Charles Theodore "Ted" Yates Obituary (1924 - 2019)

Charles Theodore "Ted" Yates, 95, of Bloomington, Illinois, formerly of Le Roy, Illinois, passed away at 5:55 p.m. Sunday, November 3, 2019, at Advocate BroMenn Medical Center, Normal, Illinois. Visitation will be from 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Sunday, November 10, 2019, at Calvert-Belangee-Bruce Funeral Home, Le Roy, Illinois. His funeral service will follow at 2:00 p.m. at the funeral home, with Pastor Stacy Landry officiating. Burial will be in Oak Grove Cemetery, Le Roy, Illinois. Memorial donations may be made to the Central Illinois Humane Society, 423 Kays Drive, Normal, Illinois, 61761. Ted was born October 17, 1924, in Heyworth, Illinois, to Charles McClellan and Vena May Jordan Yates. He married Bert Poindexter on March 24, 1951 in Edwardsville, Illinois. She passed away September 19, 1997. He is survived by his daughter, Deborah (Michael) Scybert of Bloomington, Illinois; sister, Mildred Vittitoe of Louisville, Kentucky; granddaughter, Sarah (Christopher) Shaw of Las Vegas, Nevada; two great-grandchildren, London and Addison Shaw. He was preceded in death by his parents, wife, and two sisters, Ruth Warsaw and Marilyn Taylor. Ted was raised on a farm and worked on other local farms growing up. This led to his love for the outdoors where he was an avid hunter, fisherman, and gardener. He worked as a truck driver for many years. He then worked for Schwulst Building Center as a crane operator. After retirement, he mowed lawns in his hometown of Le Roy. Throughout his life he would plant large vegetable gardens. He was especially proud of his tomatoes and strawberries. He bowled for many years and loved watching the St. Louis Cardinals and working his Sudoku puzzles, which kept his mind sharp. If something was broken, he could fix it and was always there to lend a helping hand. Anyone who knew Ted knew how he loved his cigars, and he was never without one. His greatest love was his family, which he was very proud of.