Birth date: May 27, 1947 Death date: Feb 22, 2025
John Arthur Lyons passed away on February 22, 2025 at the VA Home in Quincy, IL. He was born on May 27,1947 in Springfield to Arthur and Dorothy Lyons. He lived in Riverton and Rochester IL before moving to Decatur. He graduated f Read Obituary
Fair winds and following seas shipmate. I enjoyed the time we spent traveling all over Spain in 2002. We were in a beautiful cathedral in Ronda and I ask him if he swallowed his chew while inside and he looked at me sheepishly and said I try not to. He was with me when I fueled my navy rental car with diesel. We made it to the airport luckily. He talked me into staying in the reserves after not being able to get past the politics involved in making chief. He brought me with him to Detroit as his assistant . The best story was when I was doing electrical work in Rota in 2002 and an active duty Chief told him he shouldn't hang around me while I was working. After the active duty chief left I said you gonna let that chief tell you what to do master chief? He said I don't think I am and went to chew him out. He was a man of few words.
Fair winds and following seas shipmate. I enjoyed are time traveling all over Spain with John in 2002 .He was a man if few words . I remember in Ronda at a beautiful cathedral I asked him if he had to spit his chew when we were inside and he looked at me cheesely, I try not to. He also was with me when I fueled my navy rental car with diesel. We
I served with Master Chief Lyons and spent much time with him in Detroit and at Rota, Spain. He was with me when i fueled my rental car with diesel in spain.He was a good friend. Fair winds and following seas my friend.
I had just joined the Seabees, I was down at Okaw Bluffs and finished the day. I heard a MasterChief was coming in tonight. MasterChief Lyons walked in the back door of the stone house, and I was in awe. He was the first MasterChief I had ever saw, and he made an impression on me. I thought one day I want to be like him. When I made Chief, I found out at Fort McCoy, WI. The first place I went when I got home from Drill was File Drive to introduce myself to MasterChief! He took time to instill wisdom in me that I still lean on. Thank you Brother!
Sometime before his retirement ,John was to perform a Navy retirement at the lake for a couple of our senior Seabees. Nobody did the “Watch” better than the Master Chief. The families of the retirees would have tears in their eyes as he performed the Watch. He connected them so well.
On that afternoon the families were arriving for the ceremony. John came to me and said he had a problem and needed my help. We went in the house and he explained the issue, he was not able to be in front of the families and troops to do the Watch, because of a health issue he couldn’t control that day. He told me I had seen the Watch enough times that with a little coaching I could pull it off, he asked me to do the Watch for him. Shocked and honored that he trusted me to carry the ceremony we started to practice the Watch. The Master Chief joked what was I worried about, we had. 15 minutes to practice!
I have no idea how I did that day, I think I did ok. The retirees and their families all thanked me.
I can tell you though that in my career I had the honor of performing the Watch at numerous retirements. Each time I did one I felt Master Chief Lyons was up there up there with me covering my back. I knew that because I saw the tears in families eyes.
I’ll never forget the faith he put in me.
CECS SCW Chuck Black (ret.)
