Howard Decker
Howard Decker
Dec. 27, 1935- April 1, 2026
Howard Decker, 90 of Sun City Center, FL, formerly of Mattoon, IL, was called home by his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on April 1, 2026, in Sun City Center, FL.
A graveside service in his honor was held at 10 a.m., Friday, April 10, 2026, at Dodge Grove Cemetery in Mattoon. Reverend Ron Dickinson officiated. Mitchell-Jerdan Funeral Home, 1200 Wabash Avenue, Mattoon, IL 61938 is in charge of services.
He was born on December 27, 1935, in Mattoon, IL, a son of Frank and Reba Blanche Strohl Decker. He married Eleanor (Ellie) Eastwood in 1963 in Normal. She died in 2012. In 2015 he married Doris Trayner Carey, who survives.
Also surviving are one stepson, Michael Carey (Donna) of Palmetto, FL, and one stepdaughter, Katrina Williams (Tom) of Apollo Beach, FL. Howard was preceded in death by his parents, one brother and two sisters.
Howard was a 1954 graduate of Mattoon High School and also earned both bachelors and masters degrees from Eastern Illinois University. In the late 1950s he served as sports editor of the Mattoon Journal-Gazette and in the 1960s was chairman of the English department at East Peoria Community High School and, later, Morton High School.
From 1974 until 1995 he was president of Spectrum Educational Media, Inc. and also founded Spectrum Printing in Mattoon. Prior to that, he wrote and photographed for various New York and Chicago educational publishers and authored the textbook Newspaper Workshop, published by Globe Book Company of New York.
He was a member of Trinity Baptist Church of Sun City Center, where he served as church clerk, chairman of the body of deacons and a Bible study teacher. For nearly 40 years he was a member of First United Methodist Church of Mattoon and was also a member of Mattoon Golf and Country Club for 25 years.
For two years he served as an emergency medical responder on the Sun City Center Emergency Squad ambulances.
A Celebration of Life will be held May 9 at 11 a.m. at Trinity Baptist Church, 702 W. Del Webb Blvd., Sun City Center. In lieu of flowers, friends may make a memorial contribution in his memory to Trinity Baptist Church of Sun City Center, First United Methodist Church of Mattoon or Lincolnland Hospice at Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center.
Dec. 27, 1935- April 1, 2026
Howard Decker, 90 of Sun City Center, FL, formerly of Mattoon, IL, was called home by his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on April 1, 2026, in Sun City Center, FL.
A graveside service in his honor was held at 10 a.m., Friday, April 10, 2026, at Dodge Grove Cemetery in Mattoon. Reverend Ron Dickinson officiated. Mitchell-Jerdan Funeral Home, 1200 Wabash Avenue, Mattoon, IL 61938 is in charge of services.
He was born on December 27, 1935, in Mattoon, IL, a son of Frank and Reba Blanche Strohl Decker. He married Eleanor (Ellie) Eastwood in 1963 in Normal. She died in 2012. In 2015 he married Doris Trayner Carey, who survives.
Also surviving are one stepson, Michael Carey (Donna) of Palmetto, FL, and one stepdaughter, Katrina Williams (Tom) of Apollo Beach, FL. Howard was preceded in death by his parents, one brother and two sisters.
Howard was a 1954 graduate of Mattoon High School and also earned both bachelors and masters degrees from Eastern Illinois University. In the late 1950s he served as sports editor of the Mattoon Journal-Gazette and in the 1960s was chairman of the English department at East Peoria Community High School and, later, Morton High School.
From 1974 until 1995 he was president of Spectrum Educational Media, Inc. and also founded Spectrum Printing in Mattoon. Prior to that, he wrote and photographed for various New York and Chicago educational publishers and authored the textbook Newspaper Workshop, published by Globe Book Company of New York.
He was a member of Trinity Baptist Church of Sun City Center, where he served as church clerk, chairman of the body of deacons and a Bible study teacher. For nearly 40 years he was a member of First United Methodist Church of Mattoon and was also a member of Mattoon Golf and Country Club for 25 years.
For two years he served as an emergency medical responder on the Sun City Center Emergency Squad ambulances.
A Celebration of Life will be held May 9 at 11 a.m. at Trinity Baptist Church, 702 W. Del Webb Blvd., Sun City Center. In lieu of flowers, friends may make a memorial contribution in his memory to Trinity Baptist Church of Sun City Center, First United Methodist Church of Mattoon or Lincolnland Hospice at Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center.