Lester Prahl

Lester Eugene Prahl, 77, passed away on February 25, 2018 surrounded by his loving family in his home in Mattoon, IL.

Originally from the Stewardson and Mattoon areas, he attended school at the Illinois School for the Deaf in Jacksonville, IL.  He raised his family in Champaign, IL, spent over 30 years working for The News Gazette, and was a lifetime member of the International Typographical Union. 

Lester was born on April 30, 1940 in Stewardson, IL.  He was the son of Lester R. Prahl and Lucille (Hightshoe) and Frank Ferris, Sr.  He married Barbara (Herring) on March 7, 1970. 

He is survived by his wife, Barbara, daughters Kerry Ann (Christopher) Considine and Karla Lee (Brian) Moore.  And three grandchildren, Courtney Considine (San Jose, CA), Kasey Considine, and Camdyn Considine. 

Lester enjoyed a glorious road trip and traveling.  He lived all over the country and enjoyed having a cold Budweiser in cities all over the globe.  He was fond of fast cars, especially Chevrolets.  He was an incredible Fighting Illini fan with football season tickets and enjoyed being a member of the parking staff which secured excellent tailgating spots. He was an avid Cardinal fan who enjoyed the rivalry between his Cub fan family and friends. His sense of humor never encountered a language barrier.  Lester was a man who made friends with everyone he met, he will be remembered as the life of the party, and adored his family.

A celebration of Lester’s life will be at Owens Funeral Home in Champaign on Saturday March 3, 2018, from 12-2PM.  Memorial service will begin at 2pm at the funeral home. Burial will immediately follow the service at Mt Hope Cemetery.

Memorial donations in his honor may be made online to Carle Cancer Center (https://carle.org/give/donate).

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Lester Prahl, please visit our floral store.