Mr. John F. Regan, Jr.'s Obituary
John F. Regan, Jr., 109, of Decatur, IL passed away December 31, 2020 at Decatur Memorial Hospital, Decatur.
John was born February 15, 1911, in Mt. Sterling, IL the son of John F. and Addaline (Larkin) Regan. John grew up in Mt. Sterling until the age of eight when his family moved to Decatur, IL. He married Evelyn Montroy in 1942.
John received his law degree in 1937 from the University of Denver. He established his first law office in Sullivan, IL and later moved his practice to Decatur concentrating on tax and estate law. He retired from his law practice in 1987 after a law career of 50 years.
John was a WWII veteran. He was recognized for his work in the 1960s with the NAACP as a legal advisor in attaining equal rights in restaurants and numerous employment issues. He was one of the founders of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Decatur. He had a passion for conservation and spent many years planting thousands of trees at his Mt. Sterling farm. He was awarded the Brown County Conservationist of the Year for his work in tree conservation. John also had a strong interest in genealogy/history. He spent his later years dedicated to compiling books of past news articles, that he felt were interesting, and donated them to local genealogical societies and libraries. He received an Honorary Life Membership in the Decatur Genealogical Society Library of Macon County in 2008. He was a generous supporter to the community of Kenney, IL to beautify the community and to promote the Kenney Heritage Association.
John’s long life might be attributed to his daily walks, no matter what the weather, and his ongoing projects.
We would like to thank the staff at Hickory Point Christian Village for their sincere loving care of John.
Surviving are three nieces, Charlotte Fuller-Cook of Baltimore, MD, Bonnie Marie Cox of Louisville, KY and Kathy Hirota of Honolulu, HI.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife Evelyn; and his three sisters.
Graveside services will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, January 6, 2021, at Randolph Cemetery (west of Kenney).
The family of John F. Regan, Jr. is being served by Graceland/Fairlawn Funeral Home, 2091 N. Oakland Ave. Decatur, IL. Please view the online obituary, send condolences, and share memories at www.gracelandfairlawn.com.
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