Stephen 'Steve' A. Cannon

Stephen (Steve) Alan Cannon, 74, took the checkered flag on Thursday, September 17, 2015, at 10:35am. He drove many incredibly smooth and inspirational laps along the way, and he won with dignity. He demonstrated the "fight" in firefighter as he battled with Parkinson's Disease and Lewy Body Dementia for the past 2.5 years. In barber shop terms, he was "a cut above" the rest. Born October 28, 1940 and raised on the farm in Oakwood, IL, he was the son of Dorothy (Seymour) Dalbey, 97, and Leland Cannon (deceased). Steve was married to Sherry (Downing) Cannon of Danville, IL, for 29 years. He leaves behind his daughter, Pamela Lynn Cannon-Garcia (Michael) of Springfield, IL, and his son, Stephen Alan Cannon Jr. of Denver, CO. Other survivors include his grandchildren, Chloe Marie Garcia and Cannon Michael Garcia of Springfield, his brother, Mikel Cannon (Mary Kay) of Oakwood, his Aunt Ida Belle (Seymour) Condon of Oakwood, his nieces Jodie, Jill, Christine and Cathi, and many cousins and close friends. He was preceded in death by his brother, Larry Cannon, his stepfather, Frank Dalbey, and his uncles, Kenneth and Hubert Seymour. In his early years, Steve and his brothers were helping on the farm, playing football and getting into trouble as they learned all about cars. He was a good student and attended University of Illinois for a semester before joining his brothers as a licensed barber in Danville for 50 years. He operated his own barbershop and, in between haircuts, he decided to try the insurance business. He continued the insurance business for 30 years, later developing a niche in auto racing liability insurance. He joined the Danville Fire Department in 1968, serving the community for 29 years. While on the fire department, he was Firefighter of the Year, promoted to Lieutenant and also served as Union president. Steve was very active in politics as a staunch democrat in Vermilion County. He was elected twice and chairman of the Vermilion County Board of Review. Steve was an avid sports fan. He loved attending Illini football and basketball games with his friends and family. He played in a tennis league and enjoyed watching it on TV. He played pool with his friends around Danville and was a die hard Cubs fan, even watching them in his final days. His true passion was always auto racing. Steve was a racer. He began racing Modifieds in the early 1960's - even building his own cars - and was a natural talent both mechanically and behind the wheel. He advanced to the United States Auto Club (USAC) ranks in 1969 - driving Midgets, Sprints and Silver Crown. He had 21 USAC Midget victories and 12 track records in only 219 career starts, placing him 22nd on the all-time USAC wins list. Although he did this as a hobby, he finished in USAC Midget Top 10 in point standings on 4 occasions, running only half (or fewer) of the races during these seasons. Steve was the 1974 USAC Indoor Midget Champion, he tallied ten Top 10 finishes in only 31 Silver Crown starts and was the winner of a 50-mile Open Competition Sprint Feature on the Springfield Mile in 1971. He is currently nominated for the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame. A celebration of his life with family and friends will be held Sunday, September 20th, 2:00-5:00pm, at Sunset Funeral Home in Danville, IL, followed immediately by a memorial service at 5:00pm.Officiating will be Reverend Dr. Jimmy Hopper of First Presbyterian Church. A burial service will be held on Monday, September 21st, 10:00am, at Oakwood Cemetery.

Visitation Sep 20, 2015 Sunday, 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM Sunset Funeral Home and Cremation Center 3940 N. Vermilion Street Danville, IL 61834 Service Sep 20, 2015 Sunday, 5:00 PM Sunset Funeral Home and Cremation Center 3940 N. Vermilion Street Danville, IL 61834 Final Resting Place Oakwood Cemetery Oakwood, Illinois 61858