Randall Ricklefs ’73 is a senior engineer at Hexagon US Federal, contributing to the Global Geodetic Observing System, a collaborative effort of the global geodesy community to the observation and monitoring of the Earth system. Randy is also a research associate at the University of Texas at Austin.
Nurse and CEO of one of the largest medical providers in Pima County, Nancy Johnson ’78 was honored as the 2021 Greater Tucson Leadership Woman of the Year. Read about it here (page 171).
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 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.
Dr. Greg Poland ’77, who studies the immunogenetics of vaccine response at the Mayo Clinic, provided expert perspective on the future of COVID-19. Read the article here.
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.”
Carlina Tapia-Ruano ’77 was selected to be on the screening committee for the appointment of a Federal District Court Judge in one of the Illinois districts. Read the full press release here.
Scott McMurray ’76 of Waukesha, Wisconsin, died Aug. 20, 2021. He was 67. After earning a bachelor’s degree in religion at Illinois Wesleyan, he went on to earn a master’s degree in divinity at Asbury Theological Seminary and a doctorate in ministry at McCormick Theological Seminary. Scott served as a United Methodist clergyman for 40 years, serving various congregations throughout Illinois and Wisconsin. He was an avid bicyclist and world traveler. He will be remembered for his devotion to his congregations and faithfulness to God. He is survived by two children, two grandchildren, his father and brother. You can read the whole obituary here.