Thomas Fortner, Obituary (1947 - 2025)

Born Mar 06, 1947, Thomas Fortner, attended Zion-benton High School in Zion, IL. View the obituary, post a memory, or share a photo about Thomas Fortner,.

Graduation Year	Class of 1965
Date of Birth	Mar 06, 1947
Date of Passing	Jul 03, 2025
About	(no additional information)
Events	Thomas “Tom” Fortner, 78, of Zion, Illinois, passed away peacefully on July 3rd, 2025 with his loving wife and son by his side. Tom was born on March 6, 1947, down in Booneville, Mississippi, to Zeb and Ruby Fortner. Not long after, the family made their way to Zion, where Tom grew up, made friends for life, and graduated from Zion-Benton Township High in 1965. In 1966 he proudly enlisted in the United States Air Force at Lackland AFB in San Antonio,Texas where he completed training, he was then relocated to Kelly AFB in San Antonio, Texas. On August 24, 1969, Tom married his sweetheart, Carol Streblow. Together, they built a loving home filled with laughter, music, and good memories. They raised their son Dusty, and later welcomed their pride and joy, grandson Landyn. In 1980, Tom and Carol founded and owned Fortner’s Jewelry in Zion, a family business that continues to serve the community 45 years later. Tom was a man of passions. He loved rock ‘n roll (especially Elvis), had a voice as smooth as velvet, and never passed up a classic car show with his favorite being a 57 Chevy. Tom’s especially loved his old American movie classics starring his favorites, John Wayne, Errol Flynn, Clint Eastwood, etc. Tom had a big heart and a gentle soul. Some of his favorite moments were the everyday ones — long drives, chats out on the deck with regular visits with Dusty and Landyn where the laughter came easy and the stories flowed. A devoted Green Bay Packer’s fan, Tom found serious excitement on game day whether watching at home with family or on a road trip to Lambeau Field with his close circle of friends or often times, family. -Memories that will now carry on even more- Tom is survived by his loving wife Carol, son Dusty, and grandson Landyn. Tom looked forward to his almost daily fun and entertaining visits with Landyn and Dusty and their special conversations. Thomas is survived by a sister Linda Carol Knox (Fortner) Larry Knox and sister in law Mary Jo Townsend (Schaefer) nieces Shawn and Kristine; and nephew Andrew, Cousin Larry Beard And 11 other cousins Grand nieces, Sadie, Danielle, Chelsea, and, Rachel Grand nephews, Josh, Nicholas, and Mitchell. He was preceded in death by his parents Zeb Fortner and Ruby Jury; stepfather Ira Jury; sister Patricia Myers (Fortner); nephews Tony Knox and Randy Streblow Jr.; brother-in-law Randy Streblow; and two sister in law’s, Cathy Streblow and Susan Schaefer. Visitation will be held Thursday, July 17th from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Congdon Funeral home in Zion followed by a military graveside service at Mt. Olivet Memorial Park. A Celebration of Life will follow from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. at the Zion Benton Moose Club. Friends are encouraged to bring and share their favorite memories and stories of Tom.

Classmate Memories

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Tom Buttera '65 said:

One of the finest individuals you could ever know. Tom and Carol were a perfect match. I took Carol to work at vr and visited their jewelry store whenever I came back to visit Zion. .a great loss to all who knew Tom. Tom buttera

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