Miles Wallingford

Miles Ellsworth Wallingford, 96, passed away peacefully while surrounded by family on Nov. 15, 2015. Funeral services will be noon Friday, Nov. 20, 2015, at Schroder Mortuary, Silvis, with visitation one hour prior to services. Burial will be at Rock Island National Cemetery, Arsenal Island. Memorials may be made to Carbon Cliff Methodist Church Food Pantry. Miles was born March 23, 1919, in East Moline, the son of Warder and Ida Wallingford. He served on Midway Island from 1943 to 1945 in the Navy as a storekeeper during World War II. Miles married Eleanor Anderson Sept. 26, 1953, in Moline. She passed away Jan. 21, 1997, and he missed her ever since. Miles worked at the Rock Island Arsenal, Roy Roth Pump Company and the Rock Island Lines, where he worked as a switchman and served as a union representative. Miles loved life, family, friends, music, reading, playing cards, repairing cars, lawn mowers and anything mechanical. He also loved nature, hunting, fishing and gardening. He served on the Carbon Cliff Village Board, TIF Committee, School Board and was a volunteer fireman and Optimist Club member. He remained an "optimist" in spirit up until the end of his life. He lived at Park Vista in East Moline for the last few years, and enjoyed joking, singing and interacting with the other residents. Miles is survived by his children, Gene (Ann) Reiling, Rapid City, S.D., Penny (Lee Seitelman) Wallingford, Oak Park, Ill., and Minetta (David I. Rubin) Wallingford, Riverside, Ill.; grandchildren, Brielle Seitelman, Victoria Seitelman, and Katie Seitelman; siblings, Kathleen DeRoo, Petaluma, Calif., and Richard Wallingford (Helen), Cambridge; and his great friend, Linda Bredberg, Carbon Cliff, who was like family to Miles; and the many other close friends and relatives who loved him. Miles was preceded in death by his parents, Ida and Warder Wallingford; wife, Eleanor Wallingford; sisters, Mary Brown and Winifred Roth; and several wonderful relatives and friends.