Dwight D. Donnewald

Dwight Dean Donnewald passed away after a short illness on April 8, 2020 in Davis, Illinois.

Born on March 28, 1948 in Cedar Rapids, IA, he moved to Rockford in 1961 from Des Moines, IA with his parents and siblings. He was a 1966 graduate of Boylan High School. He had attained the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest achievement of the Boy Scouts. Dwight attended Rock Valley College and transferred to Northern Illinois University, where he was one course shy of receiving a double major degree in math and chemistry. He retired after 33 years as a mechanic at Warner-Lambert. He moved from Rockford to Lake Summerset in 2016 to enjoy his retirement and enjoyed meeting new friends and neighbors.

Dwight is survived by his wife, Susan; his daughter, Tracey (Tony) Petch, of Newnan, GA; son, Sean of Rockford; stepson, Todd (Laura) Zimmerman of Rockton; grandchildren, Alex Petch and Jordan (Aaron) Beard of Newnan, Tyler Zimmerman of Rockton; sisters, Colleen (David) West of Rockford, Mona (James) Bochat of Phoenix, AZ; sister in law, Debra Donnewald of Joliet; brother in law, Ward Moberg of Leaf River, IL and numerous nieces and nephews; as well as special friends, Susan, Sam, Wil, Casey and Ryan Knaack.

Dwight was preceded in death by his parents, Dwight and Mary (Carey) Donnewald, and brothers John and Kevin Donnewald.

He married Susan (Moberg) Zimmerman, the love of his life on July 20, 2001 in Rockford, IL. They enjoyed their adventures and travels to Arizona, Georgia, Austria, Germany, Italy and to the Pacific coast. He was a loving father and enjoyed camping trips with his children as they grew up. He and Susan explored Northern Illinois’s back roads on his three wheeled Honda motorcycle. Dwight also enjoyed cooking on the grill and creating recipes with his Godson, Ryan. He was also a Godfather to his niece, Payton.

Dwight was an avid sports fan and a lifelong Chicago Bears and Cubs fan. It made his day to see the Cubs win the World Series. He enjoyed cheering on his grandson, Tyler, at his Hononegah High School football games, his son, Sean, at Special Olympic games, his grandson Alex from afar for middle school and high school football games, as well as the Knaack children at their softball, baseball and bowling events.

A Memorial Mass will be held on Thursday, April 15, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. at Holy Family Catholic Church, 4401 Highcrest Rd. Rockford, IL 61107. Those attending services must wear masks and follow social distancing guidelines. In lieu of cards or flowers, the family has suggested donations be made to Guillain-Barre Syndrome research or to Special Olympics.

Arrangements entrusted to Fitzgerald Funeral Home & Crematory. Share online memories and condolences at www.fitzgeraldfh.com