Robert Joiner ’53 of Warrenton, Oregon, died March 19, 2021. He was 89. Bob attended Illinois Wesleyan on a euphonium scholarship, and was active in Phi Mu Alpha and Blue Key Honor Society. He later learned to play the trombone so he could play in jazz clubs. Bob joined the U.S. Army after his IWU graduation, and was stationed with the Seventh Army Symphony in Germany, where he directed a radio show and wrote the arrangements for singers and masters of ceremonies. Upon his return stateside, he completed work on a master’s degree at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Bob was a highly sought-after musician and teacher, and he played in many bands. He also was a stock broker and salesman of musical instruments. He is survived by his wife, daughter, two stepchildren, several grandchildren and a great-grandson.

You can read the full obituary here.

Dana (Johnson) Brown ’59 of Bloomington, Illinois, died Jan. 31, 2021. She was 83. Dana studied Spanish and history at Illinois Wesleyan, where she also met her husband Wayne Brown ’60. She was a member of Sigma Kappa Sorority, Egas Senior Women’s Honorary Society and Mortar Board National Collegiate Honor Society at IWU. Dana enjoyed golf, tennis and traveling, especially to Sanibel Island, Florida, where her family vacationed regularly. She and her husband later spent many years at their winter home at Kelly Greens Golf & Country Club in Fort Myers, Florida, where Dana was a member of the club’s traveling golf and tennis teams. Dana was also a member of Crestwicke Country Club in Bloomington, and the Crestwicke Women’s Golf Association. She was a member of First United Methodist Church in Normal, Illinois. She is survived by her husband, two daughters, two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

You can read the full obituary here.

Mary (Fulkerson) Hopper ’59 of Orange City, Florida, died Feb. 7, 2021. She was 83. Mary earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education at Illinois Wesleyan, where she was active in Kappa Kappa Gamma and Delta Kappa Gamma. She also learned to play bridge at IWU, an activity she enjoyed her entire life. Mary taught at Lavallette (New Jersey) Elementary School and Tuckerton (New Jersey) Elementary School. She was active in religious life as a member of The Great Outdoors Church in Titusville, Florida, and Tuckerton United Methodist Church in New Jersey. She and her late husband enjoyed traveling, touring the country in their RV. She is survived by three children, seven grandchildren, several great-grandchildren and extended family members and friends.

You can read the full obituary here.

Phyllis (Owen) Naccarato ‘59 of Hinsdale, Illinois, died July 24, 2020. She was 82. Phyllis studied sociology, psychology, and English literature at Illinois Wesleyan. She was an active member of Kappa Kappa Gamma. She spent her career in social work and touched the lives of many children. Aside from being a  fan of her grandchildren’s athletic teams, she was an avid Chicago sports fan. She was known for her dry humor and wit, along with her grace and style. She is survived by her husband, two children, and five grandchildren. 

Eris (Gustoff) Vidoni ‘58 of Pekin, Illinois, died Aug 10, 2020. She was 83. Eris had a lifelong love of music. She studied music at Illinois Wesleyan, where she was active in Sigma Kappa and many vocal groups. She trained professionally in New York after her graduation from IWU. She was a longtime teacher who also provided voice lessons from her home. She and her late husband were snowbirds who spent six months a year in Tucson, Arizona. Eris was a lifelong member of Grace United Methodist Church, and was active in Pekin Hospital League, Pekin Civic Chorus, and Pekin Education Association. She is survived by three daughters and three grandsons. 

Darrel Tate ‘57 died May 9, 2020, in Gainesville, Florida. He was 84. Darrel joined the U.S. Army after his time at Illinois Wesleyan. He later built an insurance agency in Glenview, Illinois, before moving to Florida. Darrel played tennis, pingpong, pickleball, and cards with friends. He was a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan who relished in the team’s World Series victory in 2016. Darrel was active in his daughter’s sports and activities growing up and that continued with his grandsons. He loved spending time and sharing laughs with his family. He is survived by his wife, two daughters, and five grandsons. 

Dorothy (Fridlund) Harrison ‘57 of St. Louis died June 30, 2020. She was 84. “Doady”, as she was affectionately known, studied music education at Illinois Wesleyan and later earned a master’s degree from Wisconsin State College-Whitewater. Doady taught elementary music in Beloit (Wis.) Public Schools for 33 years and was an oboist in the Beloit-Janesville Symphony Orchestra for over 25 years. After retiring from teaching, she and her late husband moved to St. Louis, where she remained active in church, music, and civic and philanthropic organizations. She loved spending time with family, attending her grandchildren’s activities and sporting events, and traveling. She is survived by four children, nine grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. 

Rev. Dale Kooi ‘56 of Kewanee, Illinois, died Aug. 3, 2020. He was 86. Dale studied philosophy at Illinois Wesleyan before earning a master’s of divinity from Union  Theological Seminary in New York City. After ordination as an elder in the Methodist Church, Dale served over 40 years in ministry in Central Illinois. Both before ordination and after his retirement, he ministered part-time in churches of several denominations. He took a sabbatical leave in 1974-75 in order to study at King’s College in London, where he was interim pastor at Chelsea United Reformed Church. Dale was a longtime blood donor and volunteer. His carpentry skills were employed when he helped build houses with Habitat for Humanity. He is survived by his wife, Carol (Palmer) Kooi ‘72, two children, three grandchildren, a great-grandson, and sister. 

William Anderson ‘54 of Morton, Illinois, died on June 11, 2020. He was 89. After graduating from Illinois Wesleyan, he went to work for Commercial National Bank in Peoria, Illinois, and often worked multiple jobs early in his professional career as he and his late wife raised four sons. He finished his career at Morton Community Bank. Bill was the director of the board of St. Francis Community Clinic for over 20 years – and active with the clinic for 32 years overall – where he helped serve sick, poor, and underprivileged populations in greater Peoria. Bill enjoyed his work and community service, but nothing brought him greater joy than seeing his children and family thrive and be happy. He is survived by four sons, 11 grandchildren, and 13 great-grandchildren.

Jane (Petit) Archer ‘52 died Sept. 17, 2020, in Normal, Illinois. She was 90. Jane was active in Sigma Kappa and earned a bachelor’s degree at Illinois Wesleyan. Jane and her late husband Gene “Bud” Archer ’52 lived most of their life in Normal. Jane spent her years as a homemaker and enjoyed gardening, painting, sewing, and raising her children. She was a member of First United Methodist Church of Normal and a former P.E.O. Chapter JV. She was preceded in death by her husband. She is survived by two daughters, six grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren and a sister, Frances (Pettit) Harris ‘54.