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.

Lucy (Carmody) Simkins ’77

Congratulations to Lucy Carmody Simkins on her second children’s publication! The Summer Kitchen Bully summary reads

“Cocooned within a field of cornstalks rests Farmer’s homestead. An ancient summer kitchen inhabited by a group of field animals sits just steps away from the main house. Inside this primitive kitchen, fierce threats from Flame, the tomcat, scare the field mice, Jasmine, the spiders and others. Bullying is something everyone needs to learn how to deal with, and the ways these animals learn how to counter and defuse bullying offers solutions to anyone!”

 

Jay Payleitner ’79

Jay Payleitner has published his 29th book! The Prayer of Agur ponders and unpacks the only prayer in the Bible’s book of Proverbs. The unexpected prayer by an overlooked minor prophet reads in part, “Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread” (Proverbs 30:8). With sales of more than half a million copies, Jay’s earlier books tackled family and life issues from a Christian perspective. All his books are available on Amazon and jaypayleitner.com.

Congratulations on your achievements!

TAG Day 2021

Monday, February 8 is Thank-A-Giver Day at Illinois Wesleyan and we’re eager to celebrate generous Titans!

Thank-A-Giver (TAG) Day is the symbolic point during the academic year — about 70% of the way through — when tuition dollars are exhausted and Illinois Wesleyan relies on donor generosity to continue providing a world-class education and rewarding collegiate experiences.

Each and every year, every gift matters. Contributions benefit students and faculty, enhance academic excellence, and strengthen the IWU community.

Thank you to all who give back to move IWU forward.

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.