Alan L Propst's Obituary
Alan L. Propst, 65, of Platteville, WI passed away Saturday, April 11, 2015, at home, surrounded by his family.
Al was born in Decatur, Illinois, October 1, 1949, the son of Carl and Mildred (Whitted) Propst. Al was a true outdoorsman and his past-times included: fishing, hiking, camping, back-packing, motorcycle riding, and skiing. He loved history, reading, wood-working, yoga, playing with his grand-dog Bruno, visiting friends and mooching the occasional cup of coffee while having good conversations. He enjoyed traveling all over the US on his Harley – including Alaska! At the age of 61 he conquered several of the 14,000 ft peaks of Colorado. His greatest joy was spending time with his granddaughter.
Al and his siblings spent their childhood in Decatur, IL where he attended school and graduated in 1968 from Stephen Decatur High School before attending Illinois State University. He graduated there in 1972 with degrees in history and psychology and received his Master’s degree in Special Education in 1974. He spent his professional life making a deep impact as an educator of special needs students, eventually becoming the Support Service Specialist at Southwest Technical College before his retirement in 2006.
He is survived by his daughter, Jill (Jason) TeStrake; his son, Joshua Propst; ex-wife and best friend, Jean Propst; his favorite granddaughter, Gemma TeStrake; his brother, Roger (Mary) Propst; his three sisters, Jean Larrick, Roxy Rowe and Barb (Randy) Rawlings, along with many wonderful nieces and nephews and his “family” from SWTC.
He was preceded in death by his parents; step-father, John Boyer, as well as his beloved cats: Bob, Benny and Tiny.
Graveside services to celebrate the life of Alan Propst will be 11 a.m. Sunday, May 3, 2015 in Graceland Cemetery. A scholarship fund has been established in Al’s honor with the Southwest Technical College. Donations can be made to the Southwest Tech Foundation, 1800 Bronson Blvd., Fennimore, WI 53809 or online at www.swtc.edu/foundation/donate-today.
The family of Alan Propst is being served by Graceland/Fairlawn Funeral Home, 2091 N. Oakland Avenue, Decatur, IL. View the online obituary and send condolences to the family at www.gracelandfairlawn.com.
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