Lake in the Hills man remembered for volunteering, passion for living

Tom Stock lived every moment of his 55-year-old life to the fullest, say friends and family.

Stock, chairman of the Lake in the Hills planning and zoning commission, died Monday after a more than two-year battle with lung cancer.

He was among the founders of the Lake in the Hills Rotary Club, a member of the Lions Club, an 18-year member of the Crystal Lake Chamber of Commerce, an active member of St. Mary's Catholic Church of Huntley, and a Salvation Army bell ringer.

"He was an excellent role model, (an) example of a great husband, and an outstanding father," said Village Administrator Gerald Sagona, who knew Stock for 18 years. "I feel fortunate to call him my friend. I loved the guy and there is just a void in my heart."

Stock participated in village parades as a member of the Precision Marching Lawn Chair Dads. He also played guitar for the cover band, No Left Turn, performing at the village's Sunset Festival.

"He kind of was a renaissance man," said Joe DeMay, Stock's longtime neighbor who served alongside him on the planning and zoning commission. "It wasn't like he was just into one thing. He was really so well rounded. That's what made him great. He paid attention to everybody. If he had a fault, it was he took too much on himself."

A 1977 graduate of Libertyville High School, Stock worked 30 years as an adviser for Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance and Financial Services.

Stock was part of the building committee for the new St. Mary's Church where he served as a lay minister, reader, religious education teacher and fundraising organizer. His hobbies included camping, hunting, skiing, astronomy and cooking.

"He was involved in everything," said son Daniel Stock, 21, of Lake in the Hills. "He took every minute he could and he was always busy. He made the most of everything even before he was ever diagnosed with lung cancer. His passion was work and he loved every minute of it, but it didn't take away from our family time at all."

On Dec. 19, 2012, Stock was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer. He wasn't a smoker and maintained a healthy lifestyle, family and friends say.

"It came as a shock," Daniel Stock said. "Most people when they get lung cancer would obviously be very upset. He had the mindset that, 'This isn't going to control me. This isn't going to change my life. I'm going to kick this cancer's butt.' Instead of him coming to us for help, as far as emotionally, he was the strong one."

Stock changed his diet and lost weight. He started growing his own vegetables in a home garden. He also went through rounds of chemotherapy and radiation treatment to keep the disease at bay.

Stock's greatest regret was not completing a four-year degree and he made sure his three children got the college education he never had, said Daniel Stock, who is studying applied engineering at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston.

"That was always a dream ... he did everything he could to provide for us," he added.

Stock's daughter, Jillian, 23, of Lake in the Hills, graduated last year from Eastern Illinois with a broadcast journalism degree and is working in the human resources department at Northwestern Mutual. His oldest daughter, Caitlin Thornton, 25, of Crystal Lake, graduated from University of Illinois with a degree in kinesiology.

Stock is also survived by his wife, Julie Ann; and brothers, William and Richard Stock.

Visitation is 3 to 8 p.m. Monday and 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at St. Mary's Church, 10307 Dundee Road, Huntley. Mass of Christian burial will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at the church. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Stock Family Educational Fund, Chase Bank, 1000 S. Randall Road, Algonquin, IL 60102.