Carol M. Williams ’57, 86, of Mahomet, IL passed away Monday, June 26, 2023 at Carle Hospital in Urbana, IL. Carol was born July 11, 1936 to Floyd and Jessie (Dean) Rench in Peoria, IL. In her early school years, she attended a one-room schoolhouse with her mother as the teacher before going on to graduate from Chillicothe High School. She earned her bachelor’s degree in music education from Illinois Wesleyan University and a master’s degree in music education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She spent her entire teaching career in the Champaign School District, finishing at Champaign Centennial High School, where she built a strong choir program. She married Carl W. Williams on November 18, 1962. They met while both were teaching at Edison Middle School (then Edison Junior High). They had two children: Kate (Mark) Smith and Joe (Pam) Williams. Carol is survived by her children and their spouses, all of Mahomet, and her four beloved grandchildren: Molly Smith of Washington, DC, Nate Smith of Denver, Anna Williams of Mahomet, and Ben (Susan Fox) Williams of Urbana. Carol delighted in her grandchildren and their friends and was a well-known figure at all of their events for soccer, band, choir, and theatre during their years in the Mahomet-Seymour school system. You can read more here.

Jerry Philpott ’59 passed away on June 19, 2023. Jerry was born March 8, 1937, in Springfield, IL, to Les and Jean Philpott. He is survived by his wife, Kathy, who he married November 11, 1983 in Bloomington, IL. He is also survived by three daughters: Elizabeth Wilmeth (Lee), Marcia Philpott, Amy LaMarra Sawyer (Will); and three grandchildren: Grace Wilmeth, Emma Wilmeth and Woods Sawyer. He was very proud of his children and grandchildren and all their accomplishments. He was preceded in death by his parents and brother, Dick Philpott.

Jerry graduated from Illinois Wesleyan in 1959, where he was a proud member of Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity. Over the years, he kept his fraternity brothers in touch with each other and encouraged the younger brothers to do the same. He was an active alum, receiving IWU’s Loyalty Award in 2010, and a citation for Distinguished and Exceptional Service from Phi Gamma Delta National in 2010. You can read more about Jerry here.

Judy (Snook) Brust ’58 passed away on April 13, 2023 after battling Alzheimer’s disease.

Judy was born on May 10, 1936, in Joliet, Illinois to Ralph and Ethel Snook. Judy grew up in Plainfield Township, and was involved in Girl Scouts, 4H, and the Plainfield Congregational Church.

Judy graduated from Illinois Wesleyan University’s School of Nursing in 1958. She graduated with a BSN and went on to perform many different roles such as a clinical nurse, hospital nurse, surgical nurse, and a neonatal nurse, that being her very favorite. Judy met her future husband Norman Dale Brust in choir practice at Plainfield Congregational Church. They were married on June 12, 1959. Norman was principal at Plainfield Grade School. He later earned a PHD at the University of Illinois. While raising a family of five, Norman’s work took them to live in many places in the country and even to Taiwan. They last settled in the St. Louis, MO area when Norman died in 2003 after 44 years of marriage.

Judy was an excellent baker and seamstress. She enjoyed gardening, was a member of the Missouri Botanical Gardens, volunteered for the symphony, sang in the choir, and played the hand bells. Judy was able to travel to many different countries for choir and handbell performances.

She was a loving and caring mother. She was generous and loved getting presents for everyone. She brought humor and love wherever she went. Read more about Judy here.