Burton Cecil Jr., age 76, of Maquon, Illinois died at 11:32 on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, at the Knox County Nursing Home surrounded by his family.
He was born on June 29, 1949, in Peoria, Illinois the son of Burton and Phyllis (Thurman) Cecil, Sr. He served his country in the United States Army. He married Jody (Curry) Cecil on April 12, 1970
Surviving are his daughters, Kari Cecil of Galesburg, Illinois and Leslie (Kent) Jones of Abingdon, Illinois; three grandchildren: Hayley Allison, Madison Jones, Kaden Jones; his cousins, Bill Coykendall, Patricia Dwyer, Sharon Pray and Jody Hamby. He was preceded in death by his parents and one cousin, Katie Fears.
He was a farmer and mechanic all of his life. In his younger years he worked at Strode’s Garage, Wright’s Chevrolet, and was the owner/operator of Do it Right Autobody. He was a Repo Man at Falcon International Corporation in Daytona Beach, Florida. When he moved back to Illinois, he worked for the Elmwood School District until he retired. While retired he opened and owned BR’s Place until 2023. He was Trustee of the Maquon Fire Department. He enjoyed listening to music, tinkering with machinery and a few cold Budweiser beers with friends.
Visitation will be from 1-2 p.m. on Saturday, August 2, 2025, at the Hurd-Hendricks Funeral Homes and Crematory in Knoxville, Illinois, with a memorial service starting at 2 p.m. Memorials may be made to the Maquon Fire Department or the Faith Donsbach Memorial Scholarship Fund. On-line condolences and/or expressions of sympathy may be sent through www.hurd-hendricksfuneralhome.com
