Carl Conrad Sieber

Carl Conrad Sieber November 1, 1933 – October 14, 2022 Carl Conrad Sieber, 88, of Fort Myers, Florida and formerly of Peru, Illinois and Sanibel, Florida, affectionately known as “Bompa” and “Bomp” to his family, entered the kingdom of heaven on October 14, 2022 in Cape Coral, Florida, surrounded by his loving family. Born November 1, 1933 in LaSalle, Illinois, Bompa was the only child of Carl Christian Sieber and Hilda Kandora Sieber, both deceased. “Sonny” was the light of their life. Raised in an era when hard work was the expectation rather than an anomaly, Bomp earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial design from the University of Illinois. His education, together with his outgoing personality, analytical mind, mentoring manner, innate intelligence and omnipresent sense of humor would serve him, and countless others, well throughout his life. After receiving and accepting a personal invitation from Uncle Sam, Bompa entered the United States Army and received basic training at Fort Leonard Wood followed by advanced training for the Counter Intelligence Corps. He was attached to Seventh Army HQ in Stuttgart, Germany and while full details of his service remain shrouded in mystery – by the way, he didn’t take any top-secret documents home with him after his service – we can share that this duty assignment exposed him to the beauty of Germany and Europe, fueling his lifelong love of travel. While in the Army, Bomp was fully enamored by the wit, intelligence and beauty – emphasis on beauty – of his one true love, Mary Elizabeth Tonquest, also known as “Nay”. Having met on a blind date three years earlier, they were married in 1957 without benefit of any modern-day digital dating services and text messaging. They would enjoy 60 years of marriage together during which their undying love and affection for each other grew stronger every day and never faded. Often completing his sentences, whether he liked it or not, Nay was the caring mother of their 5 children who were showered with unconditional parental love and affection mixed with the proper doses of guidance and discipline. Upon honorable discharge from the Army, Bomp returned home and took over the reins of the family business – Sieber Electric – growing it into a regional powerhouse that tackled all manner of commercial, governmental, residential and industrial projects with a commitment to excellence that has yet to be surpassed. Headquartered in LaSalle, Illinois, Sieber Electric was a full-service company and a major supplier of televisions, appliances and all things electrical. Edison and Tesla pioneered electrical concepts, but it took a genius like Bompa to turn those theories into practical applications to allow everyone, with adequate credit of course, to enjoy the beauty of a 27-inch color television set. Active in many civic organizations in LaSalle Peru, Bompa was regularly called upon to lend his leadership skills to civic improvement projects and organizations throughout the area. Whether heading up the committees themselves or nobly serving as a member, he and Sieber Electric could always be depended upon to answer the call to improve community conditions and life for local residents whose circumstances were not ideal. His business acumen was recognized by membership on the board of directors of Eureka Savings Bank in LaSalle. Business success allowed Bompa to enjoy his life and family to the fullest. Together with Nay, he visited all corners of the earth and enjoyed learning about other cultures. His children will always remember taking walks to Cannonball Park, family vacations to Sanibel, Florida and other destinations, weekly Sunday pool parties at home, his devotion to the Chicago Bears and Cubs and the time, effort and energy he devoted to helping his children build their own lives whether through personal interaction or being account holders with the Bank of Bompa. Retirement didn’t slow Bompa down. Travel continued, of course, along with volunteering with the Lee County Sheriff’s Department, receiving certification as a Master Gardener from Lee County Cooperative Extension, mastering the art of stained glass, building hand-crafted wood furniture, model railroading, baking, cooking and many more pursuits. His annual baking and distribution of Springerle cookies to celebrate the Christmas holidays took on legendary status as did his onetime creation of a Lady Baltimore cake which was subsequently repurposed as a boat anchor. If you knew Bompa you know how much you’re going to miss him. He was predeceased by his wife, Nay, and his son Carl (Vicky) Sieber, Jr. of Peru, Illinois; and is survived by daughter Heidi (Ken) Shoriak of North Fort Myers, Florida; sons Erik (Sallee) Sieber of Daytona Beach, Florida; Kurt (Tonya) Sieber of Gainesville, Florida and Dan (Rita) Sieber of Cape Coral, Florida along with grandchildren Nicole, Danielle, Ashley, Andrea, Erika, Daniel, Emily, Kayli, Andrew, Amelia, Alison, Kevin, Shelby, Courtney, Brittany and great grandchildren Jeramiah, Micah, Lilly and Logan; all of whom were loved dearly by Bompa. Although an only child, he considered his brother-in-law Bernie (Ellie) Tonquest of Bixby, Oklahoma and sister-in-law Kathe Ziebert of Las Vegas, Nevada as members of his immediate family; they both survive. While his list of close-friends – the Illinois Illuminati – slowly but surely dwindles, please know he loved and cared for you as well. If you’ve read this far, you must be a family member/close friend or possess an unnatural desire to peer into the lives of others. In either case, please know it’s impossible to summarize 88 years of a wonderful life – apologies to Frank Capra and Jimmy Stewart – in a thousand or so words. Just know Bompa will forever live on in the hearts, minds and memories of all those who knew and loved him. Bomp, Nay and Hans/Carl are now together and while we hope it will be a while before we join them in everlasting life, please take some comfort in knowing we will someday all meet again. While a final tally of points has certainly been conducted by the deceased, we leave it to your discretion as to who is the ultimate winner. Whether you secured gasoline and vital supplies during hurricane emergencies, built custom cabinets for Bomp’s final residence, provided ongoing advanced computer support without charge – in recognizable English – or managed Bompa’s health care needs/decisions, please know you are all free to give yourself the points. A private interment is planned followed by a gathering of family and close friends which will most likely involve abundant food, family entertainment, shared stories of Bompa’s exploits, weeping and gnashing of teeth along with consumption of unprecedented amounts of alcohol.

Carl Conrad Sieber

November 1, 1933 - October 14, 2022