Mystic Shrine

George Donnelly

11/22/2022

George Donnelly, age 80, peacefully passed away on November 22nd, 2022, in Wheaton, Illinois.

George was born in Chicago, Illinois, son of Eugene and Anna (Wilcox) Donnelly. He was a graduate of DeKalb High School class of 1960 and received a BS Degree from the University of Illinois and a Juris Doctor Degree from Northern Illinois College of Law.

James Bruce Lyon

08/11/2022

James Bruce Lyon, 80, went to be with the Lord on August 11, 2022. He died at home from coronary heart disease. A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, August 23, at 11 a.m. at St. Francis Episcopal Church.

James Craig Potter '66

07/01/2022

James Craig Potter, environmental lawyer of Alexandria, Va., passed away of brain cancer on Friday, July 1, 2022. He was 78.   

Craig was raised in Urbana and began his legal career in Wyoming, where he fell in love with the outdoors. In 1975, Craig moved to D.C., where he worked on Capitol Hill, served in several presidential appointments at the Interior Department and led the air program at the Environmental Protection Agency.

George Bogie Redmon '65

02/01/2021

George Bogie Redmon ‘65, passed away on February 1, 2021, at the age of 77 in Glen Carbon, IL.

He is survived by his wife Judie and his son, Kai. He is also survived by his older brother Gant who is a Sigma Rho Beta class of ’59

Bogie grew up in Collinsville and was on the Collinsville High School basketball team in 1961 that went undefeated in his senior year and won the state championship.

David G. Cade '62

01/27/2021
David Cade '62 passed away on January 27, 2021.
 
Memorial service will be held at his home-church:
Wednesday March 10, 2021 at 2pm 
The Woodlands First Baptist Church 
11801 Grogan’s Mill Road   The Woodlands, TX 

Calvin DeWeerdt '64

11/03/2020

Calvin DeWeerdt, 78, passed away on Nov. 3, 2020, following a brief illness. Cal was born in Clinton, Iowa, and called Rockford home for more than 55 years. Following graduation from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, he was General Manager at Cudahy Packing Company for many years and transitioned to a decades-long real estate career, which included serving as past president of the Home Builders Association of the Greater Rockford Area.

William A. Stanford '65

10/31/2020

William A. Stanford '65

April 20, 1943 - October 31, 2020

Bill was born in Centralia, Illinois, then moved around the state during childhood due to his father's profession. For college, he chose the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, where he won an R.O.T.C. scholarship that gave him a Navy Commission as well as his Economics degree, with honors, in 1965.

Phil Yenerich '64

03/29/2020

Phil Yenerich ’64 passed away on March 29, 2020.

Phil was from Mendota and studied Industrial Design at Illinois. He was active in both Star Course and The Illio in his first two years. In his senior year, he served as our chapter president.

Phil received a BFA in Industrial Design and worked in large corporations as a designer. While at IBM, he received 20 patents for his work.

 

John "Jack" Christiansen '49

08/16/2017

John "Jack" Christiansen '49

Passed away on 2017-08-16

John Valdemar (“Jack”) Christiansen was a long time resident of Bainbridge Island and died after a brief illness on August 16 at age 89. He was born on September 28, 1927, in Chicago to Christian Valdemar and Louise Linderoth Christiansen.

Ramon E Dale '50

01/21/2017

Ramon E Dale '50  7/71926 - 1/21/2017  The following is from the Sonoma Index-Tribune. 

Ramon "Gene" Dale passed away in Corte Madera, CA. Gene Dale, a long-time resident of San Francisco, Sonoma and Marin died January 21 at the age of 90. 

Robert M. Meadows '65

01/03/2017

Robert Meadows, 73, Port St. Lucie, Florida, passed away Tuesday, January 3, 2017, at Treasure Coast Hospice House in Stuart, FL.
Bob was a key member of the 1961 Collinsville High School basketball team that won the state championship and was undefeated. He received a basketball scholarship at the University of Illinois in Champaign. He joined his Collinsville teammate Bogie Redmon '65 on the Illinois basketball team. Both Bob and Bogie were members of Beta Theta Pi fraternity.

He was born September 4, 1943, in East St. Louis, the son of Marshall and Hallie (White) Meadows and was raised in Collinsville.

Robert C. Hahn '50

09/03/2016

PEORIA - Robert C. Hahn, 88, Gray, TN, formerly of Peoria, passed away on Saturday, September 3, 2016, surrounded by his loving family, into the arms of his savior, Jesus Christ.

