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Thomas N. Monfort of Farmer City

Thomas N. (Doc) Monfort, DVM, 79, moved on to greener pastures Oct. 18, 2018 at his home in Farmer City, surrounded by loving family and friends.

Doc was born in Gary, Indiana on Jan. 21, 1939 to the late Dr. Louis H. Monfort and Mary Tokash Monfort.

Survivors include two daughters, Mindy Monfort and Renee Monfort (Gary Johnson); four grandchildren, Brandon and Garrett Estes, Kathryn and Meredith Johnson-Monfort; and three nieces, Dawn Rerick Torbett, Raeann Rerick Wilson and Tammy Rerick.

He was preceded in death by his parents and sister, Marilou Monfort Rerick.

Doc grew up in rural Merrillville, Indiana. In 1961, he married Donna (Allen) Monfort. He completed his undergraduate work at Purdue University before graduating from Purdue University's first class of Veterinary Medicine with his DVM in 1963. After a brief stint in private practice, he accepted a position at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine in 1964 where he worked as a clinician and also conducted research on race horses for the Illinois Racing Commission.

In 1970, he accepted an appointment with the Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine before moving his family to Farmer City in 1971, where he pursued his lifelong dream and built the Illinois Equine Center. He pursued his passion of treating and caring for horses until he was overcome by an unspecified degenerative neuromuscular disease that forced his "early" retirement at age 79 in June of this year.

Doc's legacy at that same facility in Farmer City is being continued by Midwest Equine/The University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine.

As a consequence of losing his horse to colic as a child, caring for horses was his passion. He was a hard worker and never quite understood why others were not willing to consistently work an 18-hour day.

Doc also spent many years teaching Horse Health Care classes at Parkland Community College. He loved to learn and to teach. He instilled in his kids and his students the importance of a good work ethic and challenged them to "learn a little bit about everything."

He encouraged academic and personal growth in others and was constantly working to better himself and his practice. When Doc went to any horse event, he was guaranteed to be stopped by folks wanting to talk to him, calling out "Hey Doc!" and thanking him for caring for their beloved horse or, of course, asking for advice.

The Monfort family extends a sincere thanks to his caretaker, Natalie Harrison, for her dedication, his close friends/colleagues for their constant support, and his Transitions Hospice team. Words cannot express our gratitude for your support.

A visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m., immediately followed by a Celebration of Life at 7 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 19 at New Horizon United Methodist Church, at 3002 W. Bloomington Road in Champaign.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in memory of Doc Monfort, to a charity of the donor's choice or to SHARE (Society for Hooved Animals Rescue and Emergency). That address is: 20844 Cumberland Road, Farmer City, IL 61842.