February 9, 1933 – July 16, 2022
Information provided by Smits Funeral Home
Harris Lee “Skip” DeYoung, of Menomonee Falls, WI, formerly of South Holland, IL, passed away peacefully on Saturday July 16, 2022. He was 89 years old.
He was born in Thornton, Illinois, to Cornelius and Anne DeYoung in 1933.
Harris lived nearly all of his life in South Holland, Illinois, and was a longtime member of the First Reformed Church of South Holland.
He graduated from Thornton Township High school in 1951 and literally married the girl across the street, Marilyn Paarlberg, the year after he graduated. The couple recently celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary.
Skip was an accomplished woodworker and ran DeYoung Woodworking in South Holland for many years. He was also an avid reader and enjoyed home improvement projects, fishing, camping, golf, and was a longtime member of South Holland Lions Club.
He worked the majority of his career at Red Top Trucking in Hammond, Indiana, and rose from driving a dump truck to the Vice Presidency of the company.
He will long be remembered for his ongoing work at church, serving as an elder, a deacon, and was a near permanent fixture in the church choir’s bass section.
To his family however, he was an outstanding father and provider, one who could fix anything as long as it didn’t have an internal combustion engine. He would not tolerate laziness and a good work ethic was taught to — and expected from — all of his kids.
He is preceded in death by his parents and sister Marcy Joy Moeller.
He is survived by his wife Marilyn, four sons, David (Barb) DeYoung of Waukesha, Wisconsin, Dan (Julie) DeYoung of Evansville, Indiana, Paul (Debbie) DeYoung of South Holland, Illinois, Thomas (Brenda) DeYoung of Lowell, Indiana, thirteen grandchildren, and twenty one great-grandchildren.
Visitation with family and friends will be held on Tuesday, July 19, 2022. from 6 – 9 p.m. at Smits, DeYoung-Vroegh Funeral Home, 649 E. 162nd Street, South Holland, IL and on Wednesday, July 20, 2022, from 10 – 11 a.m. at First Reformed Church, 15924 South Park Ave. South Holland, IL. A Funeral Service will follow the visitation on Wednesday starting at 11 a.m. at First Reformed Church with services conducted by Rev. James Oord. Interment will take place at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Lansing, IL. Memorial contributions may be given to the South Holland Lions Club.
