WAYNE TOMLINSON

Wayne Tomlinson

Wayne Tomlinson, 89, of Rushville died at 11:06 a.m. July 11, 2020, at his home surrounded by his children.

He was born Jan. 15, 1931, in Schuyler County, a son of D.M. and Florence Ella Walker Tomlinson. He married Frances Decker on Sept. 2, 1954, in Champaign. She preceded him in death on March 1, 2015. He later married Gloria (Dee Dee) Workman Law on Nov. 3, 1979, in Rushville. She preceded him in death on Nov. 13, 2018.

He also was preceded in death by one stepson, Kim Law; one stepdaughter, Debra Law; three brothers, Morris Tomlinson, John Paul Tomlinson and Gerald Tomlinson; and three sisters, Anna Lee Phillips, Marie Bayles and Dorothy M. Walker.

Surviving are three sons, Rick L. (and Rosemary) Law of Oswego and Craig (and Lynn) Tomlinson and Brian (and Tanya) Tomlinson, both of Rushville; three daughters, Jean (and Norm) Kloker and Cathryn Tomlinson, both of Rushville, and Patti Kay Hendon of St. Louis; one stepdaughter, Kristiann Marie (and Innocent) Okoye of Naperville; two brothers, Glen E. (and Gale) Tomlinson of Bloomington and Jesse Leroy Orvie of Apple Springs, Texas; one sister, Marilyn Lewis of Thousand Oaks, Calif.; 20 grandchildren; and 18 great-grandchildren.

A 1949 Rushville High School graduate, he served in the U.S. Navy as a Sea Bee during the Korean War era. He was stationed in Guantanamo Bay Cuba, Port Hueneme Oxnard California and in Newfoundland Canada during his enlistment. Enlisted in November, 1951, at Great Lakes Naval Base, Honorably discharged in September, 1953, at Quonset R.I. He earned the National Defense Service Medal.

He finished college, graduating from the University of Illinois in 1958, earning a Bachelors Degree in Agronomy.

In his youth, he worked for the family business, Tomlinson Trucking.

He worked at the Federal Land Bank in Watseka from 1958-1962, when he returned to Rushville to operate the family business after his father had medical setbacks.

Tomlinson Trucking and Soil became Tomlinson Fertilizer. The business closed in 1982.

Wayne Tomlinson Real Estate and Appraisals in Rushville opened in 1976, until he retired in 2015. He was a State Certified General Appraiser.

He was a long-time member of Rushville Rotary and a member of First United Methodist Church in Rushville.

Early on, he was involved with the committee to purchase the land that was to be developed into Schuy-Rush Lake. He was a driving force in obtaining and restoring the Phoenix Opera House in Rushville. He served on the board and volunteered at the Phoenix.

Visitation will be held from 5-7 p.m. Saturday at the Wood Funeral Home in Rushville. A Celebration of Life will be held at 10 a.m. July 31, at the Family house, 125 East Clinton St. with Lyn Mounce officiating. Burial will follow in the Rushville City Cemetery with military honors.

Memorials may be made to the Cass Schuyler Hospice, 331 S. Main St. Virginia, IL 62691 or the Phoenix Opera House, PO Box 15, Rushville, IL 62681.

Send condolences and view his memorial video at www.woodfh.net.

Published in the Astoria South Fulton Argus on 7/15/2020