John R. Boyer, 86 of Heyworth, IL passed away 9:15 PM August 5, 2025 at his home in Heyworth, IL.

Services will be 6 PM, Tuesday, August 12, 2025 at Calvert Funeral Home, Clinton, IL with Adam Brucker officiating. Graveside services will be 11 AM, Wednesday, August 13, 2025 at the Ohio Cemetery, West Union, IL. Visitation will be 4-6 PM, Tuesday, August 12, 2025 at the funeral home.

Memorials may be directed to the Alzheimer’s Foundation.

John was born March 16, 1939 in rural Clark County, IL the son of Russel and Ruth (Arbuckle) Boyer. He married Gladys J. Waren June 12, 1965 in Catlin, IL. She passed away August 13, 2017.

Survivors include his children, Leigh (Larry Ulrey) Kimmel, Indianapolis, IN; Brian Russell Boyer, Bloomington, IL; Kevin Thomas (Angela) Boyer, Bloomington, IL; Brad Allen Boyer, San Jose, CA; two grandchildren, Joanna Lynn Boyer and Joshua John Boyer.

He was preceded in death by his parents and one brother, James A. Boyer.

Over his long life, John Boyer was a son, a brother, a husband, a father, and a grandfather. He worked in a variety of agricultural fields, from Co-operative Extension and Soil Conservation Service to teaching agriculture, selling seed corn and farming for many years. He also was a surveyor and a security guard and proudly served his country in the US Army as a signal analyst in Korea near the DMZ.

After retiring, he and his wife Gladys Boyer decided to move to Heyworth, where they could be closer to their rural roots. He was active in his community and with his family, particularly his two grandchildren. He forged strong bonds with his neighbors and kept up his connections with extended family, regularly attending family reunions. He was a generous donor to a number of causes, from First Christian Church of Clinton and the University of Illinois to veterans' charities and Indian schools.

As his wife of five decades began to struggle with memory and it became clear she was suffering from a neurodegenerative condition; he took care of her for the next four years.  His dedicated caregiving enabled her to live the rest of her life in her own home, including home hospice care at the end.

For the next eight years he would continue to live in the home they had shared, hosting family holiday gatherings for his children and grandchildren. He maintained close ties with his neighbors and with the church.

Now that he is gone, we find that he has left a painful hole in our hearts.

Online condolences may be made at www.calvertmemorial.com