Pierre LaBounty

Nye Pierre LaBounty, 82, of Rockford, passed away Wednesday, March 16, 2016. Born September 28, 1933 in Freeport, IL. Son of Paul and Violet (Severson) LaBounty. Married Cherry L. Swanson in 1952. Veteran of the United States Air Force for 4 years stationed in Germany for one and a half years. Upon leaving the Air Force he was a Pattern Maker until retirement. Pierre enjoyed sports having played slow pitch softball for several years with different teams and in 1998 was inducted into the USSSA Hall of Fame. He also enjoyed bowling and was inducted into the Rockford Bowling Association Hall of Fame in 2004. Enjoyed golf as well and played as long as he could. For the last several years he enjoyed doing Genealogy.

Survivors include wife, Cherry; children, Pete, Steven, Laura (Jeff) Johnson; grandchildren, Jeffrey (Megan Wentland) Farr, Jared LaBounty, Louie Bertenshaw, David LaBounty, Alexa Johnson; great grandchildren, Gavin, Dessa Rae and Dayton; numerous cousins, niece and nephews.

Funeral Services on Thursday March 24, 2016 at 10 a.m. at Sunset Funeral Home, 8800 North Alpine Road, Machesney Park, IL. Visitation 9 a.m. until time of service. Entombment in Sunset Memorial Gardens. To share a memory or condolence visit www.sunsetfhmemgardens.com

Equipped with a clear and calculating focus, he possessed a tough-minded, “take charge” attitude. He had the ability to make even routine situations seem exciting, and he was at ease with the role of playing problem solver. Pierre always sought out the scene of where the action was. Sociable, analytical and pleasant, Pierre was an individual who enjoyed life’s challenges.

His parents were Paul LaBounty and Violet Severson LaBounty. Pierre was raised in Freeport and Rockford. Always able to express himself well, Pierre possessed strong interpersonal skills. He was optimistic in his outlook on life and was able at all times to be open and direct in his communication. Armed with a great wit, Pierre was raised to be accepting of others and to implement a strong personal work ethic.

Blessed with a balanced attitude, Pierre was able to relate well with others. His occasional role as family mediator gave him the opportunity to ease tense situations when they occurred. Pierre was raised with two siblings. He had an older brother Dutch and an older sister Joy. Pierre had a strong desire to be treated fairly and would readily offer others the same fairness in return.

As a young child, Pierre showed his creative ability in many ways. He was outgoing and animated. Pierre enjoyed new activities and pursued a variety of interests. He took part in baseball, football, basketball, and horseshoes. He loved to play sports.

Known to others as a focused, logical, open-minded and somewhat driven individual, Pierre was able to utilize these qualities to succeed in high school. His curious nature was spurred by his ability to maximize his personal learning style through employing a hands-on approach. He was good with facts and had an excellent memory. He graduated from Freeport High school and West High school in 1952. He enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. He was known for his athletic abilities.

Friends and acquaintances found Pierre an easy man to get to know, and those close to him would often praise his open, practical style of communication and relaxed approach to life in general. Pierre was uncomplicated and straightforward in his relationships, which allowed him to accept people for what they were. While growing up he had too many friends to list.

On 1952 Pierre exchanged wedding vows with Cherry L. Swanson. Pierre was attentive to Cherry's feelings, and he charmed Cherry and others with his gift for being able to give freely and generously. A good listener with an engaging personality, Pierre was able to bring pleasure and unexpected humor to the relationship.

Very much like a kid himself, Pierre identified with the inquisitive and creative side of his children’s personalities. He was able to direct his energy and spontaneity towards helping his children acquire added common sense skills. Pierre was blessed with three children, two sons Pete and Steve and one daughter Laura. They were also blessed with five grandchildren, Jeffrey Farr, Jared LaBounty, Louie Bertenshaw, David LaBounty, and Alexa Johnson.

Pierre was a flexible worker who was able to draw the best from others around him. A persuasive individual who was quick to make necessary decisions, Pierre’s strengths included being able to think on his feet. He could be a leader who sought impact for his decisions. Gifted with an incredible ability to read body language, Pierre was able to positively manipulate situations and motivate others in order to get a task completed. He was a good negotiator who enjoyed new challenges. Pierre could multi-task, and he was endowed with entrepreneurial spirit, allowing him to think beyond standard norms when it came to resolving issues in his work environment. His primary occupation was as a pattern maker. He was employed by many different pattern shops.

Pierre was an Air force veteran. Pierre was a cool thinker who could handle himself well in a crisis. Pierre saw action in the Korean Conflict. He showed leadership qualities and could make tough decisions when he was called upon to do so.

Pierre enjoyed his leisure time by taking part in various hobbies. He had something of an artistic flair in many of the things that he did. He put this creativity toward all of his pastimes. His favorite pursuits were sports, building things with wood, and genealogy. He was content to enjoy his hobbies alone but was also willing to share his interests with others.

Because he liked to take risks, Pierre was a perfect match for athletics and exercise. He was enthusiastic and confident about these activities. In high school, Pierre played Basketball, and Baseball. Recreational sports included slow pitch softball, golf, bowling, horseshoes, and ping pong. Pierre was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching his favorite events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were baseball, football, basketball, and, golf.

Pierre was a gifted problem solver who worked hard to help accomplish group goals. This skill made him a wonderful asset to the various groups and organizations to which he belonged. Always matter-of-fact about what needed to be done, Pierre worked steadily to meet any organization’s goals. Throughout his later years, Pierre was an active member of the Rockford Moose Club.

Pierre’s natural leadership qualities placed him in consideration for public recognition, earning him accolades for his many and varied efforts throughout his life. Some of his most prestigious awards included a state championship in horseshoes and making it in to the USSSA slow pitch softball hall of fame and Rockford Bowling Association Hall of Fame.

Travel and vacations were experiences that Pierre truly enjoyed. He preferred to seek out excitement wherever he went and he was partial to vacations that were casual and laid back with an atmosphere of “live and let live.” He was willing to leave his plans open and flexible, just in case something more interesting came along. Favorite vacations included Corsica, France.

Pierre was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. Pierre’s favorite was Poodle dogs. They were best friends for about 12 years. His family was rounded out by his two favorite dogs.

He used logical analysis of his retirement options in order to ensure his retirement would be fulfilling. Still, he was able to easily adapt to possible changes and enjoyed just having fun and being relaxed. In retirement, he found renewed pleasure in golf.

Pierre passed away on March 16, 2016 at his home in Rockford, IL. due to complications from diabetes. He is survived by his spouse Cherry, three children, five grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. Services were held at Sunset Funeral Home. Pierre was laid to rest in The Chapel of Peace at Sunset Memorial Garden.

Pierre was the kind of person who could win others over easily. A concrete communicator, he relied on his senses to increase his involvement and awareness of others. He was always able to provide amusing repartee to his friends and acquaintances, offering a seemingly endless supply of quips, anecdotes, jokes and stories. If Pierre had a theme song written about him, it might well have been “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” He enjoyed his life and the experience of living it.