Mr. Darrel Whynot of Barrington Hills

Darrel Whynot of Barrington Hills, Illinois. Loving husband of Shirley Mitchell; cherished son of the late Donald and the late Sylvia Whynot. Memorial Visitation Saturday, February 22, 2014, 12:00 Noon until time of funeral service 2:30 P.M. at Morizzo Funeral Home and Cremation Services, located at 2550 Hassell Road, (just East of Barrington Road), Hoffman Estates, Illinois 60169. Memorials appreciated to Morris Animal Foundation, (www.morrisanimalfoundation.org), 10200 East Girard Avenue, Suite B430, Denver CO. 80231. This Life Tributes page has been created to make it easy for Family and Friends to share memories, photos and videos. For further information please contact the Morizzo Funeral Directors at 847.752.6444. Visitation, Life Celebration, Committal and Burial Service entrusted to Morizzo Funeral Home / Funeral Chapel and Cremation Services, 2550 West Hassell Road, (Northeast corner at Barrington Road), 6 minutes South of Palatine Road and Barrington Road, 6 minutes North of Schaumburg Road and Barrington Road, in Hoffman Estates / South Barrington, Illinois 60169. BELOW PLEASE ENJOY SOME MEMORIES OF DARREL FROM HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS: Darrel and I were married 36 years. We met on a ski slope in Wisconsin. Neither of us looked another direction. I guess that is true love. We each had our own careers and were fairly independent of one another, yet together we forged a partnership. He did his laundry and I did mine; he had his chores, I had mine, and it worked for us. I worked for over 30 years, and through it all, I always felt supported by Darrel no matter what. He was my rock and my strength and I could count on him. Darrel’s strength never showed more than in the last few weeks. I want to tell you that Darrel was amazing in his struggle to defeat the cancer that was inside him. His battle was as courageous as ever I have seen. He was amazing. The pain kept him from sleeping and though sleep deprived and on heavy medications, he managed to talk to doctors and ask questions to direct his treatment. Nothing escaped his attention even under these circumstances. I will never forget how mightily he fought. He wanted to live and he said he still had things to do. In the end, the cancer was so aggressive it took his life from him. It doesn’t seem possible to me yet. Darrel was a big man with a big presence. How could he be gone from my life? Yet he is. Only faith that I will be with him again can get me through this next part of my life. Here are some stories from his friends that knew him well. Please read them and feel free to contribute your own memories of Darrel. Shirley Darrel had a wealth of knowledge. I would have pitted him against anyone playing Trivia Pursuit. I had just read about the Jupiter Rocket and mentioned it to Darrel and he told me all about it from memory. He thought about things deeply, logically and I valued his advice and judgment and agreed with him almost always. He also had a great sense of humor and I am going to miss his emails and so are my friends. He named most of us. I am Motown Bev, there is Muskie Chuck, Fairway Tom, Capt. John, Big Al, Lawn Ranger Bill, Aunt Joyce, etc. Most of all he valued family and friends and was the first to call us if the Packers beat the Lions. But seriously, he called Mom & Dad, his in-laws, and stopped in to see them whenever he was in Wisconsin. Family and friends meant a lot to him, he liked company and he liked celebrations of all kinds. Beverly St.Peter I met Darrel 34 years ago. We met through CMSC racing program as members of Oak Park Ski Club. The incentive was they paid for your entry fees. Darrel’s favorite saying was “to turn is to admit defeat”. He described my ski racing as a linked series of recoveries. To which I would reply “but I’m fast”. Our friendship further developed when he found out I had computer knowledge. He joined his father’s company M&S Sales and wanted to bring it out of the dark ages. He was a quick learner and had to be because he wanted to know how to organize and control the data himself. He was very involved in E.R.A. and is still an active member. Through that membership he invited me to many of their golf outings. As the years past Darrel required very little computer help from me that was mostly only a phone call. When Darrel and Shirley moved to the home that they are at now, the maintenance and upkeep would now call upon my building experience. Most projects and repairs were small and a couple would take a week or so. Darrel knew what he wanted to accomplish and he wanted it done his way “right the first time”. This is another reason we got along so well. I almost always wanted it done the same way. I must say though, we didn’t agree about how to fix the gate by the barn. Still looks the same. Jerry Senesac Longevity counts in many ways. 58 years we knew each other, starting as friends