Obituary
Elmer Kellerman, 78, of The Villages, FL, passed away peacefully May 25, 2022, after a long illness. He was born to Eugene and Aurelia (Epplin) in Pinckneyville, IL in 1943. After completing high school, he graduated from Southern Illinois University where he studied architecture and design technology.
Because he wanted to serve others, in 1963 he joined the Peace Corps, which took him to Colombia, where he met Lucila, his future wife. They later moved to Paducah, KY where he began his career in architecture and building construction. The couple raised two daughters, Kathy and Diana. Elmer was very attentive to their upbringings, reading bedtime stories, helping with math homework, teaching them how to ride bikes and most importantly, how to be self-sufficient.
Elmer was a reserved man and especially enjoyed being surrounded by nature, building model railroads, watching Spaghetti Westerns, listening to classical music, cycling, and spending time with family. He rarely missed Sunday Mass. It took him several years to trace the family tree back to the 1600s amassing quite a collection of photos and documents – all before the internet existed. He left his creative imprint in the Paducah area through several homes and buildings he designed. In retirement, he enjoyed traveling and occasionally escaped Kentucky winters by heading to Colombia.
The couple moved to The Villages, FL in 2018 for the warm weather, joining Elmer’s siblings in the area. Elmer is survived by his wife of 56 years, Lucila, his daughters, and their husbands; Kathy Kellerman (David Backman) of Boston, MA, and Diana Kellerman (Randall Tatum) of Ellensburg, WA; siblings August Kellerman (Connie), Mary Heine, of The Villages, FL, Patricia Morgenthaler (John) of Winkle, IL, and Anthony Kellerman (Shawn) of DuQuoin, IL, several nieces and nephews and Jackson the cat.
He is preceded in death by his parents and several aunts and uncles.
A Funeral Mass will be held June 8 at St. Vincent De Paul.
In lieu of flowers, donations of service or financial may be sent to the Lupus Foundation of America, the Parkinson’s Foundation or to a charity of your choice.
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