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"&lt;div&gt;Thomas Vernon Rucker, 70, of Park Ridge, Illinois passed away on August 22, 2022 with his loving wife of nearly four decades at his side.&amp;nbsp; His passion for exploring was only surpassed by his passion and commitment for his family, with memories of road trips to national parks for the entire family marking his legacy.&amp;nbsp; A native of Elmwood Park and longtime resident of Park Ridge, his interest in exploration extended to his love of aviation, having worked for the FAA for over 30 years and holding a private pilot&amp;rsquo;s license earlier in life.&amp;nbsp; Rucker also had deep appreciation of classic wooden boats, a fondness garnered from summers spent cleaning boats as a teenager in Fontana-on-Geneva Lake, Wisconsin.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;He is survived by his beloved wife Susie, and sons Tommy (and partner Jason), of Washington, DC, and Kevin (and wife Melanie), of Chicago, IL.&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;A funeral service will be held on Friday, August 26, 2022 at 11:00 am at Kelley &amp;amp; Spalding Funeral Home, 1787 Deerfield Rd. Highland Park, IL 60035, followed by interment at St. Mary&amp;rsquo;s Cemetery in Lake Forest.&amp;nbsp; For more information, please contact Kelley &amp;amp; Spalding at 847-831-4260.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;"
<https://www.kelleyspaldingfuneralhome.com/obituaries/Thomas-Rucker?obId=25687923>