Lonnie Allen Krohn

Lonnie Allen Krohn, 71 of Gulfport, died unexpectedly on Saturday, August 22 from a brain aneurysm.  He was born in Gulfport on July 1, 1949 to Julius and Allah Krohn. He was the youngest in a large blended family. He was preceded in death by his parents, brother Charles, half-sister Sue and half-sister Carol who he shared a special friendship with. He married our mom, Candace, 50 years ago last February. He was a draftsman at Paceco in Gulfport in the early 70s. After his recovery from an aneurysm and disabling motorcycle accident, he became a stay at home dad before that was even a thing. He tried his best to raise us like the son he wanted. We hated some of it; like the times we had to help with something and he'd say, "If you don't do this right, it can kill me," or "Don't let off the brake or you'll run over me." That's a lot of pressure for a little girl! We loved a lot of it, too. He would wake us up late at night to go fishing because, "It looks like a good flounderin' night," or the two-day boat trips fishing at the islands. If we were lucky, he would have cans of beanie weenies and Vienna sausages to eat.  He taught his grandchildren the same way; by forcing them to help with the project of the moment. Fortunately, they were never asked to help him with something that could hurt him if they messed up, but he didn't have a problem with a toddler using a power tool. Looking back, it's a wonder how we survived his parenting style without more injuries.  Daddy could fix anything. All of it was 'Lonnie rigged.' We will be scratching our heads for a long time while we try to figure out what random switches and oddly placed buttons do. He was always building something or working on a motor. His last big project was restoring a '61 T-Bird with his favorite daughter (Our words, not his, but he never denied it). His pride and joy was his '38 Chevy Coupe. It, too, has a fair amount of rigging. Thankfully, we know all those tricks, and we will continue to baby it just like he did.  He was usually quiet unless you found him at the 'group therapy' table at Two Miles North. His crew of lifelong friends occupied the same table every Tuesday night for several years. Only cool people sat there, and our daddy was the coolest of them all. The conversations at that table flowed as smooth as the drinks. He highly protested the demolition of the old building; he hated change.  Left here to unravel the weave of duct tape repairs and toggle switches is our mom, Candace, and the three best mistakes they ever made, Dionne, Amber and Bristal (again, our words). Our husbands Lonnie, Brandon and Chris are ready to step up to take care of things. It will take all three of them to fill just one of our daddy's shoes.  Well, leather velcro strap sandal is more accurate. He really lit up when any of his 12 grandchildren or 8 great-grandchildren were around. They loved when Paw Paw made silly horse noises with his cheeks, and he always had good advice to offer the older grandkids. He will be missed by his half-brother Kenneth and half-sister Ethel, who adored her baby brother. Rudy was his best tinkering and trading buddy always dealing in a fair trade.  He leaves an empty chair at the 'group therapy' table next to Winstead, his best lifelong friend. Ricky and Larry, have another round on daddy. He's buying this one. Just put it on his tab. Dot and Carolyn, we think of you as aunts. Daddy enjoyed the peace and quiet he had every time you had a girls' date. It was the only time he didn't complain about mama shopping. He will certainly be missed by Chewy, the yappy dog that he didn’t want, but spoiled rotten. 

Visitation will be Friday, August 28th from 1:00 until 3:00 PM at Trinity Funeral Services in McHenry. If possible, Lonnie will take his last ride in his coupe that he loved, to his final resting place at Finley Cemetery. Daddy was a simple man, no frills or fuss. He would build anything he needed as cheap as possible. To honor him, he will be laid to rest in a casket we designed and constructed just for him. It was created simply, with a lot of love and a little bit of cussing. Just the way our Daddy did things. Trinity Funeral Services is honored to serve the Krohn family in their time of need, and asks everyone to keep them in your thoughts and prayers 

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