John T, Monnett, Sr., age 103, died Friday June 6th, 2014. He was born in Oak Park, IL on February 11, 1911 and lived most of his life in the Chicago area. He later moved into Friendship Village in Schaumburg, IL. where he lived for 10 years.
For the last five years he has been a resident of Oakwood Manor Assisted Living in Oshkosh, WI.

Mr. Monnett worked for Western Electric, a division of A T & T as a field engineer. He retired in 1974 and became a very active member of the A T & T Pioneers. He was the ultimate handy man and people called him "Mr Fix It". He spoke often about the importance of hard work and keeping mind and body active and engaged.

His secret to longevity was to keep busy and "work at something". He was a master of making stuff out of "found objects". In constant motion, he was often the first to know about whatever was happening wherever he was. Having lived through the great depression, he carefully tracked every dollar spent and kept extensive ledgers of his expenses throughout his life. He was very supportive of the Experimental Aircraft Association and attended the fly-in in Oshkosh for many years.

Remembered for his devilish grin, engaging eyes, and aggressive handshakes, he routinely ended comments with a very uplifting laugh...this made him very approachable and made him many fast friends through the years. This combined with his love of dance and celebration meant he was often the life of the party!

He was proud of his children, grand children and great grand children whom he loved very much. He actively encouraged higher education for his entire family and never missed a chance to talk about his children and grandchildren's work, education, and other life achievements.

He is survived by his son, John T. (Betty) Monnett, Jr; nine Grandchildren, Jean (Steve) Diedrich-Daube, Rebecca (Mark) Smith, Jennifer Diedrich, Trina Diedrich, Heidi Diedrich, Kathryn (Jeff) Schafermeyer, John T. (Terri) Monnett III, Jeremy (Kate) Monnett, and Jason (Jaimie) Monnett; 12 Great-Grandchildren, Sam Daube, Leo Daube, Ben Schafermeyer, Hannah Schafermeyer, Jacob Smith, Zachary Smith, Gabrielle Smith, Jonathan Smith, Calvin Monnett, Juliet Monnett, Miles Monnett, Brooks Monnett; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by just about everyone born in 1911 including Ronald Reagan! He was also preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Art Monnett; a sister, Dorothy Scheck; his first wife, Francis Monnett; his second wife, Eunice Peterson Monnett; a daughter, Dawn Marie Diedrich; and an infant great-grandson, Ryan Smith.

A graveside committal service will be held on Saturday, June 21 at 11:00 a.m. at Queen of Heaven Cemetery in Hillside, IL.

In lieu of flowers, a memorial has been established at Oakwood Manor, 2675 Omro Road, Oshkosh, WI 54904. The family wishes to thank the staff of Heartland Hospice and Oakwood Manor for their loving and compassionate care.