John Prior, 83 of Centralia, passed away Tuesday, December 6, 2022, at his home. John was born January 19, 1939, in Benton, Illinois, the son of Harl and Rema (Kelley) Prior.
He was preceded in death by his parents, four brothers, and one sister. He is survived by daughters, Debbie Redfeairn and husband Randy of Centralia and Toni Borum and husband Jeff of Ponchatoula, LA, three grandchildren, Ryan and wife Mindy of AR, Michelle Beatty and husband Alan of IN, Nicole Schwartz Sandahl and husband Ryan of Centralia, Gage Borum and wife Kimee of CA, Drew Borum and wife Lanie of LA; and nine great-grandchildren: Sophia and Ole Redfeairn, Cooper, Lola and Lucy Beatty, Jordan Sandahl, Emery, Hudson, and Abbey Borum.
Many people will remember John as an avid stock car driver. He started racing in 1958 at area dirt tracks and progressed over the years in various types of cars with his last race in 2017. John came to Centralia to work as a mechanic at Bill Rick Ford before he became self-employed in various endeavors including locating and drilling oil wells.
No services will be held. Memorial donations may be made to the donor’s choice and can be accepted at Sutherland-Garnier Funeral Home and Cremation Services at 235 N. Sycamore St., Centralia, IL 62801, (618) 532-3523, who is honored to be of service to the family of John Prior. Online condolences may be made to the family by visiting www.sutherlandfuneralhome.com and the Sutherland-Garnier Funeral Home Facebook Page.
