Thomas Patrick Conway

Thomas Patrick Conway was born December 31, 1941 in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Irish immigrants Thomas J Conway of County Mayo and Nora McWalter of County Galway.   He graduated from Loyola University and obtained a PhD in immunology from the University of Illinois College of Medicine.   He served as a Captain in the U.S. Army Medical Services Corps.  He received an NIH fellowship for research at Scripps Clinic in California.   He was also a long-standing member of Sigma Xi Scientific Research Honor Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Thomas was a professor in the biology department at Northern Illinois University for 26 years, retiring in 2004.

He married Patricia Walsh in San Diego, California on October 26, 1974.   They moved to DeKalb in 1978 and were active in the community.  Thomas was a 15-year board member and former president of the Ellwood Society.  He played tennis regularly with several groups.  He also loved travel to new locales as well as favorites such as Carmel and Sarasota.  Thomas enjoyed good food and wine, and was an avid cook, spending years perfecting his Thanksgiving dinner menu.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Michael.   Thomas was the beloved husband of his wife of nearly 45 years.  He was loving father to daughters Felicia (Jeffrey) Korengel of Omaha and Erin Conway Celata of Pittsburgh and a doting grandfather to Emma and Spencer Korengel.

Funeral Mass will be held on Thursday June 20, 2019 at 10:30 am in the Christ the Teacher University Parish with Father Adrian Ladines officiating. Visitation will be held on Wednesday June 19, 2019 at 5:00 PM till 7:00 PM with a Wake Service at 6:45 PM in Finch Funeral Home. Burial will be in El Camino Memorial Park in San Diego, CA. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the Mercy Home for Boys and Girls. Arrangements were entrusted to: Finch Funeral Home 310 Oak St. DeKalb, IL, 60115 (815) 758-3841.