Richard "Rick" Schroeder

SAVOY - Richard Mallory Schroeder, 83, of Savoy passed away Friday (Aug. 15, 2025).

Richard was born March 27, 1942, in Danville, to the late Paul T. and Sadie E. (Mallory) Schroeder. Richard graduated from Danville High School in 1960. He retired from the URS Corporation in Decatur in 2014.

Richard married Barbara Susan Bastian on March 27, 1998; she survives, as does his son, Bradley A. Schroeder of Omaha, Neb.

Richard was preceded in death by his father, mother, three uncles and aunts and four cousins.

Richard worked in Danville for a professional engineer and land surveyor for 10 years. He spent six years in the U.S. Army Reserve, worked for two years at the Illinois Department of Transportation in Paris, Ill., and, in 1975, went to work for Warren and Van Pragg, Consulting Engineers in Decatur. Richard obtained his professional land surveyors license in 1982 and became a project manager for the company, which was purchased by the URS Corporation, until his retirement.

Richard's hobbies are gardening, model railroading and an early interest in astronomy. He was an early member of the Danville Astronomical Society, founding member of the Danville Junction Chapter, National Railway Historical Society. He was a founding member, first president and later treasurer and archivist of the Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad Historical Society.

In 2004, he, his wife and 11 other hosta lovers founded the Illinois Prairie Hosta Society in Champaign. Both have been lifetime members of the Vermilion County Museum. Married in 1998, Rick and Barbara created a hosta garden around their first home in Champaign and were on several garden walks. They both became Master Gardeners in 2011 and were instrumental with the hosta society in creating the University of Illinois Arboretum Hosta Garden.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Illinois Prairie Hosta Society, the Vermilion County Museum or the University of Illinois Arboretum Hosta Garden.

Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to noon Friday, Aug. 22, at Sunset Funeral Home and Cremation Center, 710 N. Neil St., Champaign. A chapel mausoleum committal service will be at 3 p.m. Friday, Aug. 22, at Spring Hill Chapel Mausoleum, 301 E. Voorhees St., Danville. Pastor Dave Anderson will officiate.

Please join Richard's family in sharing memories, photos and videos on his tribute wall at sunsetfuneralhome.com.