Robert (Bob) Carol Lauchner, 95, of Philo, Illinois, passed away at home on July 26, 2025.  He was born as the third of five children to parents Ruth (Ford) and Aaron Hawthorne Lauchner on June 25th, 1930, in Urbana, Illinois, at Carle Hospital (when it was a house).  Bob grew up in Urbana, IL and graduated from Urbana High School in 1948 as a Valedictorian and captain of the football, basketball and track teams.  He was recently elected to the Urbana High School Hall of Fame.  Bob graduated from The University of Illinois in 1953 with a degree in Liberal Arts & Sciences with an emphasis in Political Science.  After completing his ROTC Program, he was deployed for a two-year stint as an officer in the US Army Security Agency serving on the frontlines between North and South Korea and in Tokyo.  

Upon his return he married Betty Ann Berryhill of Decatur, IL, on July 8, 1955, at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Decatur, Illinois.  They celebrated 70 years of marriage in July of 2025. Bob is survived by his wife Betty, son Jeff Lauchner, daughter Carrie (Lauchner) Owji and her husband Tony, son Christopher Lauchner and his wife Carole (Cowgill) Lauchner, son Robert E. Lauchner and his wife Sherri (Grewe) Lauchner and son Andrew Lauchner.  Bob is also survived by his grandchildren Aaron, Allen, and Jasmine Owji, Devynne Lauchner, Kaitlyn and Jason Lauchner, Jackie Kumaran plus great grandchildren Cyrus Owji, Hunter Lauchner and Leo and Jack Kumaran. Bob is also survived by his brother Joel Lauchner and Joel's wife Wandrea, sisters-in-law Virginia (Slater) Lauchner and Karen (Berryhill) Maddox, as well as many nephews, nieces, and their families. 

Bob was predeceased by his parents Ruth (Ford) and Aaron Hawthorne Lauchner, sister Patricia Mary (Lauchner) Herrling, brother Julian (Bus) Lauchner, and sister Judy (Lauchner) Grinstein.

Bob had a variety of jobs starting at age 10, first delivering newspapers then on to a job at the local pool making sure everyone stepped into the disinfection bucket before entering the pool. Another job was counting the number of flies on cows to see if there were fewer on the sides treated with experimental fly deterrent. Of course, being in Illinois, he also detasseled corn plants.  During college, Bob was the Student President of the YMCA and one summer he laid cement for the runway of the new Rantoul Naval Air Station. 

After getting married, Bob attended Johns Hopkins University intending to be a schoolteacher but switched to African Studies in the hopes of joining the US State Department.  However, Mobil Oil Corporation was looking for strong candidates willing to move overseas and Bob and Betty quickly jumped on the opportunity due to their growing family.  He began his career working in New York City (NYC), but soon was offered a position in Nigeria.  The pay in Nigeria was high, partly because in the 1950s the African continent was known as “the white man's grave” due to Anglos not having immunity to local diseases. Thus began a long and prosperous career with Mobil. He began in Employee Relations and one of his assignments was to integrate local Nigerians into Mobil Oil Corporation. 

After Nigeria Bob continued to be promoted and sent to NYC; Paris, France; Caracas, Venezuela; back to NYC; London, England and back to NYC again. His final move was to Richmond, Virginia. Bob worked for Mobil for 35 years and retired in Richmond in 1987.  Through most of these moves, Bob would move ahead of the family to get settled in the job and find a place big enough to hold a family of 7.  He always made our arrivals special with toys in our bedrooms to make our new house feel like a home.  Betty and Bob lived a happy busy retired life in the Richmond area for 20+ years golfing, volunteering, being active church members, playing bridge and hosting family gatherings.  In 2007, Betty and Bob got the itch to return to their origins and moved to Philo, Illinois.  They have enjoyed the past 18 years in the beautiful prairies and farmland of their childhoods. They attended Philo Presbyterian Church and were active as elders, deacons and committee heads while also singing in the choir with Bob providing his booming bass voice.  

For 69 years Bob also provided love, support, and guidance to his five children and their families as well as extended family.  In 2021 we finally learned some details of his “secret” mission working for the US Army Security Agency in Korea and Japan when he allowed a professional interview of his army time but he kept his promise to keep all the details secret despite it being 70+ years later.

Bob was renowned for his amazing memory for history and would regale everyone with fascinating stories from the past.    Bob loved golfing, playing bridge and antiquing with Betty.  They were both great collectors of antique biscuit barrels amassing close to 600 over the years.

While living overseas the entire family would return to the United States and visit family in Illinois. In 1971 Bob and Betty bought a cabin in north central Minnesota on a lake surrounded by five acres of woods. It was there at the cabin that many wonderful memories of fishing, boating, playing croquet, and sitting on the beach howling at the moon were made. The cabin was a wonderful gift to all of the extended family and remained in the family til 2007. Many cousins and friends were also able to enjoy this magical place. Bob especially loved relaxing there in the summer after working hard all year. 

Bob/Dad is greatly missed by all who knew and loved him but will live forever in our memories as a loving father, husband, brother, uncle and friend.  In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Beta Theta Pi Fraternal Organization or the Philo Volunteer Fire Department in Philo, Illinois.

A private family celebration is planned.