Raymond S. Landon Jr.

Raymond S. Landon, Jr.

September 20, 2025

A man whose full life was defined by loving and loyal service to his family, his friends, his church, and his work, Raymond S. Landon, Jr. of Decatur, Illinois died of natural causes on Saturday, Sep., 20th.

Ray, as he preferred to be called, was born in Johnson City, New York in 1930 to Raymond and Viola Landon. As the first of five children, Ray learned the discipline of challenging work, the value of continuous learning, and the rewards of being a faithful worshipper. He attended Johnson City High School where he graduated one semester early as the valedictorian of his class in 1948. He achieved his Life Scout rating with the Boy Scouts of America and was selected to Boys State. An excellent student in math and science, he would continue his education by completing a chemical engineering degree in 1950 from New York State Institute of Applied Arts and Sciences at Binghamton (later SUNY – Broome).

Ray married the love of his life, Lillian Louise Harvey, on April 16, 1952. They remained married until her death in 2016. Ray and Lillian were gifted parents who enjoyed camping, sightseeing, picnics in the park, swimming, tasty food, and great music. They kept a busy household of five stitched together with warm hugs, laughter, and steady, authentic leadership. As their three children matured and moved on to their own destinies, Ray and Lillian continued to revel in caring for and loving their grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Ray worked for most of his career with Borden Chemical, and in the early 1960's he was re-assigned from his work in Leominster, Massachusetts to Safety Engineer of the Borden PVC plant in Illiopolis, Illinois, a position he would hold for over 30 years until his retirement in 1995. He was a veteran of the US Army and served stateside during the Korean War. As part of the chemical corps, he was assigned to the highly classified above-ground nuclear testing center near Las Vegas, Nevada where he was instrumental in collecting data from these important tests. He continued to serve with the Army Reserves after 1953 and achieved the rank of captain before ending his military service. Ray served as a volunteer for the Red Cross for several decades as he taught first aid classes and assisted as a responder to local emergency events (e.g., tornado recovery).

Ray was an active and faithful member of First Presbyterian Church of Decatur, Ill, and he served as an elder, a deacon, a Sunday school teacher, and a youth advisor. He and Lillian were chaperones in 1970 for a two-week youth group mission trip to Menaul School in Albuquerque, New Mexico. A lover of music, Ray also sang bass in the adult church choir and was a special assistant to the church's youth choir for many years.

Ray and Lillian loved to walk, and they joined the American Volkssport Association before his retirement. Together they completed hundreds of organized walks, often three or six miles in

length, across all 50 states, as well as in Canada and Mexico. Combining this activity with his love of Abraham Lincoln, Ray would seek out and photograph Lincoln statues during their travels, later documenting them in several binders. Other passions were birdwatching and looking at the night sky. As an amateur astronomer he purchased a quality telescope to see both stars and planets with greater clarity, bringing joy to him and his children and grandchildren.

Ray is survived by his three children: Barbara Ann Entrot (Tim – deceased), Linda Sue Wiesner (Larry), and Raymond Stewart Landon, III (Connie – deceased; currently engaged to Leigh Anne Bowling); eight grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; and two great-great grandchildren.

A graveside service will be held by the family on a future date to be determined. Moran & Goebel Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.