Roger Lee Kratochvil, 88, died on Monday, June 30, 2026, at his residence in Mt. Olive.
A service took place at the Zion Lutheran Church in Mt. Olive on Monday, July 6, officiated by Pastor Zachary Krampien. Interment took place at Union Miner’s Cemetery in Mt. Olive.
Mr. Kratochvil was born on May 10, 1938, to Louis Kratochvil and Norma (Simburger) Kratochvil in White City. He attended White City Public Grade School until May of 1952, and graduated from Mt. Olive High School with the class of 1956. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Education from Eastern Illinois University in 1960 and began his teaching career with the Mt. Olive Community Unit #5 School District in that same year. He married Mary G. Scheller on August 10, 1963, at Zion Lutheran Church in Mt. Olive; she survives.
He continued to hone his career as an educator by earning a Master of Science in Secondary Education in history from Southern Illinois University in 1966, and a Master of Science in Administration from the University of Illinois, Springfield in 1984. While pursuing his education, he was also a baseball player. At Eastern Illinois University, he was a four year letterman in baseball and held the RBI record for 20 years. Mr. Kratochvil played for Coe Investment Junior and Senior League baseball teams in Springfield from 1955 to 1960 and was a starter on the Springfield City Water and Light team who played in the National Baseball Congress World Series in Battle Creek, MI, in 1958. He also played 20 years for the White City 3M baseball championship teams from 1953 until 1972 where he managed the team for three years. He was honored as a distinguished member by the Bottomly, Ruppert, Schalk Baseball Museum in Nokomis on September 9, 2017.
During 24 of his 34 years of tenure with the Mt. Olive School District, Mr. Kratochvil worked as a social studies teacher, but he also served as a driver’s education teacher and a guidance counselor. He also coached high school football, basketball and baseball while also serving as the athletic director. In the last ten years of service to his students, he held the position of Mt. Olive High School principal. Other jobs Mr. Kratochvil had was working for the Regional Office of Education as a Starlab coordinator from 1995 to 2016, and as a St. Louis Cardinals Baseball Scout from 1979 to 2002 where he conducted all of the Busch Stadium pre-draft and open camps.
Mr. Kratochvil had an impressive list of volunteer activities and honors. As a member of Zion Lutheran Church in Mt. Olive, he served on the church council, as church secretary and treasurer, and the chairman of the church’s 150th anniversary celebration. He was president of the Mt. Olive Park Board and was elected as the Mt. Olive City Treasurer, a position he served in for five and a half years. He was elected to the Illinois High School Association Legislative Advisory Board for four years while serving as Mt. Olive High School principal.
Mr. Kratochvil was appointed to the Illinois High School Association Baseball Advisory Committee and a member of the organizing committee for the Prairie State School Conference where he served as president of the conference and the South Central Conference. He was elected to the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1980 and the Eastern Illinois University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1998. He was also appointed by Illinois Governors to the Eastern Illinois University Board of Trustees in 2004 and 2010, and has served as secretary, vice chairman and chairman of the board twice. He was appointed in 2004 by the Macoupin County Board to the Macoupin County Housing Authority and served as chairman until his death. He served as a member of the Macoupin County Sheriff’s and Walmart’s Scholarship committees. Mr. Kratochvil was appointed to the Lincoln Land College Advisory Council from 2007 until 2014. He was a member of the Mt. Olive Lions Club before it ended its existence and was a member of the Mt. Olive Turner Hall for over 30 years.
Mr. Kratochvil was the organizer of the Celebrity Bell Ringers for the Mt. Olive Care Center from 2004 until 2010. He was a local historian who spoke to school children and numerous groups from Central Illinois while authoring over 50 columns in the Mt. Olive Herald and 60 columns in an area newsmagazine, The Buzz. He was the first and only president of the Mt. Olive Academic Foundation from 1996 to 2026 and a regular guest on WSMI radio Sports on Saturday and Wednesday mornings discussion program and honored to be on it with his son, Tim. He was first appointed and then elected to the Mt. Olive Township Board from 2018 to 2025.
Mr. Kratochvil is survived by his wife, Mary; a daughter, Jane Francine Kratochvil; grandchildren, Jack William Kratochvil, Luke (Riley) Timothy Kratochvil and Olivia Marie Kratochvil; and nephew, Brian Newquist.
He was preceded in death by his son, Timothy Roger Kratochvil; his parents, Louise Sr. and Norma Simburger Kratochvil; two brothers, Louis “Junior” Kratochvil and Donald Ray Kratochvil; a sister, Mary Ann Newquist; brother-in-law, Donald Newquist; and a niece, Laura Newquist.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the Mt. Olive Zion Lutheran Church, Mt. Olive Academic Association and Benld Adopt-A-Pet.
Becker and Son Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Anyone wishing to leave an online condolence may do so at beckerandson.com.
