Randy Joe Caudle, age 75, of Flora, Illinois, passed away peacefully Friday evening, April 3, 2026, at Axiom Healthcare of Flora.

      He was born at home in Xenia on July 5, 1950, the son of Kenneth and Lillian (Lee) Caudle.  On August 13, 1973, he married the love of his life, Theresa Ann Boyer, in Elizabethtown, and they shared 41 wonderful years together before her passing on May 10, 2015.

      Joe was a proud Army veteran of the Vietnam era and was stationed in Germany. After returning from the Army, he worked at Southwire before moving to Houston, Texas, where he was employed as a welder for GATX. After moving back to Clay County, he began working for Joe Woomer at Woomer Body Shop in Flora. He was later recruited by North American Lighting to help design and build the hard-coat paint booths at the Flora and Salem plants, where he remained until his retirement.

      Following retirement, Joe enjoyed detailing cars at Jeff’s Automotive. He was a founding member of the Clay County Cruisers and took great pride in showing the classic cars he had restored himself, including a 1957 Chevy Hardtop, a 1955 Chevy Nomad, and a 1967 Chevy El Camino. Joe could often be found at the Little Toot Railroad in Charley Brown Park in Flora, where he volunteered his time helping build the tracks and driving steam locomotives alongside his friend, Clint Green. Joe was a typical Caudle—he could work on and fix just about anything. When he had time to relax, he enjoyed oil painting, listening to 1960s and 1970s rock music, and spending time with his many friends and family members. He also had a great love for animals of every kind, regardless of size or species.

      He is survived by his daughter, Melissa (Kevin) Hall of St. Louis; brother, Mike (Tina) Caudle of Flora; 2 sisters, Jackie Sue MacArthur of Friendswood, Texas, and Pat (Steve) Henry of Flora; sister-in-law, Donna Caudle of Macks Creek, Missouri, and brother-in-law, David Cook of Xenia, along with a number of nieces, nephews, and other special family members and friends, including his “daughter”, Jodi Gleason of Indianapolis, Indiana.

      He was preceded in passing by his parents; his wife, Theresa; 3 sisters, Glenda Underwood, Carmen Lane, and Cheri Cook; 2 brothers, Jim Caudle and Kenneth Lee Caudle; and his mother-in-law Bernadine Boyer.

      A graveside memorial ceremony with the presentation of military funeral honors will take place on Sunday, April 19, 2026, at 2 p.m. at Onstott Cemetery in Xenia, with David Cook officiating.  Memorials are suggested to the activity fund at Axiom Healthcare of Flora.  To share a condolence or memory, visit: www.frankandbright.com