In memory: Spring 2025
In memory of Illinois State University alumni, faculty, and staff who have passed away.
Appears In Illinois State: Spring 2025 FirstWord: Spring 2025 University News briefs: State Farm commits $3 million to data science Where are they now?: Dave Bentlin Kids learn to love hoops on Education Day Then and Now: Nursing education Pause for Applause: Spring 2025 A Day in the Life: Students connect through Fraternity and Sorority Life Earned it: Fischer ‘humbled’ by alumni award Class notes: Spring 2025 Redbird trivia: Spring 2025 Thanks to you: Bone Scholar strives to make a difference Redbird Legacy: Music runs in the Mack family Where are they now?: Tammy Kocher ’93 The lessons of Bangladesh: Dr. Ali Riaz gives voice to his native country as it fights for democracy Athletics briefs: Beggs named director of Athletics Trees of (college) life Appetite for success: Entrepreneur builds community through food Behind the lens: New York Times photographer Todd Heisler ’94 captures history in the making Read AllFaculty/Staff
Robert Campbell; 9/24
Will Davis; 1/25

Ronald Elliott; 9/24
Karol Enright; 9/24
Richard Godfrey; 1/25
Dottie Haeffele; 1/25
Dan Hite; 9/24
Calvin Jackson; 11/24
Michael James; 12/24
Pat Johnson; 8/24
Marie Knight; 3/24
Michael Krutke; 8/24
Franklin Lewis; 10/24
Mary McMahon; 11/24
Charles Morris; 8/24
Mbodja Mougoue; 10/24
Barbara Perry; 9/24
Teodoro Sanchez; 1/25
James Shives; 10/24
Marilyn Simpson; 10/24
David Sulzberger; 8/24
Glenn Taylor; 8/24
Kup Tcheng; 5/24
Alumni
1930s
Isabelle (Feller) Bauer ’39 ’62; 10/24
1940s
Gladys (Moore) Williamson ’41; 10/24
Velda (Saathoff) Swigart ’45; 8/24
Douglas Blakeley ’47; 11/24
Marjorie (Goetz) Smith ’48; 1/25
1950s
Barbara (Schonert) Benway ’50; 11/24
Leona (Alblinger) Johnson ’50; 1/25
Iva (French) Petersen ’50; 9/24
Harriet (Koenig) Zoeller ’50; 1/25
Jannine (Taylor) Klay ’51; 1/24
Donavon Schmoll ’51; 11/24
Conrad Aschenbrenner ’52; 8/24
George Flickinger ’52; 11/24
Robert Hauter ’52, M.S. ’62; 9/24
Merle Murray ’52; 12/24
Edward Raley ’52; 9/24
George Egofske ’53, M.S. ’56; 1/25
James Partridge ’53; 12/24
Bernadine (Hoover) Limper ’54; 9/24
Clarice Giffhorn ’55; 8/24
Rich Godfrey ’55, M.S. ’90; 1/25
Mary Ann (Hoeflinger) Heck ’55; 11/23
Noble Mann ’55; 11/24
Charles Roy ’55; 9/24
Virginia (Grille) Kerr ’56; 10/24
Patricia (White) Kopp ’56; 10/24
Norma (Powers) Hanley ’57; 9/24
Janet (Beier) Heil ’57; 10/24
Lloyd Scholl ’57; 11/24
Mary (Sullivan) Volker ’57; 11/24
James Lindon ’58; 11/24
Margaret (Menne) Swalec ’58; 10/24
Caro (Moser) Jones ’59; 12/24
Jacqueline (Laing) Kearby 59; 9/23
Dorothy (Dyer) Knoeppel ’59; 11/24
William Ranney ’59; 10/24
1960s
Eileene (Rayburn) Bunting ’60; 9/24
Nancy (Bates) Dowling ’60; 10/24
Carolyn (Hanson) Dylak ’60; 11/24
Gay (Bartman) Elks ’60; 11/24
Virginia (Boyle) Roth ’60; 1/25
Betty (Trhlik) Triezenberg ’60; 8/24
Nancy (Sutcliffe) Wolter ’60; 12/24
William Zbinden ’60; 12/24
Leeon Carrico ’61; 11/24
Thomas Guttschow ’61; 8/24
Perry Klopfenstein ’61; 1/25
Donald Peck ’61; 8/24
Carole (Hessel) Ruby ’61; 10/24
Ronald Fischer ’62; 8/24
Frances (Miller) Niles ’62; 11/24
Dale Prest ’62; 12/24
Louise (Gowin) Schneider ’62; 9/24
Kay (Thierbach) Huddleston ’64; 10/24
Mary Frances (Britt) Potts ’64; 10/24
Karen Sperlin ’64, M.S. ’66; 9/24
Gerald Theis ’64, M.S. ’67; 10/24
