John Edward Twomey was born on his family’s farm on September 10, 1923. John was the first son born to Victor and Ruth Lucile (McElroy) Twomey. He was welcomed by his sister Norma and followed by the births of his siblings, Victor, Mary Jane and Loren Patrick. At the time of his passing at 101, April 28th, 2025, he was truly one of the last of this country’s Greatest Generation.
John attended Ward School for his first 8 years, then he attended High School in Roseville. Being of small stature at 5’6” and approximately 80 lbs. He wasn’t big enough for the basketball team, but he wanted nothing more than to earn a letter “R” so a girl would go to a dance with him. He earned his first letter as the manager of the basketball team. He went on to become a world class long distance runner. He was built for speed and even more importantly, endurance.
John attended Western Illinois University in Macomb for his first two years of college, running from the fall of 1941-1943. He never lost a race in the two-mile or cross country competitions. John was named an All-American athlete both years.
After his second year at Western, John joined the Army Air Corps as a radio operator on a B-24. He was stationed in China, India, Thailand and Burma, flying supplies over the “Hump” for Chenault’s “Flying Tigers”. He was also part of the bombing crew that helped to blow up the bridge critical to the Japanese for the Burma-Siam railway, known as The Bridge over the River Kwai.
After the war, and his service to our country, John attended the University of Illinois in Champaign, Illinois. As a track star for the U of I, John was able to travel the world as part of the AAU US team. He traveled through Europe and South America, as well as representing the US at such venues as Madison Square Gardens. During one of his races on an indoor running track, John lost his shoe on the first lap of 12. He continued running the race and his bare foot continued to be bloodied by the torn up wooden splinters made by the cleats of the runner’s shoes. While he didn’t win the race, he finished in the top three. The newspaper at the time recalled that even though he had not won the race, he won the everlasting respect of the crowd and his competitors.
John continued to race for the AAU US team with trips to Europe and Scandinavia. In 1950 he won the Boardwalk Mile in Atlantic City. He then traveled to Finland and New Zealand, where at that time he was the fourth fastest 1,500-meter runner in AAU history. In his final stateside 1,500 meter race, as the assumed underdog, he won with a 3:51.3 minute mile. His last races took place at the Pan American games in Buenos Aires, Argentina where he received a certificate signed by Eva and Juan Peron. He returned home to Roseville to help his father with the farm, and it was then that he met the love of his life, Mary Craig. As love stories often go, they met at a drug store soda fountain after church. They were married shortly after and spent 62 years together, before Mary’s passing in 2013.
John helped his father at Twomey Company, a grain elevator that was purchased by his father in 1945. The motto of the company was “Our Country was developed by individuals in business. Let us keep it that way.” John made that motto a reality. He was able to build upon that small business by his ability to understand the value of customer service and innovation. He was often referred to as “Mr. Flat Storage” for his innovation of exactly that. Flat Storage.
John did so many things for his community. He was instrumental in his selfless volunteering efforts to the Monmouth Country Club, to Rotary and Rotary International, to the Grain and Grades committees, the Monmouth Hospital, YMCA and countless other efforts to local and regional concerns. John started the Twomey Foundation as a way to give back to the community that had given so much to him and his family.
John and Mary raised five children. Mary “Lucy” (George) Dougherty, the eldest, passed away in 2023. He is survived by Susan Twomey, Marisa Silvestri, Craig & Wendy Twomey and Sarah & Jeff Walters; eleven grandchildren, Molly Batschelet, John Dougherty, Scott Dougherty, Claire Chalifoux, Craig LeVere, John Silvestri, Austin Twomey, Elizabeth Gugeler, Nolan Twomey, Ryan Cunningham and Blake Cunningham and ten great grandchildren, Lucy Batschelet, Henry Batschelet, Jacob Twomey, Joel Twomey, Sadie Twomey, Hayden Gugeler, Harper Gugeler, Caroline Gugeler, Stella Silvestri and Luna Calero.
One of John’s favorite poems was Robert Frost’s classic “The Road Not Taken”. It offered him the idea of the imperative of making choices; of making the right choices—for you as an individual —-and how the right choice is often not what others are doing or expect you to do. The last three lines of the classic work read as follows:
Two roads diverged in a wood and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all of the difference.
Mass of the Christian Burial will be 10 a.m., Saturday, May 10, 2025, at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Monmouth with a Rosary Service beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the Church. Interment will be at St. Mary’s Cemetery, Monmouth. Visitation will be from 4-7 p.m. Friday, May 9, 2025 at McGuire & Davies Funeral Home and Crematory, Monmouth. In lieu of flowers the family would prefer those memorials be given to the Monmouth Community Fund, the Roseville Community Fund or the Monmouth Country Club and sent to the funeral home For more information or to leave an online condolence visit, www.mcguireanddaviesfuneralhome.com.
