Updates
Updated on:
Jim Spizzo ’74
was recently awarded first place and a cash prize in the architecture category in the 2021 juried exhibit sponsored by the Midwest Center for Photography in Wichita, Kansas, for his photo “Infinity: The Way Out.” Jim has also received honorable mentions by juries for his photography in the annual Minimalist Photography Awards, as well as in other exhibits at the Midwest Center for Photography. In the past few years, Jim’s photos have been selected by juries for inclusion in a dozen exhibits in Chicago; Wichita; Scottsdale, Arizona; and online. He was invited to do a show at the Pharmacy Gallery in Springfield as a guest artist in September.
In Memoriam
Updated on:
Conrad Damsgaard ’57
was a dedicated, active alumnus who had a vision for raising the profile of the institution. He and his late wife, Patricia Carlson Damsgaard ’53, remained active supporters of the College throughout their lives. Over the years, Conrad Damsgaard served on the Board of Trustees and as president of the Alumni Association Board of Directors. In 1987, he was honored with a distinguished service award “for his devotion to Illinois College as evidenced by thoughtful alumni involvement.” The Damsgaards’ philanthropy made them members of the Julian Monson Sturtevant Society and the Illinois College Society.
As a student, Damsgaard was elected student body president and was an active member and leader in Phi Alpha. He was also a member of Alpha Phi Omega, economics club, the Hilltoppers dramatic organization, student forum, social committee and intersociety board.
He was first sergeant of the Army Reserve unit on campus and served in the Army from 1954 to 1956. He started his career in sales with Shell Oil Company and went on to have a long career in sales and marketing management at Shell, Swank Motion Pictures and Psychological Associates.
The Damsgaards had three daughters, Susan Damsgaard-Brand ’81, Kristine Damsgaard and Beth Damsgaard Rodriguez. Susan and their granddaughter, Rachel Brand ’18, carried on the family’s legacy as IC alumni. He was 88 when he died March 23, 2022.
Updates
Updated on:
Lanie Cooper Kepler ’12, Brady Kepler ’12 and Bailey Cooper ’18
founded the KASE Project. It is a central Illinois non-profit dedicated to supporting the autism community. They installed a playground communication board at Southwind Park in Springfield for children with limited verbal speech to enjoy the park with their peers.
In Memoriam
Updated on:
Elizabeth Shewmaker Fischbeck '52,
Gamma Delta, May 9, 2020.
Updates
Updated on:
Jovanny Nava '16
will begin law school in the fall of 2020 at Saint Louis University in St. Louis, Missouri.
Updates
Updated on:
Burel Goodin ’02
was selected as a recipient for the 2020 Provost’s Awards for Faculty Excellence at the University of Alabama at Birmington where he is an associate professor in the Department of Psychology.
Births
Updated on:
Ashley Kuhlmann '05,
a son, Jaxson H. Kuhlmann, on March 3, 2020.
Marriages
Updated on:
Dani Hillis ’13
and Rudy Porter '14, September 28, 2019.
In Memoriam
Updated on:
Jonathan “Jono” Hildner '66
Illinois College Society, Gamma Nu, May 8, 2020.
In Memoriam
Updated on:
James Roger Cory '61,
Alpha Phi Omega, November 5, 2019.
In Memoriam
Updated on:
Nancy Utter Bradbury '75
Illinois College Society, Chi Beta, May 7, 2020. Nancy attended Brown County High School, Illinois College, and Sangamon State University, which awarded her a bachelor’s degree in accounting and auditing. She enjoyed a distinguished career in finance, accounting, auditing, and information technology. She married Keith Bradbury ’73 in 1973 in her birthplace of Mt. Sterling and he survives. Along with her husband, she was a loyal supporter of Illinois College throughout her life. In November 2019, the Bradbury family established a scholarship in support of a student pursuing a career in education as a tribute to Ken Bradbury ’71 H’98, Nancy’s late brother-in-law.
Sympathy
Updated on:
Kathy Blough Taylor '86,
Illinois College extends its sympathy to Kathy Blough Taylor on the death of her husband Samuel W. Taylor Sr. '85.
In Memoriam
Updated on:
Louis Giordano '69
May 3, 2020.
In Memoriam
Updated on:
Elizabeth Ohm '60
April 30, 2020.
In Memoriam
Updated on:
C. Wayne Peck '68
April 21, 2020.
In Memoriam
Updated on:
Linda Crabtree Wightman '66
Sigma Phi Epsilon, January 15, 2020.
In Memoriam
Updated on:
Woodrow “Woody” Wilson Cheesman '69,
Phi Alpha, March 18, 2020.
In Memoriam
Updated on:
Dr. William S. McKinley,
Retired Professor of Mathematics, March 4, 2020.
In Memoriam
Updated on:
Samuel W. Taylor Sr. '85
Pi Pi Rho, February 11, 2020.
In Memoriam
Updated on:
Kathleen Fitzgerald Kocourek '84,
February 27, 2020.
In Memoriam
Updated on:
Carol Harding Moore '77
Sigma Phi Epsilon, January 28, 2020.
In Memoriam
Updated on:
Carole Ostermeier Schaefer '65,
Sigma Phi Epsilon, February 23, 2020.
In Memoriam
Updated on:
Robert “Bob” Harrell,
December 29, 2019.