He was born on December 13, 1931, in rural Pike County, Illinois, to Lawrence and Lucy Dolbeare Rupert. He married Alice Flynn in December 1951. She passed away in October 2020. They would have celebrated their 69th wedding anniversary last December.
Surviving are their four children: Larry (Kathy) Rupert of Glasford, Bev (Scott) Cranford of Norwood, Edie Wood of Peoria, and Mark (Toni) Rupert of Norwood; 10 grandchildren: Lanell (Ryan) Bridson, Devon (Ashley) Rupert, Amanda Rupert, Matt (Megan) Rupert, Erin (Dillon) Kelly, Allison (Phillip) Mott, Ryan (Brianna) Wood, Kaleigh (Bryan) Norris, Katelyn Rupert, and Jeffrey Cranford; and 15 great-grandchildren.
Glen was preceded in death by his parents; two sisters, Florence Rupert Williams and Wilma Rupert Shannon; and his son-in-law, Steve “Woody” Wood.
Glen spent his early childhood in Horton Holler in Pike County, Illinois, moving to Hannibal, Missouri, in his preteen years. At age 18, he moved to Peoria in 1949 for a job at Caterpillar. He worked there for 42 years, first in the tool room and then as a machine repairman, before retiring in 1991. Glen was also in the Army for two years, serving in the Korean War.
Glen wasn’t just a repairman at work. He could fix and restore anything, anywhere, from cars to appliances to clocks. Glen was an avid antique collector, traveling to auctions and sales around the country to find diamonds in the rough (and plenty of junk, too). He was a talented woodworker and made many expertly crafted pieces of furniture.
An active outdoorsman, Glen was fond of scenic road trips and camping, including establishing the family tradition of traveling to Alley Springs, Missouri every summer. Every year in July, the family would set up their tents and campers, go canoeing on the Jacks Fork River, and talk around nightly campfires. A tradition that has been carried on by his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Active well into his retirement, Glen hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon at age 65 and again at age 70. When he took a rare moment to relax, Glen enjoyed birdwatching and could name every kind of bird that landed on his feeder.
Glen was known for his kind spirit, his insatiable curiosity and his sense of adventure. He will be remembered fondly as a caring and dedicated father, grandfather and great-grandfather.
A funeral for Glen will be held at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, August 4, with visitation two hours prior to the service at Davison-Fulton Woodland Chapel in Peoria. Burial will follow the service at Parkview Cemetery. Memorials may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Online condolences can be submitted to www.davison-fulton.com.
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