Gene Danton Sweeney

Gene Danton Sweeney, 97, of Kokomo, passed away at 8:25 p.m. on Monday, November 9, 2020, at Primrose Retirement Community.  He was born October 22, 1923, in Chicago Heights, Illinois, to Albert Durwood and Ada Ruby (Speece) Sweeney.  On March 21, 1947, he married Anita Mae Nelson-Rossell, in Chicago, and she preceded him in death on June 28, 2006.

Gene graduated from Bloom Township High School in Chicago Heights in 1941.  He earned an associate’s degree from Aurora University and also attended Lawrence College.  He served in the United States Navy during WWII and worked as a design engineer for Robbins & Myers in Springfield, Ohio, Kingston Products in Kokomo, and My-Te Products in Indianapolis before retiring in 2003.  He was also an instructor at Ivy Tech in Kokomo. 

Gene was an avid sports fan, who especially enjoyed following the Chicago Cubs and Bears.  He loved golfing and doing family genealogy research.  He was a member of the Men’s Veterans Group at Primrose and Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer where he also took part in the Men’s Bible Study.  Gene had previously been an active member of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Martinsville, Indiana, where he served on the steering committee to build the new church.  Gene also enjoyed working on two mission trips with the Lutheran Church Disaster Response Team in the early 2000’s.  He and his team served in the communities of St. Peter, Minnesota and Owensboro, Kentucky. Gene was privileged to participate in a Veterans Honor Flight to Washington D.C. in 2014.  

Survivors include his daughter, Elizabeth (Peter) Anders, of Kokomo; sons, Michael (Gloria) Sweeney, of Geneva, Illinois, and Brian (Julie) Sweeney, of Fairfield, Ohio; daughter-in-law, Tina Sweeney, of Greensburg; eight grandchildren, Peter J. Anders, Paul E. Anders, Timothy John, Jr. (Ann) Sweeney, Erin Elizabeth (Alex) Bruce, Matthew Michael (Bernadette) Sweeney, Ryan Patrick (Tiffani) Sweeney, Megan Rose (Jason) Fiehrer, Victoria Lynn (Adam) Couch; one grandson-in-law, Andrew Metz; and 28 great-grandchildren.

In addition to his wife, Anita Mae Sweeney, he was preceded in death by his son, Timothy Sweeney, and a granddaughter, Karen Anders Metz.

Funeral services will be held at Noon on Saturday, November 14, 2020, at Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer, 705 Southway Blvd. East, Kokomo, with Pastor Barry Akers officiating.  Military honors will be provided by the United States Navy and the Kokomo VFW Military Rites Team.  Friends are invited to visit with the family from 10 to Noon on Saturday at the church. The family requests that all who attend the visitation and service for Gene wear masks and observe social distancing.  Burial will take place at a later date in Chapel Hill Gardens West Cemetery in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois.  In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Gene’s memory to Redeemer Lutheran School.  Messages of condolence may be left online at www.shirleyandstout.com.  Arrangements have been entrusted to Shirley & Stout Funeral Home in Kokomo.

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.