We are sad to report that Ed Matushek ’75 passed away on May 28, 2021 at age 67. He was a beloved husband of 40 years to Alisa nee Bombassi and a devoted father to Eddie and Matt Matushek.
Ed Matushek III ’75
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Category Archives: Obituaries
Carolyn (McCaughey) Hodge ’78
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.
Glenn Neumann ’72
Glenn Neumann ’72 passed away on September 29, 2020 in Louisville, Colorado.
Carol (Payne) Brinkley ’75
Carol (Payne) Brinkley ’75 of Williamsburg, Virginia, died Feb. 4, 2021. She was 67. Carol studied English and French at Illinois Wesleyan. She spent the following years living in Germany, where she worked as a health spa attendant in Bad Feilnbach and as an au pair in Wolfratshausen, a suburb of Munich. After returning to the U.S., she took graduate classes at The New School in New York City and worked at the United Nations. She later worked in a variety of roles with Trailways Bus Company and the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. In 1988, she took a recreational sketching class, where she met her future husband. Carol worked briefly as an independent franchise holder for Caring Transitions, Inc., an estate management company for seniors, for the Peninsula Agency on Aging, and later worked part-time at the Williamsburg Antique Mall. She was a longtime corporate member and director of the Williamsburg Scottish Festival and was honored by the St. Andrew’s Society of Williamsburg with its “Scot of the Year” Award in 2005. She was always active in church life, singing in the choir and serving on many committees and groups. Carol was widely known and loved by many for her uniform kindness and thoughtful concern for others, her ready smile and approachability. She is survived by her husband, a sister, and many extended family members.
You can read the full obituary here.
Carl Mowery ’77
Carl Mowery ’77 died May 30, 2020 in Chicago. He was 64. After graduating from Illinois Wesleyan University and John Marshall Law School, Carl went on to specialize in compensation, benefits, and human resources. He served most recently as a managing director and leader of the Chicago Human Capital Services practice in Grant Thornton LLP. Carl was an active alumnus of IWU, serving on the University’s Chicago Leadership Council. He is survived by two children, a friend and former spouse, and a brother.
Sue Ellen (Brown) Haliski ’75
Sue Ellen (Brown) Haliski ’75 of Culpeper, Virginia, died Feb. 8, 2021. She was 68. Sue earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing at Illinois Wesleyan and moved to Portland, Oregon, where she worked for 25 years as a registered nurse in labor and delivery, lactation consulting, and orthopedics, at Good Samaritan Hospital, Legacy Health Group and Visiting Nurses. She lived in Charlotte, North Carolina, from 2004-09 before moving to Culpeper to be closer to family. Sue was a loving wife, mother and grandmother. She is survived by her husband, daughter, granddaughter and two sisters.
Read more here.
Kevin Kyes ’75
Kevin Kyes ’75 died Dec. 23, 2020, in Birmingham, Alabama. He was 67.
Kevin was active in Sigma Chi and a member of the baseball and basketball teams at Illinois Wesleyan. Kevin began a teaching and coaching career at Williamsville (Ill.) High School in 1975, and started a 40-year career at Bunn-O-Matic, in his hometown of Springfield, Illinois, in 1981. The job took Kevin and his wife to White Lake, Michigan, and eventually, Birmingham. Kevin lived an active lifestyle and loved coaching, especially his grandchildren’s baseball teams. In 2011, he was inducted into the Springfield Sports Hall of Fame. Kevin was active in his faith as a member of the Church of the Highlands Greystone in Birmingham. He is survived by his wife, two children, six grandchildren, his mother and two siblings.
You can read the full obituary here.
William (Bill) Dunbar ’78
Bill Dunbar ’78 of Bloomington, Illinois, died Dec. 11, 2020. He was 64.
Bill studied insurance at Illinois Wesleyan, where he was an active member of the tennis team and Sigma Chi. More importantly, he met his future wife Julie (Parsons) Dunbar ’80 at IWU. Shortly after graduation, Bill began a 35-year career with State Farm Insurance. He started at the company’s home office in Bloomington but quickly transferred to Arlington, Texas, where he and Julie lived for 18 years. They returned to Bloomington in 2000 when Bill accepted a new job in education and training, and Bill thoroughly enjoyed his time in the classroom. After retiring in 2015, Bill volunteered at Midwest Food Bank, led outreach efforts at Calvary United Methodist Church, built Habitat for Humanity homes, and served on a variety of committees in support of his neighborhood homeowners association. Bill loved traveling and being outside. He ran four marathons and enjoyed bass fishing, golfing, walking, hiking and biking. He loved his family and being a dad, and will be remembered for his gentle spirit, generous heart, twinkling blue eyes, remarkably full head of silver hair, and outstanding sense of humor. He is survived by his wife, two daughters and a sister.
You can read the full obituary here.
Carol (Claus) Barnes Schmedake ’78
Carol (Claus) Barnes Schmedake ’78 died Nov. 8, 2020, in Normal, Illinois. She was 64.
Carol earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting at Illinois Wesleyan, where she was active in professional organizations Phi Gamma Nu, Green Medallion and Alpha Lambda Delta. She worked as a certified public accountant. Carol loved traveling, especially to national parks and Hard Rock Cafe locations in the cities she visited. She is survived by her husband, son Eric Barnes ’07, sister Janet Claus ’81, and two aunts.
You can read the full obituary here.
Jeffrey Jones’75
Jeffrey Jones’75, respected leader in the ink industry passed away in Chicago on September 18, 2020. Jeff worked at Sun Chemical 34 years and received four patents which included improvements for manufacturing processes as well as run ability on press. He retired in 2015. Jeff and his wife Maribeth founded a scholarship fund at Illinois Wesleyan University for students from southern Illinois. Jeff spent a lifetime with a quest for knowledge and adventure and loved to travel. He had a great sense of humor and a dry wit. Most importantly, he will be remembered by family, friends and colleagues for his kindness and generosity. You may read his full obituary here.