Timothy J. Pearson

Timothy J Pearson 62 of Crystal Lake died suddenly April 4th at his home.

Timothy was born in Kankakee, IL to Robert and Marjorie Pearson. He was a graduate of Kankakee Westview High School and graduated from the University of Illinois Champaign in accounting to become a CPA. He later joined Paschen Contractors then moved on to McCue Construction. Tim became CFO of F.H. Paschen and later Albin Carlson. Recently he was a franchise owner of SERVPRO Barrington and CFO of SERVPRO Wheaton/GlenEllyn/Lisle and owner of The Winterberry Companies in Lake Barrington, IL.

Tim coined himself a historical preservationist restoring many homes including a three flat in Wrigleyville, a bungalow in Ravenswood Manor, the Oscar Balch/ FLW home in Oak Park and most recently Trails End in Crystal Lake, IL, the retirement home of William Day Gates, founder of American Terra Cotta.

Tim was a member of the Frank Lloyd Wright Unity Temple Board and a member of the FLW Conservancy. He was an arts and crafts movement historian, collector and trader. He could physically be at an auction but also bidding on another auction across the country on his phone. His love of antiques led him to open The Winterberry Companies with his wife, Julie in 2016. Tim enjoyed history, pottery, architecture, antiques and the thrill of the hunt. He knew what he was looking for and 9 times out of 10 he found it. Tim could scan flea markets and antique malls faster than anyone looking strictly for Teco or early Stickley furniture. His joy every year was to attend the annual Arts & Crafts Conference at the Grove Park Inn where he could talk for days about pottery, influences, Trails End and hunt for something he didn’t already own. The friends made there were his second family whom he loved dearly.

Tim was “one of the good guys” and someone you were proud to know. He loved a good conversation over coffee in the morning and a bourbon in the evening. He read everything he could get his hands on and remembered it all. He could talk with you about anything…sports, politics, business, arts & crafts, music, and even YouTube videos about baby goats. He had a knack for being lucky and was often called “lucky little shit”.

Tim was a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan, holding season tickets for years. He was one of those guys in the early 80’s that would grab his newspaper in the morning, walk to the ball park and enjoy the entire day at Wrigley Field. He was also a fanatic of college basketball and March Madness was like Christmas to him. For several years, he took his son Ben to the Final Four where they made lasting memories. His favorite team was always his beloved alma mater The Illini!

The Pearson family was his treasure. A close knit family who knew how to love and have loads of fun. Tim touted the fact that his grandparents were an integral part of the inception of Dairy Queen and his parents were operators of a Dairy Queen from 1951-1989 in Kankakee. Dilly Bars!!! Working there as a boy and teen gave Tim the tools to grow into a successful businessman. He loved to work and probably never would have retired given the option. He and his wife, Charlene adopted a son, Ben in 1999 which became his pride and joy. Ben played baseball for most of his youth and Tim was there for every game cheering him on. He loved watching his son pitch. After losing Charlene, his wife of twenty-one years, he built a new life with Julie; his wife, partner and best friend for the last 9 years. They had the true love story finding love for the second time. They loved to have a good time and hunt for antiques which brought them to open The Winterberry Companies in Lake Barrington, where they planned to finish their days as shop owners together.

Timothy was proceeded in death by father Robert T Pearson, mothers Marjorie Pearson, and Colleen Pearson, wife Charlene Pearson and brother-in-law Chuck Gole.

Timothy is survived by wife Julie Pearson, sons Ben Pearson, Dominic Lancia and daughter Mandy Lancia. Brothers Jeffrey and Mary Pearson of Lexington, Ky., Marty and Lynn Nickels of Bull Shoals, AR., special cousin Tom and Laura Pearson of Flagstaff, AZ and many nephews and nieces.

There will be a private family funeral due to the current climate and restrictions. A “Celebration of Tim’s Life” will be held at a later date at Trails End.

In lieu of flowers, a GoFundMe page has been set up to create a Tim Pearson Memorial Prairie on the grounds at Trails End, a project Tim had wanted to complete in his lifetime.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/tim-pearson-memorial-prairie

Services for Tim will be held privately.