and morphing into brothers. I feel blessed to have shared your journey with you. You were a presence in my life. You were always there for me when I asked. You kept in touch with me when I was too “busy” to reach out. Your loyalty and love was unconditional. You lived life abundantly and generously. I know you will continue your journey in the great beyond as you did in this life. You are my very special brother and I will miss you. Love Forever, Rich My fondest memories of Uncle Darrel were when we were kids. He always took a genuine interest in me and my siblings, which made him one of our favorite uncles. We could talk about school and sports for hours. His smile and laugh would always fill the room at Grandma’s house at Christmas time. He liked spending time with us, and definitely spoiled us a bit. I will never forget the times he took us to the Cubs and White Sox baseball games; especially the time we sneaked down to the first row when the Sox game went into extra innings. Darrel always impressed me with his generosity and hospitality as I grew older. He was a warm and gentle man, and demonstrated to us a love for life that we will never forget. Christopher W. Mitchell Darrel & I went to quite a few Breeders Cup races throughout the years. At Mammoth Park we thought we would drown, and at Churchill Downs freeze to death. Santa Anita was our favorite track weather always warm & beautiful. Darrel was a devoted Breeders Cup fan he never missed one in (29)years. One of our favorite memories of Darrel was him opening a birthday card that played “Celebration ” and dancing around in the kitchen. Always think of him when we hear this song. Always kept in touch with friends. Friend for 57 plus years. Could write a book of the fun times we had throughout the years. Friends forever, Eddie & Dot One day a young skiing enthusiast wandered into a ski shop named SunShine Sports greeted by the owner. The owner was equally stoked about the sport fostering discussions of racers, racing, equipment and the industry; remember Hub Zemke and Leonhard Stock? Many courtesies were extended by the owner including TESTING SKIS (Yowza!), countless ski boot manipulations, (what patience), ski trips to Indianhead seeking NASTAR glory and speed runs on Spaulding Squadra Course Super G’s. Let it be said that once there truly was flight as a byproduct of ski racing as the owner eclipsed a NASTAR ‘race course’ finish line airborne almost horizontal his velocity abruptly interrupted by said ski boot impacting a telephone pole. The abrupt landing had on-lookers shocked and running toward him surely expecting him to be unconscious with broken bones. After a time the owner gathered himself up off the snow intact but dazed to the nature of eminent domain inherent with fixed objects in the path of projectiles. These events, good times, and friendship remain vivid in my mind. Godspeed Darrel…… Mike Maher I will really miss ” Mr. Green Bay” that’s what the people that knew him here called him. He was so well liked by so many people here at the Canteen and everybody expresses their sympathies, I not going to be the same without Darrel, and especially around football season talking up his beloved Packers or summer time when I would ask him, every time for his advise on different events I was doing, he just knew when I needed a little push or he would tell me don’t stress you got it. He really was one of those special people that made a difference in my life. I will really miss my friend, his smile, his kind words, his advice to me and my kids my staff he made a difference in our life’s he made us better. With respect, Sam and all of Darrel’s friends at the Canteen I would say that I knew a man who was truly eclectic, courageous, curious and methodical. He approached golf as the fun game it is. To be learned but never mastered; enjoyed but never stewed over. He appreciated motorsports for the combination of skills and specialties that made it happen – both on the ground and in the air. Tom Ochal I had the privilege of meeting Darrel when I worked for Fleck Controls and he wanted me to buy lots of motors – he was persuasive, full of information and introduced me to the Red Rooster for lunch, where my older son still goes to in Waukesha. The Big D also sponsored a golf outing every year after which we ended up at Arlington trackside. I guess he was most impressed the first time our group of eight cashed an $800 trifecta key, and we all went home winners that day. I moved on to Danville but we frequently met at Trackside for dinner and some betting. Darrel usually thought that a horse going off at 3-1 was a long shot, so we would each do our own bet and then throw in for a group bet. For some time I was known as “down the hole Al” but quickly showed that you could bet higher odds horses on top and you could key exactas and trifectas. He always enjoyed cashing a big ticket, one that was just under