Royce E. Hamende, Jr., 87, of Crete, IL, passed away on January 12, 2022. He was born December 6, 1934, to the late Royce and Avis (Cotter)Hamende, Sr. in Hammond, IN. Royce is survived by his loving wife of 30 years, Connie (Sieren) Hamende; his son, Royce (Karen) Hamende, III; five grandchildren, Royce (Shelly) Hamende, IV, Rachel Hamende, Katherine Hamende, Jake (Laura) Borrmann, and Nick Borrmann; five great-grandchildren; three stepchildren, Jim (Kelly) Poole, Tracy (Kevin) Gray, and Steven Poole; and six step-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister, Alicia Snider, and his daughter, Susan Borrmann.

“But you, take courage! Do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded.” - 2 Chronicles 15:7

Born into a loving, Christian family, during the depression, and on the cusp of World War II, it is not surprising Royce grew to become a faith-filled, hard-working, strong-principled, and thrifty man. He also showed early in his life he possessed a courageous and strong soul. Upon graduation from Griffith High School (Indiana), he joined the United States Coast Guard. In spite of his pension for sea sickness, he served as an electronics technician for 21 years.

He capitalized on his industrious, mechanical, and methodical thought-processing abilities both personally and professionally. In 1995, after several years working in the pumping industry, he and his wife, Connie, started their own company, Royce Equipment, LLC. Royce designed, sold, implemented, and serviced pumping equipment, successfully managing the business until his death. Royce was always ready to lend his expertise and helping hand to family and friends in need. The expected plumbing issues aside, he would fix your car, paint your bedroom, refurbish your furniture and fixtures, wallpaper your kitchen, change out your water heater- the list was endless! In the early years of their marriage, Royce and Connie bought several homes to fix up and sell, finding this labor of love to be therapeutic. His most coveted “project” was the lake cottage he and his young children built together. In 1967, Royce purchased an untamed lot on Lake Shavehead, just across the Indiana border in southern Michigan. He and his diligent helpers spent many weekends camping on the lot as they slowly built a two-bedroom home overlooking the lake. The construction process holds many fond memories for his son, including the “Dad” engineered ramp that allowed Susan to push blocks to the bottom of the hill, powered by scooting on her bottom and shoving them with her legs. Waiting below were the pair of Royces, picking them up and stacking them for the foundation. Even after all their sweaty labor and living in a tent, Dad still made them go to church on Sundays. Royce’s little plot of paradise provided many Fourth of July celebrations, fishing expeditions, lazy days of swimming, cards, and yard games, campouts, and lots of good food!

Another source of pride for Royce was his sobriety. A good friend shared his concern with Royce that his drinking had become a problem. Royce agreed to go to Alcoholics Anonymous and he never looked back. He spent the last 36 years of his life sober. It was never a taboo subject for him and he used his experience to help others. He understood the harms the disease causes and how it affects everyone, not just the afflicted, and wanted all to learn from his mistakes.

Royce was a devout Christian and an active member of Trinity Lutheran Church, Crete, Illinois. He loved his Chicago Bears, was an avid NASCAR fan, cherishing his annual trips to the Daytona 500, and he was forever in pursuit for that perfect round of golf.

The last 17 months of his life he faced his toughest challenge. He endured surgeries, chemotherapy, and radiation, all in the middle of a scary pandemic. He remained faithful to his Lord until the very end.

“Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” - Psalm 27:14

In memory of Royce, you may make a donation to American Cancer Society at https://fundraise.cancerresearch.org/In-Memory-of-Royce.