Benjamin J. Wangelin

Benjamin J. Wangelin, 58, of Edgington, passed away Sunday, April 21, 2019 at his home following a courageous battle with cancer. 

A celebration of life gathering will be held from 3 pm to 5 pm on Saturday, April, 27, 2019 at Wheelan-Pressly Funeral Home, Milan. Memorials may be made to the Quad City Animal Welfare Center, Milan.

Ben was born on November 6, 1960 in Moline, IL, the son of John and Norma (Albertson) Wangelin. He married Jackie LaParr in New York on August 16, 2009. He had previously been married to Diane (Karn) Fossum, with whom he had two sons. He attended Sherrard High School and Black Hawk College – East Campus where he earned his A.A.S. degree in Automotive Repair Technology.

Ben was a skilled mechanic and enjoyed repairing cars and other equipment. His amazing ability and the knowledge he shared were tremendous gifts and assets to those around him. In his career, Ben worked as a service technician at Geneseo Motors, Mills Chevrolet, Austin Buick, Everett’s Body Shop, Aggregate Equipment/Sunbelt Rentals, and most recently, the Rock Island Arsenal where he was especially proud of his work with the PQAS (Petroleum Quality Analysis System) mobile lab development and deployment. He had traveled throughout the United States providing specialized equipment training for the PQAS. Ben’s creativity, wit, and sense of humor were a delight to those who knew him. There was never a time that he couldn’t make people laugh with a well-timed comment or clever observation. No matter how serious or grave the moment, we knew a good laugh wasn’t far away.

Survivors include his wife, Jackie; sons, Johnathan (Alysia) Wangelin, Galva, Matthew (Holly) Wangelin, Cambridge; grandchildren, Libby and Luke; parents, John and Norma Wangelin, Milan; stepson, Jeff Ward; stepgrandson, Bentley Ward; sisters, Carolyn (Mark) Minteer, Milan, and Elizabeth (Leonard) Lipe, Andalusia; nieces, Emilie (Michael) Lawrence and Jessica Lipe; nephews, Ronnie Minteer and Logan (Josie) Lipe; cousin and surrogate brother, Bob King; and his faithful dog, Myrtle.

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