Tom Hensel ’71 was honored as Plainfield (Ill.) Central High School renamed its basketball court Tom Hensel Court in a ceremony in April 2021. Tom retired from the Plainfield school district in 2004 after serving as a teacher, coach and administrator for more than 33 years. In addition to Plainfield, he also taught in the Illinois communities of Minooka, Wyoming and Galesburg.
In September 2020, Chuck Kennedy ’76 was awarded the Bronze Medal for Technical Merit from the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) for his significant technical contributions in the field of undersea warfare.
Carolyn (McCaughey) Hodge ’78 of Naples, Florida, died April 19, 2021. She was 64.
She was a member of Kappa Delta at Illinois Wesleyan. Carolyn was a dedicated teacher for 40 years, impacting the lives of thousands of children and mentoring new generations of educators. She finished her teaching career at Pelican Marsh Elementary in Naples, where she had many friends. Carolyn loved to travel to places all over the country, including Wrigley Field, and as far away as the Greek islands. At home, she enjoyed trips to the library, quiet afternoons reading, and time in her pool or on the water, where she often made her famous margaritas for boat trips or watching sunsets on the beach. But she was happiest when surrounded by family and friends, and relished her role as a mother. She is survived by her husband, two daughters, including Marissa Holloway ’07, sister and mother, Clarene (Makinson) McCaughey ’50.
You can read the full obituary here.
On November 19, 2020 Steve Watts was awarded the Thomas B. Herring Community Service Award by the Galesburg Area Chamber of Commerce for “volunteer activities exemplifying the true meaning of service to others and a willingness to do so without recognition and publicity”. Watts retired from the practice of law in 2018. He currently serves as chairman of the Knox County Mental Health (708) Board.
Frankie Faison ’71 was recently featured in an article in The Daily Press, which can be found here, discussing his distinguished, decades-long career in theater, film and television.
Cheryl L. Portwood-Peden Emery ’74 gave a Titan Career Chat: Experiences in the Spanish Caribbean. Presented virtually, the power-point photo slide presentation helped students learn how Cheryl’s cultural immersion experiences during her IWU Study Travel Seminar to Puerto Rico inspired her. Cheryl earned her B.A. from IWU in Spanish leading to a rewarding and satisfying teaching career in Spanish; Spanish Bi-lingual/E.S.L., and Special Education that has spanned 38 years. Cheryl retired from teaching in the Chicago Public Schools in 2012.
Glenn Neumann ’72 passed away on September 29, 2020 in Louisville, Colorado.
David McCord ’75 is retiring in May. After six years practicing law, he was a professor at Drake University Law School for thirty-six years. He plans to enjoy life with his wife Laura (‘75), their three children, and their grandson. He plans to do volunteer work with his church and other nonprofits.