Harry Pick, 87 of Chenoa, pilot, farmer, race car driver, airframe and power plant engineer, and retired Caterpillar worker passed away Sunday, October, 12, 2014 peacefully at his home surrounded by his family.

Visitation for Harry will be held Thursday, October 16, 2014 from 4 to 7 pm at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Chenoa. Duffy-Pils Memorial Home, Chenoa is assisting the family with arrangements. His funeral mass will be held at 10am, Friday, October 17, 2014 also at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Chenoa with Father Carl LoPresti officiating. Interment will follow in Chenoa Twp. Cemetery. In lieu of flowers memorials may be directed to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Harry, the son of Elza and Edythe (Culbertson) Pick, was born October 30, 1926 in Normal. After graduating from Chenoa High School in 1944, Pick joined the Army Air Corp. 6th Air Force as a flight officer and aerial photographer, and was a member of the Civil Air Patrol. During his farming years Harry was named the 1967 National Soybean Farmer of the Year. Aircraft and piloting were an extensive part of Harry's life. He owned and operated his own airstrip, founded the Chenoa Airport with his brother Howard, was a member of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, the Experimental Aircraft Association, as well as Warbirds of America Squadron 4, flew for Litton Industries, and worked for Goodyear Aerospace. The highlight for Harry was rebuilding from scratch a Culver PQ-14B (www.culverpq14b.com), which won several prestigious awards at the Oshkosh Air Venture Air Show in 2012.

Racing was another of Harry's passions, racing sport or stock cars for over forty years. Working a stint as flagman at Fairbury American Legion Speedway, Harry was also a member of the Sports Car Club of America. A feature of Harry's racing career was finishing 4th in Daytona in 1964 and testing Indy cars at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the late 1960's.

Harry was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church, Chenoa. In addition, he was recently recognized as a 50 year Mason and was a member of the Chenoa American Legion.

Married to his lovely wife, Maria F. Pick, since 1983 in Guayaquil, Ecuador; he is also survived by sons: Gerald (Janet) of Pontiac; Nicholas (Chastity), Harry (Jacqui) and Daniel all of Chenoa; daughters: Ellen Pick of Decatur; Nicole Pick of Bloomington; grandsons: Nigel of San Diego, CA; Dillon of Decatur; Ian, Connor, Camden all of Chenoa,; granddaughters: Hillary (Michael) Blackwell of Fairbury; Abberlyn, Brooklyn both of Chenoa; and great grandson: Maxwell Blackwell of Fairbury.

Harry was preceded in death by his parents Elza and Edith and his brother Howard.

The Pick family feels that Harry's life can be summed up by the following quote; "I've lived a life that's full, I traveled each and every highway, and more, much more than this, I did it my way." - Frank Sinatra.