Jacob E. Lyons, 96 of Springfield, IL passed away peacefully on August 21, 2026. He was born February 26, 1930, in Chicago, the son of Jacob W. and Sarah E. (Jones) Lyons. Known to most as Jake, he grew up in Morrisonville and graduated from Morrisonville High School in 1948.
After high school Jake worked as a farm hand in Pawnee and then Pleasant Plains before being drafted into the Army in 1951. He served in the 101st Airborne out of Camp Breckenridge, KY and was sent to Korea for fifteen months, thirteen of which were in the 45th Infantry Division. After returning to Springfield in 1953, Jake worked for Illinois Road Equipment Co., working his way up to a parts manager position until the company went out of business in 1985. He worked for the State of Illinois before retiring in 1997.
Jake met his future wife of seventy-two years, Dorothy Arlene Schumacher, when both were invited to go roller skating with mutual friends around the holidays in 1950. They kept in touch while he was overseas, with Arlene mailing him tins of homemade cookies, and he surprised her by arriving home from Korea earlier than expected. They were married at Trinity Lutheran Church, Springfield, on November 8, 1953.
Jake designed and built a home for his family, working on it during evenings and weekends in 1959 – 1960. He and his wife lived in that home until 2025. Jake enjoyed being an active member of Trinity Lutheran Church, serving in many roles. In retirement, Jake especially enjoyed restoring old bicycles, rebuilding and reselling over 150 bikes and creating his own bicycle with a sidecar that he rode in parades.
Jake was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, John Lyons, and Huey Lyons; and his daughter’s husband, Randy Ridley.
He is survived by his wife Arlene Lyons; two daughters, Jan (Richard) Zepp of Springfield, and Cindy Ridley of Memphis, TN; three grandchildren, Kevin (Erin) Zepp of Springfield, Amy Zepp of Springfield, and Christina (Barney) Katzerman, of Colorado Springs, CO; and five great-grandchildren, Ben Zepp, Katie Zepp, Anni Zepp, Ezra Katzerman, and baby Katzerman due February 2027.
Visitation: 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm, Tuesday, August 25, 2026, at Staab Funeral Home – Springfield.
Funeral Service: 10:00 AM, Wednesday, August 26, 2026, at Staab Funeral Home – Springfield with Rev. Johnathan Sharp officiating. Burial will follow at Oak Ridge Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to Trinity Lutheran Church or Trinity School Music Fund.
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