Gary Jay Bond

Born March 20, 1941 in Dahlgren to Raymond L. and Orpha L. (Steele) Bond, he married Tobi L. DeKalb on October 8, 1966 in Pekin. She died October 15, 2018 in Green Valley. He also was preceded in death by his parents; one brother, Marvin Bond and one sister, Zana Beckman.

Surviving are three sons, Troy (Gilbert) Bond of Franklin, Indiana, Rory (Amy) Bond of Muncie, Indiana and Mark (Michelle) Bond of Pekin; one daughter, Gina (Elmer) Brown of Pekin; ten grandchildren; one great-granddaughter; three brothers, Gayle Bond of Peoria, Jerry (Karen) Bond of Austin, Texas and David (Nancy) Bond of Washington and three sisters, Sharon Funk, Debbie (John) Dorothy and Linda Parker, all of Peoria.

Gary was a United States Army veteran of the Vietnam War era.

He retired from SBC (formerly of Ameritech and Illinois Bell) in 1999 with 32 years of service.

Gary enjoyed gardening and spending time with his children and grandkids. He also was a nature lover and enjoyed being outdoors. He enjoyed genealogy and researching his family history dating back to 800 A.D. and was passionate about photography, birdwatching and short wave radio.

He was a member of Faith Baptist Church in Pekin, where he served many years as a Deacon and bus captain.

His funeral will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, May 25, 2021 at Preston-Hanley Funeral Homes & Crematory in Pekin. Pastor Rory Bond, his son, will officiate. Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Prairie Haven Cemetery in Pekin, with military rites accorded by the United States Army and the Tazewell Area Ceremonial Team.

Memorial contributions may be made to Faith Baptist Christian School, 1501 Howard Court, Pekin, Illinois 61554.

To express condolences online, visit www.preston-hanley.com