Jon Anthony Shields

Jon Anthony Shields, 81, departed this life at 1:30 a.m. on Saturday, October 16, 2022. He was born on July 16, 1941 in Pittsburgh, Pa to father, Benjamin Leftwich and mother, Gwendolyn Shields Hedman. He moved to Chicago with his family in 1952.

Jon attended Parker High School in Chicago and graduated in 1959 after which he attended the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse, where he graduated in 1967 with a Bachelor's Degree in English Literature and a minor in History. Following college, Jon taught middle school English for two years in Racine, Wisconsin. He returned to Chicago in the late 1960s to take a job as a Rehabilitation Counselor for the Illinois Department of Rehabilitation Services. .

Jon worked at the Department of Rehabilitation Services for nearly four decades, ultimately being promoted to a senior administrative position, before retiring in 2007. Jon married Marilyn Kaye Woods in 1983 and they raised three children (Jessica, Jon B. and Daniel Shields) together. Jon and family relocated to Springfield, IL in the early 1990s where they were active members of Second Timothy Baptist Church for over a decade. Shortly after the departure of his wife Marilyn in January of 2006, Jon relocated to Glen Carbon, IL where he lived with and cared for his aunt, Jeanette Valentine, for several years and enjoyed a quiet, low-stress retirement.

In his latter years, Jon was fond of spending quality time with family (his grandchildren in particular) and friends, cooking, listening to music and frequenting his favorite locales and shops in St. Louis, MO--the Fabulous Fox Theatre, Vintage Vinyl, Soulard Farmers Market and Sweetie Pie’s. Jon was known for his jovial spirit, his deep and abiding faith, his strong independence, his superb sense of style, his sharp wit and never-failing humor, his deep and wide-ranging love of music, his elephant-like memory and his steadfast love and support for family and friends. He loved to sing and dance and was an unmatched cook and conversationalist.

He was genuine in everything that he did and was a strong proponent of taking ownership of one’s circumstances and using self improvement and education as vehicles for upward mobility. He also believed deeply in living in the present and making the most of each experience. He was one of a kind and made a lasting impression on everyone he met.

He is survived by his mother, Gwendolyn Shields Hedman of Miller Beach, IN; sister, Connie Shields-Macon, and, brother-in-law, Vernon Macon, of Miller Beach, IN; brother, Ron Shields, and sister-in law, Gwendolyn Shields, of Chicago, IL, and brother, Isadore Hedman of Miller Beach, IN; daughter, Jessica Shields, of Springfield, IL; son, Jon B. Shields, and daughter-in-law, Frednise Shields, of Alpharetta, GA, and son, Daniel Shields, of St. Louis, MO; grandaughters, Aspenne Johnson, of Springfield, IL, and Avery Shields, of Alpharetta, GA; grandson, MacArthur Johnson, of Springfield, IL and countless cousins, nieces and nephews and great nieces and great nephews. The memorial service and repast will be on Saturday, November 5, 2022 from 2-5 p.m. at the Lighthouse Church in Alsip, IL. Cremation rites have been accorded. The online guestbook and condolences may be viewed at https://www.schafferfuneralservice.com/obituary/Jon-Shields.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Jon Anthony Shields, please visit our floral store.