Jon Stephen "Steve" Acord, 77, formerly of Champaign, passed away on December 13th, 2024 in Mahomet, Illinois after finally surrendering to his hard fought two-year battle with glioblastoma brain cancer.

Steve was born March 19, 1947 in the City of Monmouth, Warren County, Illinois, the second of three sons of Woodrow Wilson Acord, Sr. and Mary Elizabeth (Johnson) Acord. He grew up in Moline, Illinois, where his family settled after his father's military career.

He was a 1965 graduate of Moline Senior High School, where he was a standout Maroon gridiron threat and enthusiastic basketball and track participant, as well as a member of various clubs and extracurricular activities.

After high school, he attended The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, from which he graduated in 1970 with a B.S. in Accounting. During his time in college, he played freshman football for the Fighting Illini, and was also a graduate of the U of I Reserve Officers Training Corps program, after which he served six years in the Illinois Army National Guard, honorably discharged as a 1st Lieutenant.

Steve was a member of the Champaign-Urbana area business and social community for over 50 years, where he practiced accounting and business, after settling there post-graduation from the University of Illinois. He originally partnered with long-time friend Jerry Armstrong to found the accounting firm of Armstrong and Acord, eventually moving on to become partner in several local and national business and asset management firms, eventually striking out on his own, running his asset management and accounting practice for many years before eventual retirement.

Service to and giving back to one's community was very important to Steve, which can be clearly seen by his various membership and leadership positions in the C-U area.

He was a long-time member and Paul Harris Fellow in the Champaign Rotary Club, a board member and former Chairman of the Board at Developmental Services Center, former board member of the Disabled Citizens Foundation, former Director of the Champaign County Chamber of Commerce, former President of the Illini Quarterback Club, former President of Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity, founding member and former Director of Lincolnshire Fields Country Club, past President of the Central Illinois CPA Society, and member of the C-U Chorale, which he loved singing in. Steve also volunteered for numerous causes he thought were important in the C-U community over the years, including the YMCA men's shelter, Salvation Army, and food pantry, among others. Steve was a decades-long former member of the Faith United Methodist Church of Champaign.

Steve's primary hobbies in life were University of Illinois Fighting Illini sports, golf, and bridge, all of which he enjoyed with long-time friends and neighbors over the years. Steve served as mentor and leader in various roles for his son's sports, social, and extracurricular activities, including Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts, Indian Guides, Champaign Centennial High School sports, little league baseball, youth football, swimming and soccer, among others.

Steve was preceded in death by his parents, Woodie Sr. and Mary Elizabeth, numerous Aunts and Uncles, as well as lifelong best friend, Richard "Dick" Joy.

Steve is survived by his four loving sons, Drew (Jodi) Acord of Saint Louis, Reid Acord of Champaign, John (Mary-Courteney Green) Acord of Greenville, North Carolina, and Peter (Kourtney Stienkamp) Acord of Mahomet. He is also survived by his dear brothers and sister-in-laws, Woodrow (Jane) Acord Jr. of Norman, Oklahoma, and Scott (Melanie) Acord of Bettendorf, Iowa, maternal Aunt and Uncle, Patricia and Samuel Gillespie of Greenbrae, California, as well as numerous loving cousins, nieces, nephews, and former in-laws. Steve will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him.

Please join the Acord family for a memorial to, and celebration of Steve's life at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 8th, 2025 at Morgan Memorial Home, 1304 Regency Drive West, Savoy, Illinois. The family invites all who knew Steve to help celebrate his life at Jupiter's at the Crossing, 2511 Village Green Pl, Champaign, immediately following.

If you would like to honor Steve's memory, the family asks that you help further their mission of helping people with disabilities become more involved in and contributing to their communities by making a donation to the Developmental Services Center of Champaign and Ford Counties at www.dsc-illinois.org/get_involved/donate.html.

Condolences may be offered at www.morganmemorialhome.com.

www.morganmemorialhome.com/