David A. Warren

David Austin Warren, 97 passed away peacefully on January 7, 2025; his loving family was at his bedside. He was preceded in death by his wife, Rosemary (nee Murphy) and his eldest son, James Francis. He is survived by his sister Gay Mary, his second son, David Joseph (spouse Barbara), and his four daughters; Margaret Mary (spouse Donald), Mary Judith (spouse Terry), Anne Therese (spouse Barry), and Patricia Rose. David was proud to have 10 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren.

 David was born November 4, 1927 in Chicago Illinois, the son of Jesse and Dell Warren (nee Hargis). As a young adult, David proudly served in the Army in WWII; honorably discharged he returned to Chicago to study at Northwestern University earning a Bachelor’s degree in accounting. Employed at Commonwealth Edison in downtown Chicago, he met and married his wife of 55 years, Rosemary, also an employee of Commonwealth Edison. David was fond of relating how he and Rosemary would meet at church for mass prior to work, making sure that when they were approaching the building to use separate entrances. No one knew they were courting which was against the HR rules of the time until after the marriage.

 Soon after they were married, David and Rosemary moved to a then rural city northwest of Chicago, Crystal Lake Illinois. He helped design their home, attended Morton Arboretum to learn landscaping and then proceeded to design and landscape what was to become fondly known as “Dave’s aching acre”.

 David loved his family! He and Rosemary had six children with-in seven years, lovingly raising them in their Crystal Lake home. David made sure that his children had more than an above average understanding of landscaping, money management, work ethic, and above all the fine art of woodworking. During the depression years, David had learned from his father, Jesse, how to build furniture. David honed his skills becoming an expert craftsman in the reproduction of Lincoln furniture. His knowledge of “everything Lincoln” was known and admired by many; during the `70’s and `80’s David’s woodworking projects were published in magazines like Family Circle and Popular Mechanics to name a few.

After his wife, Rosemary, passed David sold his property in Crystal Lake to retire to his beloved Chicago. David enjoyed greatly his condo in the “Aqua” building on Chicago’s northwest side and soon became a familiar figure in his WWII Army Veteran’s cap everywhere with-in the Aqua community. David rented space in the depths of the Aqua building to make a woodworking shop, continuing his love of fine woodworking and fascinating his condo neighbors. David was a long time table tennis player and an active member to the Aqua community table tennis club. His skillful serve was unreturnable, an octogenarian defeating those players’ decades his junior.

 David was a faithful member of the Franciscan Order of the Catholic Church. He served the local Franciscan Fraternity in McHenry County as their minister many times over the years. As minister, he led the community to serve in a soup kitchen in Chicago. This ministry eventually involved the parishioners of St. Thomas who made large amounts of food to take to the soup kitchen. David always wore his Tau Cross, a symbol of conversion and service for Franciscans. 

 A Wake in David’s honor will be held from 4pm to 8pm on Sunday, January 19, 2025 at Davenport Funeral Home located at 419 E Terra Cotta Ave #176, Crystal Lake, IL 60014

 A Requiem Mass will be held at 10AM Monday January 20, 2025 at Saint Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church at 451 West Terra Cotta Avenue, Crystal Lake, Illinois, 60014. The burial will follow at the Nunda Township Cemetery in Ridgefield, Illinois. Following the burial all are invited back to the church’s community room for a Celebration of Life Luncheon.