Robert Amann Obituary

Amann, Robert Bernard (1930 - 2010), 79, a longtime newspaperman and lifelong Lake County resident, died Sunday at Renaissance Gardens in Lincolnshire after battling a complex of blood disorders. Bob Amann was born on November 22, 1930 - delivered by his paternal grandmother, the area midwife, in a house on Lincoln Avenue in Libertyville. His family were pioneers who came to Lake County from Germany and Ireland in the mid-1800s. One grandfather, Barney Amann Sr., farmed in Fremont and Volo townships, while his other grandfather, Barney McGovern, designed the first water system for the Village of Lake Forest. Bob's father, Barney Amann Jr., was a businessman, and his mother Sally was one of Libertyville's first telephone operators. Bob attended St. Joseph Elementary School and Libertyville High School. At age seventeen he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, where he served as a communications specialist, became a lifelong White Sox fan, and was honorably discharged with the rank of sergeant at the end of the Korean War. He studied at the colleges now known as Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, and Arizona State University, Tempe, on the GI Bill. (Years later, he took several history and Russian language courses at the College of Lake County.) On his return to Libertyville, he began his career at The Independent-Register, then Libertyville's weekly newspaper. There he worked as an advertising man and a photojournalist. Among the events he chronicled was the 1960 Presidential campaign speech that John F. Kennedy gave in Cook Park during a visit to the hometown of statesman Adlai E. Stevenson. Bob served as The Register's Associate Publisher before becoming Public Relations Director for its sibling daily paper, The News-Sun. Following his retirement, he held a number of positions in sales and public relations. A football player throughout his school years, Bob cofounded the Lake County Rifles, a franchise in the semi-professional Central States Football League, In the mid-1960s. The team was named after the county regiment that fought for the Union during the Civil War. Playing at Weiss Field in Waukegan and Carmel High School in Mundelein, the team won the league championship several of the years that Bob served as its general manager. Bob was a founder of Libertyville's annual Frontier Days, and also organized the United Way and other charity campaigns in Lake County. He was a Vice President of the Libertyville-Mundelein Chamber of Commerce, a Pony League coach, and a member of the Libertyville Rotary Club, the Civil War Round Table, and American Legion Post 329. He ushered at St. Joseph Church, where he was a lifelong parishioner. An avid pilot and owner of an Ercoupe, Bob volunteered on U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary aerial search and rescue missions over Lake Michigan. As a member of the Marine Corps League, he visited wounded servicemembers at the military hospital in Glenview. In recognition of these and other volunteer contributions, he was inducted into the Libertyville Seniors Hall of Fame in 2002. Bob's coworkers at the Libertyville Golf Course pro shop, where he was working part-time, said: "He seems to know everyone and he shares wonderful stories about days gone by in 'Good Old Libertyville."' One of his favorite stories came about when a local wag said that downtown was so sleepy no one would notice if a cannon went off at high noon. Bob and a few friends took up the challenge, donning Civil War caps and firing a cannon in the middle of Milwaukee and Cook avenues. The concussion broke store windows. People noticed. Bob is survived by his daughter, Diane Marie Amann, a law professor in Berkeley, California, along with her husband, Peter O'Neill, and their son, Tieman O'Neill; his son Terry Amann, a pastor in Clive, Iowa, along with his wife Susan, and their daughters, Samanthya, Sarah, and Rachel; and his son, James McGovern Amann, an information technology manager in Atlanta, Georgia, along with his wife Tami and their daughter, Sydney. Also surviving are Bob's sister, Barbara Clark of Carson City, Nevada, and his brother, Donald Amann of Hayward, California. Predeceasing him were his wife of forty-five years, Barbara A. Amann, who died in 2002; his parents; his brother, Charles Amann, and his sister, Charlene Knowles. Bob's wake Is scheduled for 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday, June 3, at the McMurrough Funeral Chapel, 101 Park Place, Libertyville. The funeral Mass will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, June 4, at St. Joseph Church, 121 East Maple Avenue, Libertyville, with Fr. John Hennessy officiating. Burial will follow in Ascension Cemetery, 1920 Buckley Road, Libertyville. The family requests that donations in Bob's name be made to a charity for which he organized drives: Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, Gift Processing Administrator, 18251 Quantico Gateway Drive, Triangle, Virginia 22172, or online at http://www.toysfortots.org/donate/tribute-donation.asp. Funeral info 847-362-2626.