Larry W. Schumacher

Larry Ward Schumacher, 91, of Savoy, passed away peacefully on October 1, 2023 at Autumn Fields Assisted Living in Savoy, Illinois.

He was born on April 8th, 1932 in Bloomington, Illinois and grew up the younger son of John Henry Schumacher and Edna Ward Schumacher in Champaign, Illinois.

He was a Boy Scout, and a varsity athlete, playing basketball at Champaign High School, earning an athletic scholarship to the University of Illinois where he played his freshman year. He later transferred to Depauw University, where he met his wife, Elaine Zarda, and they were married on November 6th, 1954 in Barrington, Illinois. They then settled in Champaign, where Larry worked in his father’s campustown clothing store. In 1973 he left the family business, and became first a Realtor, then a Real Estate Broker and Appraiser, founding several local firms including Landmark Real Estate and Century 21 Schumacher, Bannon and Taylor. During this time, he raised a family of four, enjoyed camping, fishing, hunting, chess, golf, and travel, and remained a Chicago Cubs fan all his life. In 2017, they moved briefly to Huntley, Illinois, but Larry considered himself a lifelong resident of Champaign, and returned to the city of his youth for good in 2020.

He is preceded in death by his brother, John T. Schumacher, and by his son, Charles W. Schumacher. He is survived by Elaine Z. Schumacher, his wife of 68 years; his children, John Schumacher (Carol Stack), Champaign; Lisa Simpson (David), Rockville, MD; and William Schumacher (Paula), Bartlett, IL; by his Grandchildren, Laura Simpson (Chris), Montpelier, VT; Justin Simpson (Alex), Rockville, MD; Jack Schumacher (Jill), Annapolis, MD; Lauren Schumacher (Terry Torres), Framingham, MA ; Daniel Warner Schumacher, Boston, MA; Kate Schumacher, Chicago, IL; Will Schumacher, Forest Park, IL; David Schumacher, Bartlett, IL; and Bennett Schumacher, Bartlett, IL; and by his Great-Grandchildren, Roderick Matheson, Evelyn Simpson, and Hunter Simpson.

As a long-standing fan of the Fighting Illini and member of the University’s Varsity “I” Club, he will be laid to rest at Mt. Hope Cemetery in Champaign, along the extended 40-yard line of nearby Memorial Stadium. Per his request (“Go golfing!”) no memorial will be held.

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