & Clayton K Slack, Sr (Congressional Medal of Honor recipient), sister Dorna (William) Kreitz, nephew Kevin Kreitz, brother-in-law Clayton K Slack, Jr and niece Kim Marie (Slack) Helander. He is missed by his family and friends, comforted by the assurance of reuniting one day for eternal life. A private memorial prayer service with the family’s long-time minister Reverend Arn Schaper PhD, of First Congregational Church of Crystal Lake, was held immediately following Jim’s passing. A burial service and life celebration will follow. In lieu of flowers, the family prefers donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Association 225 N Michigan Ave FL 17, Chicago IL 60601 or to the First Congregational Church of Crystal Lake 461 Pierson St, Crystal Lake IL 60014.
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The world lost a beautiful light, but his memory will live on in the hearts and souls of his cherished family and friends. So sorry for your loss.
Very sorry to hear of Jim's passing. He was a very kind man, one of the good ones. My condolences to the Ingwalson family may God bless all of you.