Hank L. Jefford

Hank L. Jefford, 90, of Mahomet, Illinois, passed away on June 22, 2026 at Carle Hospital, Urbana. One of six children, Hank was born on January 31, 1936, in Pekin, Illinois, to Charles & Caroline (Helman) Jefford. He married Nila Jo Bachtold on August 15, 1965. She survives.

Hank was a multi-sport athlete at Pekin High School, an accomplished Golden Gloves boxer who finished 2nd in a 10-state Midwest regional, then a college athlete on the Greenville College baseball team, where he received his BS in Education. He served in the Army Reserves before he went on to receive an MS in Physical Education from Indiana University, and later a PhD in Philosophy from Trinity College of the Bible.

Hank was a teacher and coach for most of his life, retiring after 30 years to then start his own painting business. During his time as a coach of multiple sports, Hank was most successful in the sport of basketball, amassing 295 wins over 14 seasons, as well as 4 appearances in the Michigan ACE State Tournament (with 2 state championships) and 2 appearances in the Illinois ACSI State Tournament. His love of sports continued on as an avid fan of Illini athletics, and most importantly to him, his beloved New York Yankees. His main hobby, though, was following and supporting the Mahomet-Seymour High School wrestling team, where he could be found at most meets keeping his own set of in-depth team statistics.

Hank was a gregarious man who always enjoyed meeting new people and conversing with others on a variety of topics. He was a member of Faith Church in Urbana, Illinois, where he served as a board member and a part-time teacher at Kingswood School. At Kingswood, he created and taught a vocabulary class for 30 years.

He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers William, Charles and Rudy, and sisters Irene and Lucy. He leaves behind his wife of 60 years; a daughter, Loralee (Kevin) Kelsey, Mahomet, IL; a son, Craig (Stacey) Jefford, Westfield, IN; and three grandchildren, Nat Chapman, Nashville, TN; Taylor Kelsey, Mahomet, IL; Maddie (Austin) Kelsey, Urbana, IL.

Funeral services will be at Faith Church, 2111 N. Willow Rd. Urbana, IL 61801 at 11am June 27, 2026 followed by burial at Mt Olive Cemetery in Urbana. Visitation will be held from 6-8pm on Friday, June 26 at Sunset Funeral Home, 710 N. Neil St. Champaign, IL 61820 and from 10-11am Saturday, June 27 at the church. 

Please join Hank’s family in sharing memories, photos, and videos on his tribute wall at www.sunsetfuneralhome.com.