John G. Severson, who was instrumental in his family’s donation of property that today comprises the Severson Dells Forest Preserve, died April 9, in Santa Barbara, Calif.

The Severson Dells community extends our deepest sympathy to the Severson family and is grateful for Mr. Severson’s support of both his family’s legacy and nature education.

We thank the Severson family for their generosity in asking that memorials to Severson Dells be made in his name.

Click here to make a donation.

The following obit appeared in the Rockford Register Star today (April 16, 2008).

johnseverson.jpg

John G. Severson, 86, died peacefully in his home in Santa Barbara on Wednesday, April 9, 2008. He was born in Archbald, Ohio, on Nov. 7, 1921, and moved to Rockford, Ill., at the age of 12. There he met the love of his life, Janet Carlson, who became his wife of 62 years.

John served his country as a B-24 pilot in World War II, flying 30 missions over Berlin and elsewhere in 1944 and 1945. He came home in March of that year to learn that his only brother, Robert, had just lost his life at Aegidienberg in a critical battle for control of the Rhine River. Later that year, John married Janet and they completed college degrees together at Northwestern University, and went on to raise children, Kathy, Douglas and Susan.

John began work in the optics department at Eastman Kodak Co. in 1947, where he remained for 25 years, retiring as head of their Technical Center in Oak Brook. In 1972, he and Jan retired to Solvang, Calif., where they became very active in support of the arts and the local community. They were founding patrons of the Solvang Festival Theater and their generosity created the Severson Theater and endowed a student scholarship at Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria. John also became president of the Santa Ynez Valley Historical Society. In 1991, they moved to Montecito, where John remained active on the board of trustees of the Land Trust for Santa Barbara County and continued his support of the arts.

John was a man of vast knowledge, insatiable curiosity and great respect for the needs and opinions of others. His love for his family knew no bounds. He will live on not only in the hearts of his wife and children, but in those of his grandchildren, Emily, John, Tom, Adam, Greg, Marc, Joe, Jondavid, and Kevin; and great-grandchildren, Jaida, Zoe and Taj.

He was instrumental in the donation of the family property in Rockford to the county forest preserve, where it has become a thriving environmental education center that has inspired and enlightened countless thousands of visitors of all ages for more than 30 years. In lieu of flowers, it is requested that donations be made to the Severson Dells Nature Center, 8786 Montague Road, Rockford, IL, 61102. Arrangements by McDermott-Crockett Mortuary, Santa Barbara.