Robert Erdman ’51

We are deeply sorry to announce the passing of Robert Erdman ’51 on July 8th, 2017. After Illinois Wesleyan, Bob graduated from the University of Illinois in 1957 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering. Prior to attending the University of Illinois, he served in the US Army. After working as an engineer with Univac and Control Data in Minnesota, he was employed in marketing and sales with Memorex and Verbatim corporations in California. Upon retirement, he served as a volunteer at the Hiller Aviation Museum.

You may read his obituary here: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/mercurynews/obituary.aspx?pid=186046816

W. Richard Shindle ’59

W. Richard Shindle (’59) has been awarded the Marquis Who’s Who Humanitarian Award. He was presented with a beautiful desk piece to commemorate this induction. From health care to international outreach, Marquis Who’s Who Humanitarians are individuals who strive to make a positive impact on their communities and the world. Congratulations, Dr. Shindle!

Here is a link to the World Wide Humanitarian Website, where you can read more about Richard’s achievements: https://worldwidehumanitarian.com/2017/07/06/richard-shindle/

We also have a note from Dr. Shindle regarding his time at IWU –

“Receiving this award from Marquis Who’s Who has giving pause to reconsider the impact of my years (1955-1959) at Illinois Wesleyan. The Korean War had delayed my college education, but it was in those years I had become aware and read the events surrounding the Bicentennial of J. S. Bach’s death (1950), which lead to the planning and early publication of the Neue Bach Ausgabe, then in the early 1950s, the preparation for the bicentennial of Mozart’s birth (1956) with the publications of the earliest volume of the Neue Mozart Ausgabe. My interest shifted more to Musicology as a discipline than music performance. During my years at Illinois Wesleyan, I can point to the classes that were most beneficial to me: Freshman Music Literature under Dr. John Silber; Form and Analyses, Counterpoint both 18th and 16th centuries, and also its application by the atonalists Schoenberg and Webern under Dr. Wilbur Ogdon. During my senior year, Dr. Ogdon took over the second semester of Music History for the regular professor who was on Leave of Absence. He gave many new insights with a fine sense of chronology from the Baroque to the middle of the 20th Century. I should also acknowledge the encouragement I received during those years form Dr. Bedford Watkins, my piano professor.”

Luman B. Sutton ’51

Luman B. Sutton died Friday, February 3, 2017 at St. John’s Retirement Village in Woodland, California.  After graduation from Illinois Wesleyan, he was employed by the U.S.F.&G. Insurance Company in Chicago, Illinois. Luman transferred to the San Jose branch in 1983, and retired as a Commercial Lines Underwriting Manager, in 1987.  He was a founding member of the Sacramento Masters Swim Team in 1971 and competed in all venues – Long Course, Short Course, Short Course Meters and Open Water races.  He made top times in the local Pacific Masters Association swim meets and top ten times in the United States Masters Swimming Association.  He is survived by his beloved and devoted wife Gloria, his sons and their families.

You may read Luman’s entire obiturary here.

Judith (McDonald) Thomas ’58

Judith (McDonald) Thomas ’58 taught a 2-week Orff Schulwerk Certification course at the University of Cincinnati this past summer.  She also played the Gershwin Preludes and solo version of Rhapsody in Blue for the Saratoga Springs Jewish Festival prior to that.  February of 2017 took her to San Francisco to present a workshop on Nurturing Wonder in Children through the Arts which was repeated in NYC in May.  Judith resides with her husband in Saratoga Springs, NY.

Bob Riseling ’59

In a house concert on July 16th, Bob Riseling ’59 and pianist Denise Jung performed a “pre-premier” of THE MOTOR CITY COLLECTION, 10 autobiographical pieces by Alan Torok (Toronto) related to growing up in Detroit in the 1960s and influenced by the Motown music and artists of the day. They are recording the work in August and the premier will occur on the 10th of November on the Friday Noon Series at Western University London, Ontario. Congratulations, Bob!

Joe Corsello ’59

Joe Corsello ’59 has spent  33 years as an art teacher at Morris Community High School and 26 years as a teacher at Immaculate Conception Church. He’s also given private lessons to up-and-coming artists like Ray Grossi. Grossi, as a part of The Exhibit Fine Arts Center & Gallery in Morris, honored his former teacher and mentor this May by hosting a fine art exhibit of Costello’s work from 1963 to 2013.

You may read more in this article from The Morris Herald-News: http://www.morrisherald-news.com/2017/05/23/artist-joe-corsello-displays-more-than-six-decades-of-work/acsdhpb/

Congratulations, Joe!