Richard "Rick" W. Hurd

Richard “Rick” W. Hurd, 75, of Rantoul, passed away on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, at his home. He was born on June 5, 1951, in Cheyenne, WY, the son of James and Lila (Stewart) Hurd. Rick married Pamela Miller on December 5, 1970 at Chanute Air Force Base in Rantoul. He is survived by his wife, Pamela Hurd of Rantoul; four children, Vickie (Ed) Obermiller of Malta, Paulette (Matthew) Whitcomb of Sycamore, Jeff Hurd of Rantoul, and Elizabeth Hurd of Cincinnati, OH; six grandchildren, Rachel Obermiller of San Antonio, TX, Megan (Cameron) Spragg, Lindsey Obermiller, James Obermiller, Rebecca Obermiller, and Michael Obermiller, all of Malta; and five great-grandchildren, Daniel, Noah, Tom, Riley, and Annabeth. He is also survived by his sister, Beverly (Mike) Beights of Lafayette, IN; a niece and nephew, Stacey (Chris) Helle of Farmington, and Chad (Kristy) Beights of Marion, IN; and his beloved Bedlington Terrier, Sweetie Rose. He was preceded in death by his parents; a great-grandson, Colton; and beloved pets, Joker, Nugget, King, Lucky, Shadow, Atlas, and Sugar. Rick was someone who liked to stay busy and was always working on a project. He enjoyed playing the guitar, fishing, Ham radios, building models, computers, trains, family camping trips, bowling, reading, and spending time with his dogs, especially his beloved Bedlington Terriers. He was a fan of Thunderbirds and Top Gun and enjoyed helping create a realistic Darth Vader cosplay costume that was loved by all. Rick generously gave his time to the organizations he cared about. He served as Treasurer for Unit 4 School District, was involved with the Parent Teacher Association for the Deaf, was Scoutmaster of Boy Scouts of America Pack 32, served as President of the Champaign County Ham Radio Club, and volunteered doing the Champaign County Soap Box Derby for several years. Since June 2018, he had also been a dedicated member of the Champaign County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue team. Rick's career reflected his love of electronics and problem-solving. He began working at just 17 years old at Chanute Air Force Base in Rantoul repairing car radios, which then led him to become a TV shop owner and work at Seiberts Sales and Repairs in Paxton. He later worked for SpacePort, as the Regional Manager, from 1982 to 1987, before spending 30 years as an engineer for WICD Television (now FOX), where he worked from 1987 until 2017. A visitation will be held on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, from 11:00 a.m., until the funeral service at 1:00 p.m., at Cox-Knapp Funeral Home in Paxton (142 W. Patton St.). Burial will follow at Elmwood Cemetery in Rantoul. Memorials may be made to the family.

Richard "Rick" W. Hurd

June 5, 1951 - July 21, 2026