Obituaries
Obituary for Gregory Thomas Spalding
Greg Spalding, 72, died peacefully in his sleep at 7:50 a.m. Wednesday, August 18, 2021, following an extended hospitalization.
Born March 7, 1949 in Peoria, Il., to Franklin and MaryRose (Conklin) Spalding, he is survived by his siblings Frank "Skip" and Sandy (Woodward),Valerie, Sheila (Fred Gordon), and Mark. He is also survived by several nieces and nephews: Heidi, Aaron and Adam Kipfer and Holly and Jake Smith. He was preceded in death by his parents, sisters, Jeannie and Kathy, and nephew, Brendan Winne.
Greg was a graduate of St. Mark's Grade School and Spalding Institute, where he was a member of the 1965 football team, which was inducted into the Peoria Sports Hall of Fame. He was a 1971 graduate of Lewis University and a lifelong fan of the Lewis athletic teams.
Greg's interests and past times ranged from a lifetime of creative writing, mostly short stories, to following local and national sporting events. He made the most of the simple pleasures in life. After years of following the annual Nathan's hot dog-eating contest from a distance, he traveled to Brooklyn to see the event in person. Greg mastered the technics of bargain hunting in all it's possibilities: automotive, travel, culinary, electronics and all the basic necessities and shared this knowledge with his siblings, usually unsolicited! Greg was generous with his time and strong as a bull. At age 64, when his sister set off for Arizona, he single-handedly loaded the moving van, a skill he acquired on a college summer job with Federal Van Lines. His memory was so acute he could recall details of his siblings childhoods better than they could. That same keen memory enabled Greg to win the box of chocolate-covered cherries at one of the last family Christmas trivial pursuit matches. Greg was loved and will be remembered and missed. In the words of Thomas Campbell “To live in the hearts we leave behind is not to die.”
A private burial service will be held at the family plot in St. Joseph's Cemetery in West Peoria.
Friends and family may sign the online guestbook by logging onto www.wrightandsalmon.com.
Events
Event Information
Services will be set for a future date to be determined.
Cemetery Details
Location
St. Joseph Cemetery
2105 W. Heading Ave.
West Peoria, IL 61604
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