Obituary of John F Thumel

John Francis Thumel, 22, of Libertyville, passed away July 26, 2015, in Galveston, Texas. John was born in Oak Park, IL and grew up in Libertyville, IL. He was a graduate of Carmel Catholic High School, where he gained a reputation for being brilliant and mischievous and was known to outsmart classmates and teachers alike. He was a high school track star, competing varsity for four years and soaring above the rest in pole vault. John was in his final year at Northwestern University where he studied Chemical Engineering, but he was determined to spend his days being so much more than a science geek. John shunned the library, preferring to study on the Lakefill. After graduation, he planned to work for Dow Chemical where he interned as part of their co-op program for the past three years. He was an active member of Sigma Chi fraternity at Northwestern, where he was a fierce and devoted friend and brother. Anyone who met John would agree that 22 years was not enough time for us to know and love him, but they would also agree that he did not waste a minute of that brief time. John traveled the country and the world, climbed mountains to see the sunrise, never missed an opportunity for a laugh, and took no small measures for his family and friends. He could talk his way into anything with a perfect dimpled smile and did not believe in saying no to anything that would make a good story. John was always planning his next adventure and is surely starting a new one now. John will be remembered forever by his parents, Mike and Laura; his sister, Alison; his grandparents, John and Rosemarie Kolenich and Louise Thumel; and his aunts, uncles, and cousins. His beloved grandfather, Frank Thumel, is surely by his side in heaven, cracking a bad joke. Funeral Mass will be Saturday, August 1 at 10 a.m. at St. Joseph Church, 121 E. Maple Ave, Libertyville, IL. Visitation will be Friday, July 31, from 4-8 p.m. at McMurrough Funeral Chapel, 101 Park Place, (Route 176, 1 block East of Milwaukee Ave) Libertyville, IL. Instead of flowers, please send memorial donations to Lurie Children’s Hospital, a cause John looked forward to supporting each year through Sigma Chi’s Derby Days, or consider making a blood donation to the American Red Cross http://www.redcrossblood.org. Funeral information (847) 362-2626. Please sign the guestbook at libertyvillefuneralhome.com