Lonnie James Allison, loved by many, passed away Sunday morning, October 20, at his home in West Chicago, after bravely fighting liver cancer for two years.

Lon was born in Bozeman, Montana on May 11, 1952 to James and Margaret Allison. As a high school student, Lon was invited to attend Young Life, a Christian youth organization. He was pleasantly surprised by the enthusiasm the teens had for God. There he learned that God would never leave him or forsake him. In the midst of teenage angst, Lon claimed that promise and asked Christ to come into his life. A year later, after realizing he had deep-seated grief and guilt over his little brother's accidental drowning, a youth pastor helped him understand the complete forgiveness and grace of Christ, and its ability to heal all wounds.

Lon longed to pass on the good news that changed his life. With this heart calling in mind, he served as a youth pastor, a lead pastor, the Director of Evangelism for the Evangelical Covenant denomination, the Executive Director of the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College, and most recently, as Pastor of Evangelism and Development at Wheaton Bible Church. Over the years Lon also served on many ministry boards and was dedicated to mentoring ministry leaders. Throughout his career, Lon used God-given humor, music, and dramatic presentation to empathetically communicate the truths of the Bible, touching people's hearts and drawing them closer to God.

It was while Lon was serving as a youth pastor in Walnut Creek, California that he fell in love with Marie Mathews. They were married in 1979, when he was pastoring his first church. In 1985 they began their family, eventually welcoming three children, Tara, Courtney and Eric. Lon's joy was increased as his family expanded to include Matthew Nordling (Tara) and step-grandson, Caleb; Patrick Quinn (Courtney), and two granddaughters, Aubrey and Kaylee. Lon shared life with two siblings, Rande Allison (Sue) and Sandy Erickson (Randy). He was preceded in death by his brother Stevie and his parents, James and Margaret.

In lieu of flowers, please plant a tree in memory of Lon, https://shop.alivingtribute.org/products/tree-planting-with-commemorative-card and send commemorative cards to Lon Allison Memorial, PO Box 147, West Chicago IL, 60186.

A visitation will be held Wednesday, October 30, from 4:00 p.m. - 5:45 p.m. at Wheaton Bible Church , 27W500 North Ave., West Chicago, IL 60185 where a celebration of Lon's life will be held at 6:00 p.m. and a reception to follow. (For those unable to attend, the service will be available via livestream on Facebook Live. On Facebook, search for "Wheaton Bible Church." Or click this link: Wheaton Bible Church Facebook Page . You can view as the service is in progress or at a later time.)