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In Memoriam: Gilbert R. Nary

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Your memorial contribution in Gil’s name will be placed in the Community Foundation Memorial Endowment Fund.

Gilbert R. Nary, a former Community Foundation Board Member, passed away Monday, July 18th, 2022.

From the obituary:

Gilbert R. Nary, 99 of Scottsdale, Arizona, passed away Monday, July 18th, 2022. He was just one month shy of his 100th birthday. Gil lived in Aurora, Illinois for over 65 years.

He was born August 15, 1922, in Streator, Illinois the son of the late Irene and Bernie Nary. He was preceded in death by his wife, Doris, and his siblings Willard Nary, Jean Nary, and Ellen Spaulding. He was also preceded in death by his dear friend Elizabeth Kerr.

Gil is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Linda and Paul Sneed (Scottsdale, AZ) as well as his granddaughter, Amy and Tim Boven (Peoria, AZ) and great granddaughter, Olivia. He is also survived by several nieces and nephews.

Gil served his country in the Army Signal Corps during WWII. While training for service, he met “the girl next door,” Doris Howland, who would go on to become his wife and love of his life for 59 years. After completing his service, he attended the University of Wisconsin Madison from 1946 – 1949, completing his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering in just three years.

After graduating, Gil went to work at Westclox in Peru, Illinois for three years. In 1952 he started his career at Furnas Electric Company in Batavia, Illinois as an engineer in the test lab. Over the course of forty years, he advanced to manage manufacturing, accounting, facilities and ultimately had responsibility for all operations. He retired in 1993 as Vice Chairman.

Gil had a passion for serving his Aurora, Illinois community. He and Doris were charter members of the Westminster Presbyterian Church. Gil was a director of the Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley from 1986 – 1994. He was also an active board trustee of Mercy Center Hospital during the 1980’s.

Gil’s favorite hobby was gardening, especially growing some of the best tomatoes in Aurora. He also enjoyed traveling and soaking up the Arizona sunshine during the winter months. Caring for and spending time with his family was always at the top of his priorities.

Services will be private. Memorial contributions may be directed to Congregational Church of the Valley, 12001 E Shea Blvd, Scottsdale, AZ 85259 or Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley, PO Box 4786, Aurora, IL 60507.

Grant funds from the Community Foundation helped provide updated technology. These upgrades were transformative. By creating new time saving processes, it turned us into a more efficient organization.

Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry

Grantee

Being a part of the Community Foundation scholarship committee is the highlight of my year. For many, a scholarship from the CFFRV is the reason they are able to continue reaching for their dreams and changing the future of our world. I hope each recipients knows just how inspirational they are to those of us who are lucky enough to read their stories.

Jessica Breugelmans

Scholarship Committee Member and Board Member

I am incredibly grateful for the generosity of the Zari Foundation Scholarship and the Community Foundation in supporting my education. I am majoring in mechanical engineering with a concentration in aerospace engineering at the Rose-Hulman Institue of Technology. In my spare time, I volunteer on campus, in the community and I’m also the principal violist in the symphony orchestra. I hope to make an impact on the next chapter of space exploration by eventually working at a groundbreaking aerospace company such as SpaceX or NASA.

Taytum Newell

Albert M. Zari Scholarship Recipient

Education is important to us. We support causes that touch our lives and align with our values. We believe in paying it forward. We are here for a short time,, and it is the next generation that will take on what we leave behind.

Michelle Emanuel

Donor and Past Scholarship Recipient

YEP has made me realize the importance of being involved in my community, and how to make a difference. There are a lot of problems in the world but if we can do everything that we can to help the world will become a better place. YEP has helped me realize this and encouraged me to help more people in the future.

Madi Porter

YEP Member

YEP was a great experience to have in high school. I became a more confident person, someone with a lot more perspective. Coming from a small school, YEP allowed me to branch out into my community, meet students from other schools, and learn about their backgrounds. I made some great friends and still keep in touch with them today.

Abby Vagnoni

YEP Alumni

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Neal Ormond

Donor & Fund Advisor

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