Raymond George Hollmann

Raymond George Hollmann, 95, of Lincolnshire, Illinois, passed away peacefully on July 11, 2026, at Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital in Lake Forest, Illinois, surrounded by family. He lived most of his life in Jackson and St. Clair Counties in Southwestern Illinois before moving to the Sedgebrook Senior Living Community in Lincolnshire in 2024.

He was born on November 8, 1930, in Jacob, Illinois, to Herman and Adela Hollmann (née Kaufmann). He attended Christ Lutheran School in Jacob, Illinois, and graduated from Gorham Community High School, Gorham, Illinois, in 1948. After serving in the United States Air Force from 1950 to 1954 as a teletype operator in Japan, he returned to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale, graduating with a bachelor's degree in education in 1958 and a master's degree in education in 1959. He later attended the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he received a reading specialist certificate.

He married Juanita Vogel at Christ Lutheran Church in Jacob, Illinois, on August 15, 1959. They raised three children, Mark, Jan, and Amy, in Fairview Heights, Illinois.

Ray's first job as an English teacher was at New Baden Community High School, New Baden, Illinois, for the 1957-1958 school year. From there he went on to O’Fallon Township High School, O'Fallon, Illinois, where he taught from 1958 until 1987 and served as chairman of the English department.

He also was an adjunct English instructor at Belleville Area College (now Southwestern Illinois College), Belleville, Illinois, and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. While teaching, he was an active member of the Illinois Education Association and the Illinois Association of Teachers of English (IATE). He was elected as president of the IATE, which subsequently awarded him an honorary lifetime membership in appreciation of his service.

In retirement Ray sold water purifiers, collected and sold water-lily seed pods, and raised and sold white asparagus. He also volunteered at The Henry White Experimental Farm in Millstadt, Illinois, and worked to legalize the use of hemp in farming.

He was a longtime member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Fairview Heights, Illinois, and a member and one-time master of the St. Louis Rosicrucian Lodge in Webster Groves, Missouri. He was elected as a charter director of the Illinois Citizens Utility Board, and served as a member of the board of directors of the St. Clair County Soil and Water District. His main avocational activities were sailing on Carlyle and Silver Lakes, writing letters to the editors of local newspapers, and performing banjo sing-a-longs at local nursing homes and assisted-living facilities.

He was preceded in death by his parents; a twin brother, Freeman; and his older brother, Ralph, and sister-in-law Lornie Hollmann.

He is survived by his beloved wife of 66 years, Juanita, of Lincolnshire, Illinois; son Mark (Jillian) Hollmann, of New York, New York; daughter Jan (Michael) Smith of North Barrington, Illinois; daughter Amy (John) Miller of Houston, Texas; grandsons Glen and Joel Smith and Oliver and Tucker Hollmann; and granddaughters Claire and Eleanor Miller.

The family would like to thank the staff at Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital, Lake Forest, Illinois for their care and support.

A memorial service will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 6 at Sedgebrook Senior Living Community, 800 Audubon Way, Lincolnshire, Illinois. A private internment will be held the following day. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Illinois Citizens Utility Board at https://www.citizensutilityboard.org.