Raymond S. Bial

Raymond S. Bial, 72, passed away on January 1, 2021 of heart failure.

Raymond was born in Danville, Illinois, on November 5, 1948, the son of Marion and Catherine (Jackse) Bial. After a peripatetic childhood with a father in the military, Raymond and his family returned to Danville, where he graduated from Schlarman High School in 1967. He received both his B.A. in political science and history (1970) and his M.S. in library science (1979) from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Shortly after beginning library school in June, 1978, Raymond met his future wife, Linda LaPuma. They married in August, 1979.

Raymond went on to become the director of the library at Parkland College, but his true passions were for photography and writing. He published several books of beautiful photographs, and he was also a prolific author of photoessays on a variety of topics for children, many of which won awards. All his books express his love of the American landscape, its history, and its people. He also published works of fiction for children.

Raymond’s greatest joy in life, however, was to be a husband, father, and grandfather. He is survived by his wife, Linda, and their three children, Anna (Jack Tsai), Sarah, and Luke (Tam Dinh), and two grandchildren, Sebastian and Marina. He is also survived by his brothers John (Cindy Herrington) and Mark (Janet), and sister Catherine. He was predeceased by his parents and his brother William.

Raymond’s deep love and kindness toward animals was one of his most outstanding qualities. If you wish to make a donation in his memory, please consider a pet rescue organization. There will be no services at this time.

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