Obituary

Lydia M. Kimberley, 92

March 29, 1931 to January 28, 2024

3-29-1931 - 1-28-2024

Lydia M. Kimberley, 92, of Princeton, Illinois passed away peacefully on Sunday, January 28, 2024 at Country Comfort Retirement Home in Princeton with family at her side.

Lydia was born on March 29, 1931 in Aurora, IL. She was the daughter of Stephan Demetrius and Lillian Elizabeth (Voelkner) Bazan. She married Fred E. Kimberley, Sr on July 17, 1955 at First United Methodist Church in Princeton, IL. He preceded her in death on September 14, 2021. She was a loving and caring woman who worked as an X-Ray technician and as department head at Perry Memorial Hospital for 30 years prior to her retirement in 1989 and then stayed active at the hospital as a volunteer in the hospital’s auxiliary. After their retirement, Lydia and Fred traveled throughout the United States in their fifth wheel camper and enjoyed many golfing and fishing trips with good friends. Lydia was also very active in the Princeton Moose Lodge #1339. Lydia joined the Women of the Moose Chapter #1973 in March of 1989 and served in many roles as a volunteer and officer. She served as Senior Regent in 2004 while receiving many awards for her work and volunteering over the years. She especially loved donating to the bake sales, helping in the kitchen and mentoring many of the ladies that still work there.

In addition to her full time job and volunteer work, Lydia was a fantastic baker and would sell her cookies and cakes for all occasions to the community. At holiday time, she would bake hundreds of dozens of her wonderful Christmas cookies, leaving every flat surface in the house filled with plates wrapped in plastic waiting to be picked up by her customers. She was an avid bowler and participated in bowling leagues for several decades. She and her teammates would make an annual trip to participate in the national championships, traveling in a camper making it a fun girl’s vacation. One bowling highlight was winning the Illinois State Mother / Daughter tournament in Springfield, Illinois in the early 1970s with her daughter, Rita. Other than that, you could find her either golfing or playing bridge with her friends. Most of all, she cherished spending time with her family. She never failed to have fresh-baked cookies in the cookie jar or to prepare her ‘secret’ pancake recipe when her grandchildren would stop by for a visit.

She is survived by her three children, Fred (Kelly Bickett) Kimberley, Jr of Malden, IL, Scott Kimberley of Peoria, IL and Rita (Ned) Merrick of Redditch, United Kingdom; four grandchildren, Mason Kimberley, Vaughn Kimberley, Zia Kimberley and Willam Merrick; four siblings, Frances Sebby of Yorkville, IL, John Bazan of Geneva, IL, Donald “Doc” Bazan of Maquoketa, IA and Robert (Sharon) Bazan of Yorkville, IL. Lydia has 30 nieces and nephews and many great and great great nieces and nephews.

Lydia was preceded in death by her parents, husband and three siblings, Marie Worland, Steve Bazan and Leonard Bazan.

Her fun-loving outlook on life, adventurous spirit and sense of humor will be missed by all.

A special thank you to all of the care-takers at Country Comfort Retirement Home who have lovingly cared for our parents over the past 2.5 years, all of the amazing people at IHCC Hospice in Princeton and to Grant Johnson Funeral Home.

A Celebration of Life will be held at the Princeton Moose Lodge at 1339 N. Euclid Ave in Princeton, Illinois on Sunday, February 11 from 1:00 - 4:00pm with a short service at 2pm with Pastor Ryan Sutton, officiating. A light lunch buffet will be available.

Memorials may be directed to Mooseheart Child City and School, https://www.mooseheart.org.

Online condolences may be sent to www.grantjohnsonfh.com