James E. Crofoot

James E. Crofoot, age 79; beloved husband of Linda Crofoot; loving father of Carole Crofoot and Matthew Crofoot; brother-in-law of Marge Indovina. He is also survived by his nieces Cindy Miglieri, Joanne Gowaski, Marianne Isenegger, and his nephew Jeffrey Crofoot. Preceded in death by his parents LeRoy and Mary Crofoot, his late brother Richard Crofoot and his late niece Michele Indovina.

Jim was always the life of the party.  His background in sales was perfect as he always had a smile and a kind word for his clients and friends.  His early life was in Evergreen Park right where it ended. He lived next door to his eventual wife Linda as a kid.  In his youth he was a short kid with an attitude and a real rebel with something to prove.  Later he entered the Army and spent time overseas in Germany serving our country.  Linda and Jim took off to the mountains of Colorado shortly after adopting their two children Carole and Matthew.  The beautiful mountains, forests and streams called to him, and he answered for an exotic adventure in nature.  He even owned a horse and a goat. 

Later Jim moved back to Evergreen Park to be with his aging parents and family and moved into a house a few blocks away from where he and Linda lived as children.  In Evergreen, Jim got involved with being a supporter of his son’s wrestling team and was at all the meets cheering the athletes on.  He was well liked by the team and was counted on as one of the biggest fans in the crowd at each match.  Jim was also known for being generous and emotionally supportive to anyone that needed a father figure in their life.  He helped many of the kids for years through high school, college and beyond. 

Jim was a real patriot and loved his country. He exemplified this by defending his country in the Army. He always supported our military men and women and proudly displayed the American flag at his house.

Jim also had a love for animals, much like his wife Linda. His service dog Star passed a few weeks before Jim and some might think a broken heart was involved in Jim's passing.  Star was Jim's constant companion and was always there helping him with little tasks, begging for a spare scrap of food or just there to climb in bed with him at night and snuggle.

Jim was a sports fan too and watched all the local teams including the Bears, the Cubs and White Sox.  He was an assistant coach for Matthew's Little league team and always took the kids out for ice cream when they won.

One of the most important relationships in Jim's life was with Jesus Christ. He spent hours reading the Bible and tried to bring that into the way he lived, and his connections with other people. He was heavily involved with the community of Bethel Bible Church and found lifelong friends there that shared his faith and would visit with him even during the worst of times. 

Jim also loved his family. He would often call them on the phone just to talk.  Jim was also very proud of his two children and bragged often about their accomplishments and goings on in their lives.  Jim had no greater love than his wife Linda of 57 years.  Through thick and thin they had a relationship that stood the test of time.

Donations appreciated to MidAmerica Service Dogs' Foundation Inc.
https://www.midamericaservicedogs.com/donate