Ruth (Rainford) Zahnd ’64; 1/25
Jerry Carnivale ’65; 11/24
Larry Hafley ’65; 12/24
Paula Schutt ’65; 9/23
Phyllis (DeGroote) Cook ’66, M.S. ’67; 1/25
Keith Erickson ’66, M.A. ’71; 1/25
Mary (Baldwin) Krahl, M.S. ’66; 9/24
Howard Jacoby ’66, M.S. ’71; 9/24
Judith (Pruis) Johnson ’66; 8/24
Kenneth Johnson ’66; 1/25
Mary (Skinner) Johnson ’66, M.S. ’69; 10/24
Lynette Lehn ’66; 9/24
Rebecca (Leinen) Pleshe ’66; 9/24
Larry Troxel ’66; 11/24
Carol Barr ’67, M.S. ’72; 9/24
Anthony D’Anza ’67, M.A. ’76; 7/24
Ralph Eckard ’67; 10/24
James Freehill ’67; 10/24
Michael Grilc ’67; 11/24
Cathy (Spencer) Martin ’67, M.S. ’83; 12/24
Larry Mohr ’67; 9/24
Ralph Timm ’67; 10/24
Barry Van Hook ’67; 10/24
Richard Walsh ’67; 11/24
Jo Wayne ’67; 1/25
Jennifer (Holl) Bledsoe ’68; 11/24
Marilyn (Mason) Byers ’68, M.S. ’69; 11/24
Joanna Rice, M.S. ’68; 11/24
James Van Nattan ’68; 10/24
Darrell Althide ’69; 10/24
Catherine (Strack) Bangert ’69; 11/24
Jan (Monninger) Bremner ’69, M.S. ’74; 12/24
Jacquelyn (Jones) Detweiler ’69; 12/24
Sue (Thorson) Dolder ’69; 10/24
Merton Ferguson, M.S. ’69; 10/24
Mildred (McIntyre) Garabrant ’69; 11/24
William Hanebuth, M.S. ’69, Ph.D. ’72; 11/24
Nancy (Taft) Nunemaker ’69; 9/24
Alan Pickens ’69; 11/24
Alan Sanders ’69; 10/24
1970s
Mary Jean Dennison ’70; 3/24
Carole Hurd, M.A. ’70; 9/24
Robert Heckler ’70; 10/24
Robert Lathrop, M.S. ’70; 4/24
Susan (Lewis) Saxe ’70; 9/24
Phyllis (Baker) Taylor ’70; 12/24
Jeanne (Koring) Wroan ’70; 12/24
Connie (Daly) Yeagle ’70; 11/24
Gary Bartell ’71; 12/24
John Burns ’71; 2/24
Bobbie Hall ’71; 8/24
Wanda (Royse) Kunz ’71; 11/24
Gregory Matarelli ’71; 10/24
Roberta (Farney) Reimschisel, M.S. ’71; 12/24
Janet (Martin) Schneina ’71; 8/24
John Whildin ’71; 10/24
Chris Anderson ’72; 11/24
John Carstens ’72; 10/23
Robert Dean ’72; 8/24
David Geraghty ’72; 11/24
Robert Gill ’72, M.M. ’73; 10/24
Martin Hauptman ’72; 9/24
Juliane Kleiboemer, M.A. ’72; 10/24
Barbara (Pretzlaff) Marshall ’72, M.S. ’82; 9/24
David Peck, M.A. ’72; 10/24
Elizabeth (Hays) Rundall ’72; 11/23
Margaret Schmuckal ’72; 10/24
James Thrall, Ph.D. ’72; 11/24
Sandra (Willan) Bossingham ’73, M.S. ’85; 9/24
Patricia (Borlick) Davis ’73; 9/24
John Dynkowski ’73; 9/24
Kathleen (Glennon) Labit ’73; 11/24
Richard McGuire ’73; 11/24
Terry Moser ’73; 12/24
Richard Ogorek ’73; 11/24
Paul Pescetto, M.S. ’73; 10/24
Anita (Swain) Allard, M.A. ’74; 10/24
Mary (Blaney) Bogner ’74; 10/24
Janice (Hasson) Dobek ’74, M.S. ’77; 12/24
Richard Foil ’74; 12/24
Adrienne (Harms) Jacoby ’74; 11/24
Chris Kasch ’74, M.S. ’76; 8/24
Tom Kovalik ’74; 8/24
Gary Kubo ’74; 11/24
Amy (Jenkins) Onnen ’74; 11/24
Barbara Waddell ’74; 8/24
Joann (Piller) Blough ’75; 9/24
Susan (Mayes) Lancaster ’75; 11/24
Connie (Williams) Machina ’75 ’83; 1/25
Karla (Sand) Shallenberger ’75; 11/24
James Smith ’75; 1/25
Tom Sullivan ’75; 8/24
Roy Swanberg ’75, M.S. ’81; 1/25
Jean (Willy) Wetter, M.S. ’75; 1/25
Ralph Bellas ’76, M.S. ’80 ’01, MBA ’89; 12/24
Lisa (Lubben) Kemnetz ’76; 9/24
Bryon Lundell ’76; 10/24
Vicki Lynn (Hartmann) Moeckel ’76; 9/24
Nancy (Goretzke) Brechnitz ’77; 8/24
Robert Brutcher, M.S. ’77; 10/24
Dan Kearney ’77, M.S. ’79; 1/25
Charles Rose ’77; 8/24
Joseph Rusnak ’77; 4/23
Sandra Smart ’77; 7/24
Barry Bass, M.A. ’78; 10/24
Kevin Leary ’78; 9/24
Tim Stouffer ’78; 9/24
Gerald Womack ’78; 1/25
Susan J. Roberts ’79; 11/24
