Dr. Albert Maurer

Dr. Albert S. Maurer, 91, of Morton, formerly of Hopedale, passed away at 3:00 am Thursday, July 2nd, at the OSF Richard L. Owens Hospice Home in Peoria.

He was born February 1, 1935, in Greenville, IL, to Carl and Edith Smith Maurer. He married Patricia Buchanan on June 20, 1959, in St. Francisville, IL.

Surviving are five children, Ralph (Lori) Maurer of Lenoir City, TN, Dr. Ted (Heidi) Maurer of Morton, Mary Beth (Brian) Pederson of Morton, Bruce (Cindy) Maurer of Bryant, AR, and Heidi (Dave) Rottier of Washington; 11 grandchildren, Dr. Leah (Nate) Dobbins, Carrie (Chris) Gray, Dr. Paige (Andrew) Yousef, Ben Maurer, Heidi Pederson, Katie, Kara, Connor, Callie, and Carson Maurer, Elin Rottier; seven great grandchildren, Sawyer, Avery and Tessa Dobbins, Eloise, Archer, Shepard Gray, and Blaine Bastian.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Patricia; his parents; two brothers, Carl and Maurice; one grandson, Carter Maurer; and one great-grandson, Tripp Dobbins.

Al graduated from Greenville High School in 1952 and attended Monmouth College. He went on to earn his Doctor of Medicine in 1959 from the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago. His residency took place at St. Francis Hospital in Peoria. Al served the Hopedale and surrounding community for decades as a beloved family physician, first at Hopedale Medical Complex and then building his own building and practice in 1976. In 1965, he was drafted and served in the United States Navy at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. He attended Bloomington Christian Fellowship. 

After retiring from private practice in 1996, he became the Assistant Dean for Student Services at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria. Throughout his career, Dr. Maurer placed a priority on the care and treatment of geriatric patients and was a certified Medical Director and Nursing Home Administrator. He spent countless hours investing in and mentoring young people by teaching Sunday School, offering career guidance, speaking at Christian camps, serving as a preceptor to medical students, and hosting Shallowbrook, a week-long, deep-dive Bible study. More recently, Al served on the school board of Christian Life Academy in Hopedale from its earliest days. 

For 50 years, Dr. Maurer was a fixture on the sidelines of Olympia High School football games, where he relished the role of team doctor and installed an X-ray machine at the school for faster diagnoses and treatment of student athletes. He was inducted into the first class of the Olympia High School Hall of Fame, received the “Those Who Excel” award from the Illinois State Board of Education, and was chosen for a special recognition from the Illinois Athletic Trainers Association, for service to the Olympia School District. 

Al was known for his love of studying the Bible, biblical geography, and maps. He was among the very best of story readers to his children and grandchildren. It wasn’t out of character for him to start and escalate water fights in his own home. He was a dedicated family man who often enjoyed his evenings with family, only to return to the hospital or office later to finish essential charts and other paperwork. He had a reputation for using a heavy hand when it came to salt and ketchup, and he never passed up the opportunity for some ice cream. 

Funeral services will be at 10 am, Saturday, July 11, 2026, at Minier Christian Church in Minier. A visitation will be from 5-8 pm on Friday, July 10, also at the church. Burial will be at Mennonite Cemetery in Hopedale. Davis-Oswald Funeral Home in Tremont is handling the arrangements.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly asks that memorial donations be made to Christian Life Academy in Hopedale, to continue Al’s lifelong work of teaching and mentoring young people.  

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