David Lloyd Lake (81) of Effingham

David Lloyd Lake, 81, of Effingham, IL, died on Wednesday, April 19, 2017 at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, MO.

Memorial services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Monday, April 24 at the Watson United Methodist Church in Watson, with the Rev. Jim Whitaker officiating. Visitation will be from 10:00 a.m. until the time of service Monday at the church. Lunch will be served in the community room of the church immediately after the service. Services are in the care of Johnson Funeral Home in Effingham. Memorials may be made in loving memory of David to the Watson United Methodist Church Community Outreach Program or donor’s choice.

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David was born on June 17, 1935, in Tuscola, IL, to William Lloyd and Drallie (Woody) Lake and spent his childhood in Effingham, IL and on the family farm in rural Dieterich. He graduated from Effingham High School in 1953. He served in the United States Army in Germany as an International Morse Code operator. After service, he attended Eastern Illinois State College in Charleston, IL, where he met his wife. David and Rosemary Benson were married on June 4, 1958 in Corinth, Mississippi. They had two sons, John Lloyd Lake (deceased) and James Gregory Lake (wife, Mulu) of Huntsville, AL. David was a farmer and heavy equipment operator, working on construction on many interstates in this area. He was a great outdoor enthusiast, especially enjoying quail hunting, fishing, golfing, and also bowling. After he was disabled he still enjoyed fishing, but added reading and playing cards. For the past 15 years, David and Rosemary have spent the winter in Leesburg, FL enjoying the warm weather and a Texas Hold’em poker league.

David is survived by his wife, Rosemary Lake of Effingham; son, Jim (wife, Mulu) Lake of Huntsville, AL; sister, Judy (husband, Carl) Schottman of Dieterich, brother, Steven (wife, Trellis) Lake of Urbana, MO; five grandchildren, Jenee Lake of Effingham, Greg Lake (partner, Tina) of Arcola, Derek (wife, Cindy) Lake of Fort Walton Beach, FL, Sarah Lake of Leuven, Belgium, and Nicole Lake of Huntsville, AL; six great-grandchildren, Araya Lake, Kaleb Grubaugh, Ashley Lake, and Zack Lake all of Effingham, Xavier Lake of Arcola, and Eli David Lake of Fort Walton Beach, FL; and two special cousins, Pat Keel of rural Dieterich and Sandy Hoover of Effingham.

He was preceded in death by his parents; and son, John.