Author Archives: classnews

Larry Ballard ’72

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Larry Lee Ballard ’72 passed away Feb. 11, 2022 at Providence Ascension Hospital in Novi, Michigan. He was a 1968 graduate of North Greene High School and a 1972 graduate of Illinois Wesleyan University, where he was a member of Sigma Pi National Fraternity. He was also the first student assistant to work for IWU’s Sports Information Director, Ed Alsene. While at Wesleyan, he met his future wife, Judith Kasper, of Chicago, IL in 1970. They were married in Bloomington, Illinois on March 24, 1973 by two of his Sigma Pi fraternity brothers. Read the full obituary here.

Michael Cooper ’77

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Michael Cooper ’77 has written a new play, The Sunflower Apostle, inspired by Oscar Wilde’s first visit to America in 1882 when he was twenty-seven years old, prior to literary fame. On December 24, 1881, Mr. Wilde sailed from Liverpool, England to New York City to embark on an American lecture tour addressing audiences with his lecture entitled, “The Decorative Arts”. That spring, Mr. Wilde arrived in Bloomington, Illinois to speak at the local Durley Hall for one evening only. A progressive women’s club in town sponsored his visit and rallied a curious sold-out crowd to see him.

Michael says that “During the pandemic, I decided to write a play based upon a story I heard while attending IWU. My research proved quite worthy, and I wrote THE SUNFLOWER APOSTLE, based upon Oscar Wilde’s one-time visit to Bloomington, IL. The Alchemy Theatre produced the premiere reading of this new play on October 29, 2021, with plans now to produce a full production in their 2023 Season, after which I will submit for publication or future performances at other theatres.”

Professor Robert Donalson

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Robert Donalson died Dec. 22, 2021. He was 87. Bob was a professor in Illinois Wesleyan’s School of Music for 30 years; he retired in 1994 with emeritus status. Bob felt the call to become an educator while serving in the U.S. Army in a mobile army surgical hospital during the Korean War. He obtained a master’s degree at San Jose State University and a doctorate at the University of Colorado Boulder. He began his teaching career at Pepperdine University before landing at IWU. Bob loved beauty in all its forms — nature, art and poetry among them — but music was his emotional home. He was active in religious life and often shared his gift of music in the church. Bob was always learning and educated himself on subjects ranging from theology and philosophy, to computer science and financial investing, to home repair and carpentry. He enjoyed traveling, sports, his cats and, most of all, his family. He is survived by his wife, five children, eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Bob’s Celebration of Life will be held on February 12 at 1 p.m. CST and will be live-streamed at christlutheranchurchffg.org.

Warren “Twig” Smith ’72

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Warren “Twig” Smith ’72 of Carmel, Indiana, died Jan. 30, 2022. He was 71. Twig majored in business administration and was active in Sigma Chi at Illinois Wesleyan. He began his financial career at GTE, from which he later retired and began a second career as a loan officer, most recently at First Financial Bank. He was a member of Cornerstone Lutheran Church and also served on many committees and boards in the Noblesville, Indiana, area. Twig’s passions included golf, reading and playing cards, but most of all he loved spending time with his family and friends. He is survived by his wife, two children, three grandsons and sister. 

Tom Richards ’78

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Tom Richards ’78 is the author of Dolphin Song, a sweeping tale that follows the journey of an Irish-American family caught up in a storm of tragedy. The book is an extension of a screenplay Tom wrote with collaborator Liam O’Neill, who died in May 2020 of COVID-19. Liam had encouraged Tom to adapt the screenplay as a book to help secure production finance, which Tom eventually completed, even after his friend’s death. A story of romance, Irish legend and magic, Dolphin Song is available on Amazon. 

Read more or purchase Dolphin Song at https://www.tomrichards.ie/

Tom would also like to thank Dr John Ficca, a teacher and director. Tom says he was “The man who encouraged me through hard work to learn to write.”