Cecil Leon "Lee" Stanford, 74, of Mendota died Jan. 8, 2015, from stroke complications at his residence.
Funeral services will be at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday in Merritt Funeral Home, Mendota, with the Rev. Michael Morrell officiating. Burial will take place at Millington-Newark Cemetery, Newark.
Visitation will be 4-7 p.m. Monday in Merritt Funeral Home, Mendota.
Mr. Stanford was born Oct. 6, 1940, in Marion County to Gail and Bertha (Cantrell) Stanford. He married Sandra Lee Gillispie on Nov. 17, 1962, in Earlville.
He first lived in the Ottawa area and then moved to Earlville, where he was raised by Bertie and Esther Stanfield, his uncle and aunt.
Lee and their son, Larry, grew up and lived together like brothers.
In 1959, he moved to Alaska where he worked for a year before moving back to the Earlville area. He was employed by Conco Inc. in Mendota as an industrial engineer for 32 years before retiring in 1995. He was a graduate of Earlville High School and a member of First Presbyterian Church, Mendota. He grew up loving the outdoors, enjoying both farming and hunting as a young man, and that closeness to nature stayed with him his entire life.
He is survived by his wife; three sons, Troy (Sherry) Stanford of Cherry, Travis (Carin) Stanford of Wisconsin and Trent (Jamie) Stanford of Mendota; grandchildren, Erin, Elizabeth (Lizzie), Amy, Riley, Trevor, Trenton Jr. ("TJ"), Theron and Cherokee (his "adopted granddaughter").
He was preceded in death by his parents; and one brother, Vernis.
Memorials may be directed to the family or to the donor's choice.