Leonard Ray Smith

Leonard Ray Smith, age 91 of Omaha,  Illinois went home peacefully to be with Lord in July 3, 2021 at 4:55 pm, while with family at Ferrell Hospital in Eldorado.  Leonard was born on January 10, 1930 at Harrisburg Hospital.  He lived on a farm in Wasson.   Two years after the 1937 flood, his family moved to a new farm in the Cottonwood community of Omaha, which would be his primary home for the remainder of his full life.  Leonard graduated from Ridgway High School and went to McKendree College where he studied Industrial Engineering, ran the ½ mile on the track team, and sang bass in McKendree’s Touring Chorus.  At the age of 22, he enlisted in the Army.  He was stationed in Okinawa during the Korean War as a heavy vehicle driver for the Army Engineers.  While stationed, he had the pleasure of singing bass for the Army choir and performed anytime dignitaries visited.  He also had the unique privilege of playing on the Army league baseball team and got to play against the US MLB All-Star team when they visited for a good will tour, which included Yogi Berra, Billy Martin, Enos Slaughter, Curt Simmons, Robin Roberts and Harvey Kuenn.   After he was discharged in 1954, he went back to college at Southern Illinois University (SIU) and received 2 bachelor degrees in Agriculture and Education, and 3 minors in Math, Chemistry, and Biological Sciences.   After college, he worked in Chicago as a Fireman for EJ&E Railroad for 5 winters and his last year he also sold encyclopedias door to door.  He married Donna Mitchell January 12, 1964 and that spring they moved back to Omaha to farm full time, not fully retiring until he was 85 years old.  Leonard was a member of the Eldorado Masonic Lodge and served as the Worshipful Master.  Leonard loved sports.  He was an avid tennis player, great at ping pong (he was island champion across all military branches while stationed in the Army), he loved Illini Basketball, he was a Dodgers fan and he always loved watching his kids play sports in school.  He loved music and singing in the choir at church and also sang for nearly 20 years in the SIC community chorus.  Most of all he loved his family and loved being a grandpa.  Leonard is survived by his wife of 57 years, Donna Smith, his son Travis Smith of St. Charles Missouri, his Daughter Christal Marincic and husband Jeff of Oglesby, and 6 grandchildren:  Payton and Liberty Smith and Greyson, Audra, Mitchell, and Eliza Marincic.  Leonard was proceeded in death by his parents Robert and Aline (Gates) Smith and sister Naomi Ruth Orman.   Visitation for Leonard Smith will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday July 6, 2021 at Vickery Funeral Chapel in Ridgway.  Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. on Wednesday July 7, 2021 at the funeral home.  Rev. J. B. Gates will officiate and burial will follow at Tate’s Chapel Cemetery near Galatia.   Military rites will be conducted by Gallatin County American Legion and Army Funeral Honors Team.