Cleo 'Lee' Henry Ely

Cleo Lee Henry Ely, 90, of Danville, formerly of Rantoul, passed away at 3:30 a.m. Saturday, August 5, 2006 at VA Illiana Health Care Systems in Danville. Lee was born on October 9, 1915 in Galesburg, Illinois, the son of Charles and Bertha (Richardson) Ely. He married Doris Ann Stearns on February 22, 1947 in Philo, Illinois. She preceded him in death on May 16, 2004. He is survived by his one son- Richard (Laurie) Ely of Coconut Creek, Florida; one daughter- Judi (Tom) Johnson of Bismarck, Illinois; two grandchildren- Eric (Tara) Johnson and Jennifer (Richard) Martinez both of Bismarck; four grandchildren- Hailey Johnson, Sabrina Martinez, Anthony Martinez, And Adriana Martinez all of Bismarck. He was preceded in death by his parents, wife, seven brothers, and two sisters. Lee enlisted in the Army on February 25, 1936. While serving in the Philippine Islands at the beginning of WWII, he was taken Prisoner of War. After surviving the Bataan Death March and a number of Japanese prison camps, he was liberated in August of 1945. In 1946, he transferred to the Air Force and served in Alaska, Korea, Bermuda, and bases within the U.S. After retiring from the military in July of 1966, he began a second career as a Civilian Employee at Chanute Air Force Base until his retirement in January of 1982, with a total of 43 years of federal service. Lee enjoyed spending his time in Florida during the winter. His hobbies were gardening, bicycling and walking. He loved animals and always had a pocket full of dog biscuits for the dogs. He was a member of the Rantoul Masonic Lodge, VFW, and the American Ex-Prisoners of War. A celebration of the life of Cleo Lee Henry Ely will be at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, August 8, 2006 at Sunset Funeral Home and Cremation Center, with Rev. Miles Clark officiating. Visitation will be from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the funeral home on Tuesday. Burial will be held at Danville National Cemetery. Full military rites will be conducted by American Legion Post #210.