Join Golden Titan Club members for dinner and cocktails.
Cocktail hour starts at 6:00 pm, and dinner begins at 6:30 pm.
New Venue:
Redbird A and C, Marriott Hotel and Conference Center, 201 Broadway Ave., Normal
$35 registration fee for non-IWU alumni guests
You may register here or you may call 888-498-2586.
We are so sorry to inform you of the passing of Charles L. Moore, M.D. ’50 on April 20, 2017.
As a Merchant Marine in World War II, Charles survived 4 years at sea, which carved his path to becoming a surgeon. On breaks from medical school, he sailed a charter boat out of Boynton Inlet as Capt. Buddy Moore. He established his General and Thoracic Surgery practice in Lake Worth in 1961. During his 39 years in practice he was instrumental in establishing the first ICU in Florida, initiated the first comprehensive course for first responders – a model for our current EMT program, made early advancements in breast cancer treatment as well as serving as the Lake Worth High School team physician for several years.
Inspired to serve his country yet again, Dr. Moore volunteered as a combat surgeon in the 1st Marine Reconnaissance Battalion in Vietnam. He received two Purple Hearts, the Legion of Merit and a Bronze Star among many other accolades during his career. In spite of the conflict, he credited his service in Vietnam as the defining era in his life, forever loyal to his war time companions – Semper Fi. He returned highly decorated from Vietnam but not without some sacrifices. Dr. Moore set course with full sails to recuperate, rebuild and inspire. He went on to serve as the Chief of Surgery, Chairman of the Board and on two occasions the acting CEO of JFK Medical Center.
When he retired in 1990, Dr. Moore likened his transition to, “I feel like my hands have been cut off.” In time he found ways to serve his family, friends and colleagues in dogged pursuit of ground breaking medical advancements.
Charles will be remembered and deeply missed by all whose lives he touched.
Read his full obituary here.
Anne (Kent) Clemens ’55 lives nears Salem, Oregon. She is one of the co- coordinators of a program called Backpack Buddies that feeds children who are food insecure. She works with a local elementary school where 90% of the students qualify for free or low cost lunches. For some of these children, lunch at school is the only meal they will eat that day. Then, on weekends, they go home to little or no food. Backpack Buddies gives each child in the program with a free bag of food that includes cans of soup, chili/meat, fruits and vegetables, cereal, cheese, yogurt, juice, and crackers.Currently, they feed 50 children every weekend. Teachers report that there is less truancy on Fridays when food is distributed.
The Backpack Buddies Program is run through Anne’s church, Christ the Good Shepard Lutheran in Salem, Oregon. Church volunteers pack and deliver the individual bags of food. The coordinators raise money to cover the costs of food – around $8,000 a year.
This program, says Anne, is essential to help relieve hunger, which in turn will improve mental and physical health, learning ability, and self-esteem.
For more information, visit: http://christthegoodshep.org.
We are sorry to announce that Eleanor (Wilcox) Jokisch ’54 passed away on Thursday, August 2nd, 2018.
After her time at Illinois Wesleyan, Eleanor worked for the University of Illinois Home Extension Service in Morgan and Cass Counties. She married Reginald Jokisch on Nov. 26, 1960 at her childhood church, New Salem Methodist Church near New Berlin. They settled in Virginia, Illinois, where they lived until 2012 when they moved to The Plains to be near their grandsons. Last November, they celebrated 57 years of marriage.
She was a long-term member of the Virginia, Illinois park board, and joined the Kiwanis Club of Athens when she moved to the area. She was particularly proud of her volunteer service at Memorial Hospital in Springfield, Illinois and at OhioHealth O’Bleness Hospital, where many people in the area were greeted by her warm smile and jovial attitude. She loved following her St. Louis Cardinals, University of Illinois athletics (and adopted Ohio Bobcats), gardening, flowers, birds, reading, playing bridge, baking and most of all taking care of her family, especially her grandchildren (and watching Wheel of Fortune or Jeopardy!). She was the biggest fan at her grandchildren’s sporting events. She had a strong Christian faith and was very active in the Lutheran Churches she attended. She taught Sunday school, chaired a committee for a building expansion and was a Congregational Nursery Roll Coordinator.
Everyone who knew Eleanor appreciated her kindness, thoughtfulness and upbeat and encouraging attitude.
Read her full obituary here.
We are sorry to inform you of the passing of Marion C. Hathaway ’49 on September 12th, 2016.
Marion served in the US Navy from 1943 to 1946 and took part in the Invasion of Normandy in WWII, and later
in the Pacific Theatre, in the invasion of Okinawa. After his time at IWU, he earned his Master’s degree in Social Work in 1952 from the University of Illinois in Urbana. He entered a School Social Work program in Wheaton, Illinois shortly thereafter. He supervised graduates of the Jane Addams School of Social Work until 1969 when he was hired as the Coordinator of Extraordinary Services for the Cooperative Association for Special Education, in Lombard, Illinois. He retired in 1985.
He was an avid bridge player, wood carver, puzzle solver, and reader. He enjoyed daily and vigorous walks. And many fond hours with family and friends, and his loving dog Smitty, and cat, Cleo.
Read his full obituary here.
With sorrow we inform you that Robert W. Cummins, Jr. ’56 passed away Thursday, July 26, 2018 after a short but fierce battle with lung cancer.
After his time at Illinois Wesleyan, he received his masters of science in education from Illinois State University. He taught vocal music in the Bloomington Public School system for thirty-seven years until his retirement.
His hobbies included building model trains, boats and steam engines. He also fancied himself as an actor enjoying his time on stage with the Community Players Theater and Conklin Theater.
Read his full obituary here.
We are sorry to inform you that Sandra “Sandy” (Barr) Noren ’59 passed away on May 11th, 2018.
Sandy worked as a reference librarian at the 1st National Bank of Chicago. She stopped working to raise her children. Sandy had been a member of the Missouri Valley Presbyterian Church for over 30 years where she was also an Elder. She later became a member and Elder of First Christian Church in Vinton and participated in the Wednesday morning Bible study for many years. Sandy was a member of the Thursday Card Club for 15 years and was also a member of the Mentor Literature Club and Hooks and Needles. She was a lover of dogs, horses, crocheting, reading, bird watching, and flower gardening.
Read her full obituary here.
We are saddened to inform you that M. Maxine “Mickey” Opperman ’49 passed away on Sunday, May 20, 2018. After her time at Illinois Wesleyan, Mickey worked for the University Illinois Extension as a Grundy County Youth Advisor. She also worked at State Bank of Piper City.
Read her full obituary here.
We are deeply saddened to inform you of the passing of Robert E. Smith, D.D.S. ’59 on June 28th, 2018.
You can find his obituary here.