Richard Harlan Klockenga

Richard was born June 10,1940 in Peoria to the late George and late Frances (Schleder) Klockenga Jr. He married Jane (Kozikowski) Klockenga on October 14,1995. She survives.

From a previous marriage to the late Marilyn Gepford, Richard had two children who he adored. Vicki L (the late Richard) Willis and Tony A. (Michelle) Klockenga; four grandchildren Dustin Willis, Timothy Willis, Tony A Klockenga Jr., Jaclyn (Coleman) Mullins and one great grandchild, Eliah Willis.

Richard had three sisters Georgia Lee (the late Harold) Shields of Alabama, she survives, the late Shirley (the late Virgil) Cranford, the late Doris Klockenga and many beloved nieces and nephews.

Richard graduated from Richwoods high school in 1958 and immediately after graduation he joined the Navy. He served as an Aviation Electrician Air Crewman with the Naval Air Transport Squadron TwentyTwo based in Norfolk, Virginia.

Richard was a proud journeyman wireman with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 34 since 1967 and worked in many locals across the country until his retirement in 2003. He was a Master Mason with the Grandview Lodge No.1112; a member of the German American Society Sport Verein Club and he also loved to run and was involved in the Illinois Valley Striders and rode many miles on his bike.

Richard was possessed by an infectious spirit for the outdoors from a young boy to adulthood. He was an avid fisherman and hunter. He spent many years in Two Rivers Wisconsin on Lake Michigan the captain of his boat “Loner” where “Fun Fishing Only” was his trademark which he shared with so many loved ones and friends through the years. In the fall he climbed into tree stands to hunt deer and in winter he was on the ice with his son Tony and son in law Rick catching crappies and bluegills.

In spring he was cultivating his vegetable garden, foraging for tasty morel mushrooms, how he and his wife Jane fostered and kept track of hundreds of purple martins housing them in self-carved gourds, and in his entrepreneurial endeavor as the proprietor of Loner Flies that have been catching award winning fish on the Great Lakes for decades.

This is the end of an era. Rich was in ways bigger than life. His smile and laugh were infectious, he captivated everyone with his stories, he never met a stranger and his mischievous pranks for a bit of amusement will truly be missed by many.

A memorial visitation will be held Sunday, June 22, 2025 from 10:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. at Davison-Fulton Woolsey Wilton Funeral Home, Peoria; with military honors being rendered at 12:30 p.m. Following the military honors, everyone is invited to the Lindenhof at 7601 N Harker Dr Peoria Il 61615 for continued celebration of Richard's life.

In the hearts of those who loved him, he will always be treasured forever in our memory.

If anyone would like to donate in honor of Richard, he would like it to go to Eloise Norris (great-great niece) who is suffering from the same heart disease that he developed. Eloise is a patient in the St Louis Children's Hospital awaiting a heart transplant.

To donate: https://gofund.me/045fe8d8 or to Eloise Norris c/o B. Norris 11812 W. Farmington Rd. Hanna City, Il. 61536