Debra (Strunk) Kelone, M.S. ’79; 12/24
Angela (Vaughan) Scarim ’79; 11/24
Nannette (Swanson) Tanaka ’79, M.S. ’87; 10/24
Rita (Finnegan) Zajac ’79; 9/24
Heidi (Knebel) Zell ’79; 10/24
1980s
Lori (Minga) Burns ’80; 10/24
Christopher Conrad ’80; 1/24
Deborah Horn ’80; 1/25
Therese Keller ’80; 1/25
Barbara (Blais) Insel, M.A. ’81; 11/24
Melodie Lawson-Jones ’81; 11/24
Mark Snygg ’81; 8/22
Melinda (Weihmeir) Wilcox ’81; 1/25
Jacquelyn Camp-Young ’82; 11/24
Dwight Hershberger, M.A. ’82; 10/24
Donna (Click) Davis ’83; 10/24
Henry Sale ’83; 11/24
Keith Anderson ’84; 10/24
Richard Goff ’84; 11/24
Cynthia Salamandyk ’84; 8/23
Tammy (Fengel) Boyd ’85; 12/24
Barbara Livesay ’85; 9/24
Timothy Sather ’85; 1/25
Douglas Mills ’86; 10/24
Helen Jewett, M.S. ’88; 11/24
David Forest ’89 ’04, M.S. ’07 ’08; 4/24
Thomas McAninch, Ph.D. ’89; 8/24
1990s
Angelin (Shoemaker) Butler ’90; 10/24
Kimberly (Bethea) Connor ’90, M.M. ’09; 9/24
Jennifer Carns ’91; 8/24
Amy (Wiegand) Harris ’91, M.M. ’93; 10/24
Lee Keenan ’91; 10/24
Michelle Shiban-Banaszynski ’91; 9/24
Phyllis (Smith) Stillwell ’91; 12/23
Ronald Beatty ’92; 12/24
James Steimle ’92; 9/24
Ernest Olson ’93; 1/25
Joe McDonald ’94, M.S. ’23; 8/24
Carolyn Moyer, M.S. ’94; 10/24
Diana Maxheimer ’95; 11/24
Russell McKee ’95; 10/24
Cindy Schrantz ’95; 1/25
Kristine Soderholm ’98; 1/25
Curt Tagtmeier ’98, M.S. ’00; 8/24
2000s
Bruce Erickson, M.A. ’03, Ph.D. ’08; 9/24
Crystal Speed ’03, M.S. ’10; 9/24
Jamie (Leffelman) Wood ’03; 9/24
Michael Griswell, M.S. ’04; 8/24
Adam Achilli ’07; 9/24
Jaime Neumann ’07; 9/24
Jodi Johnson ’09, M.P.A. ’09; 11/24
Jason Stephens ’09; 10/24
2010s
Nicole Hermann, M.S. ’10; 9/24
Caley Alessio ’12; 12/24
Kerry Setter, M.S. ’15; 11/24
Valerie Uihlein ’16; 9/24
Sarina Shrestha, M.S. ’19; 4/24
Latest Publications
- A message to the campus community on faculty negotiations, April 3, 2025The Provost thanks the University’s and Union’s negotiating teams for their continued good faith efforts during this week's ongoing faculty negotiations, referring to it as an indication of the deep care each group has for the broader good at Illinois State.
- Milner Library announces applications for its next Circus and Allied Arts fellowshipMilner Library will award fellowship(s) of $1,500.00 to selected scholars interested in researching any topic that requires the onsite use of the Circus & Allied Arts Collection at Illinois State University.
- UFISU contract negotiations update, April 3, 2025The University and the Union met for this forty-sixth negotiation session. The University presented a significantly enhanced on-the-record economic proposal, as well as an on-the record proposal on Definitions.
- RISE Town Hall forums, April 22 and 23Illinois State University is hosting RISE Town Hall open forums on Tuesday, April 22, and Wednesday, April 23, to provide an opportunity for the campus community to learn more about the redesign project and the guiding principles governing the redesign.
- FirstWord: Spring 2025A message from University Marketing and Communications Executive Director Brian Beam, M.S. ’94, MBA ’10
- University News briefs: State Farm commits $3 million to data scienceIllinois State received a $3 million gift commitment from State Farm to support the University’s new interdisciplinary data science bachelor’s degree program.