the IRS limit for reporting. Big D put together our betting cartel, where we would have up to 9 people included, and the group did some its best work at Breeders Cup. This has been an enjoyable group to bet and argue with over the finer points of handicapping. The cartel will continue, just without one of its brightest stars! Darrel did not like to pay an admissions he to get into a track; he would rather use that cash for betting as well as buying Shirley a good dinner and an exotic drink. I am sure he is already handicapping the three year old horses, and whenever I get a jolt from my ICD, I will take that as a sign to “bet the house”. Al Hintz When Darrel married my sister Shirley, he became part of a family that loved flying and owned Capitol Airport in Wisconsin. We already had four pilots in the family. He was always a very willing passenger and he loved a challenge. It wasn’t long before he began taking flying lessons. Darrel earned his private pilot’s license and soon became the owner of a Cessna 182 airplane. He loved flying and fit in perfectly with our aviation family and often flew into Capitol for our ice cream social. Darrel was a frequent visitor to the EAA Air Venture in Oshkosh where he shared his enthusiasm with thousands of other pilots and plane owners. Darrel also made numerous trips to the Reno air races and even supported Rare Bear, one of the unlimited race planes. And he loved being in the pits and talking to the owners and mechanics of the race planes. Darrel always enjoyed bringing his friends to aviation venues. On one of the trips, he asked me if I wanted to stay after the official race was over to see a jet run the course. I said, “Wild horses couldn’t drag me away!” He just laughed because I probably would have had to take a taxi if I had said “No.” I think he secretly hoped that everyone would love aviation as much as he did. Warm days, blue skies and gentle breezes my friend! We will miss you, and your memory will live on in our hearts. Sharron Mitchell When you think of Darrel, you immediately think, FAMILY. Family, immediate and extended, meant everything to him. He was always the one who stayed “connected”. The Paul sisters, our grandmothers: Anna, Juhl, Jess & Peg, most certainly are smiling to see that the next generation of cousins still love and care for one another. Darrel gets the credit for that as HE was the one to plan the reunions, send the midnight e-mails, and make the phone calls. He was proud of his Scottish heritage and what persons we ALL have become. His warmth and caring he left for all of us as an example of what FAMILY really means. Susan Evers Mundt Every year since 2002, Darrel and I have made a pilgrimage to Reno, NV in September to watch airplanes of all sorts perform in an airshow and race around a pylon track. We would watch Warbirds, bi-planes, homebuilt racers and even military aircraft race around the track. Our most memorable trip was in 2011 when one of the P51s racing in the Unlimited Gold heat malfunctioned and crashed. Darrel and I were standing in the pit area along the flight line when the P51, about a quarter of mile away, moved strangely. The plane changed directions from the race course and for about 2 seconds caused both of us the freeze where we were for the planes trajectory was coming right at us. Watching the plane coming right at us about 100 ft off the ground and flying at 500MPH made both of us fear that it was going to crash right where we were standing. Fortunate for us the plane veered up and proceeded to fly to about 800 ft then roll over and crash dive on to the front apron of the viewing stands. We couldn’t see the plane impact the ground for there was a tent blocking our vision but we did watch it fly behind the tent and then witness a huge plume of debris rise back up into the sky. Ten spectators plus the pilot were killed. Within 1 minute after the crash Darrel and I agreed that we needed to leave right away, so we quickly walked out of the pit area and off to our car. On the drive back to the hotel both of us were a bit numb for we both still felt it was going to crash on us. All of our other trips were not as gloomy. From 2002 thru about ‘06 we would fly into Sacramento, rent a car and then drive thru Donner Pass, Truckee and the Lake Tahoe area. Our trips weren’t just about watching airplanes (something Darrel really, really did enjoy) but we also played tourist and took in the sites of the area. Playing tourist also meant playing the games in the casinos. Our ritual every night while we were in Reno was a nice dinner first, usually sushi or steak, and then off for the tables. Most of the time we were at Blackjack tables but sometimes we would sit down for Pai Gow poker. I will truly miss Darrel but more importantly his favorite race plane Rare Bear will miss it’s number one fan! Patrick Hennelly

Mr. Darrel Whynot of Barrington Hills

July 2, 1949 - February 13, 2014