He was born March 8, 1928, in Chicago, to Virginia and Otis Hahn. He married Pat Semmelroth on February 14, 1953, in Peoria, Illinois. She survives.

Dr. Carlton Van Doren '55

07/29/2016

Dr. Carlton Van Doren '55 died on July 29,2016. The following article is from the News-Gazette.

ANDERSON, S.C. – Dr. Carlton S. Van Doren, 83, formerly of Urbana and College Station, Texas, passed away peacefully of natural causes at the National Health Care facility in Anderson, S.C., on Friday (July 29, 2016).

Charles M. Tinder Jr '63

06/17/2016

Charles M. (Chuck) Tinder Jr., 75, of Las Vegas, NV passed away Friday, June 17, 2016 of Multiple Myeloma.

He was born in Joliet, IL to Charles M. Sr. and Bernice Tinder and attended Joliet Township High School.

He received his Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Illinois in Champaign in 1964 and Master of Architecture degree from the University of Washington in Seattle, WA in 1965. He was a member of the Beta Theta Pi Fraternity.

B. Neal Harman '60

04/16/2016

B. NEAL HARMAN, age 77. Passed away April 16, 2016. He was preceded in death by his parents, Karl and Margaret (nee Bennett) and brother, Larry. He is survived by his beloved wife of 50 years, Gloria and children, Rebecca Wall (Chad) of Hilliard, OH and Michael (Tracy) of Beavercreek, OH and grandchildren, Christopher, Katherine and Elizabeth and numerous nieces and nephews.

James R. Leach, M.D. '59

04/09/2016

James R Leach '59 passed away on April 9, 2016. The following article is from Tulsa World.

James R. "Jim" Leach, gifted surgeon, a gentleman and a gentle man who experienced life's ups and downs with equanimity, left this world April 9, 2016 for his next great adventure after a spirited battle with Parkinson's disease.Jim lived life with passion and drive. 

Richard Daeschner '66

04/08/2016

Dick Daeschner was from Arlington Heights. He entered the U of Illinois in the fall of 1962 and majored in Finance. 

Dick was a loyal member of Sigma Rho and served the chapter as pledge trainer for one year. Dick was active in several student organizations including Wa Na See, Sachem, and Skull & Crescent.   And he was a member of the Student Senate for two years and on the Major Committee of Student Senate.

Daniel Burdzinski '03

04/06/2016

Daniel J. "DJ Burdin" Burdzinski, age 35, of Plainfield, Illinois, passed away surrounded by his loving family on Wednesday, April 6, 2016.

He was born in Hinsdale, Illinois on April 2, 1981. DJ attended St. Dominic Grammar School, Joliet Catholic Academy, where he lettered in Soccer, and graduated from the University of Illinois, Class of 2003, where he was a member of the Beta Theta Pi Fraternity.

Dr. Steven B. Sample '62

03/29/2016

Steven B. Sample earned three degrees at the University of Illinois: B.S., M.S., Ph.D. Electrical Engineering. He served as president of the University at Buffalo from 1982 to 1991 and president of the University of Southern California from 1991 to 2010.

He was the author of the management book titled The Contrarian's Guide to Leadership in 2002

Edward E. Barthell '55

Edward E Barthell
03/16/2016

After a long and full life, Edward East Barthell passed away peacefully on March 19, 2016 at his home in Neenah at age 83. He courageously battled Parkinson’s Disease for 20 years. Ed was born on January 23, 1933 in Evanston, Illinois, son of Edward East Barthell, Jr. and Harriet Lyon Barthell.

Richard G. Schultz '51

Richard G. Schultz
08/08/2015
Richard G. Schultz, 85, passed away August 8, 2015. He is survived by his beloved wife, Diana C. Schultz (Bray). Preceded in death by his parents June (Clay) and Emil C. Schultz, brother Emil C. (Bud) Schultz and grandson Christopher Curley.

Dr. Larry A. Lowe '74

Larry Lowe
11/25/2014

Dr. Larry A. Lowe D.D.S., age 62 of Edwardsville, Illinois, formerly of Belleville, Illinois, died at 3:40 p.m. on Tuesday, November 25, 2014 at his residence. He was born on December 22, 1951 in Peoria, Illinois, the son of the late Harry D. & Norma E. (White) Lowe.

Early in his career, Dr. "Doc" Lowe practiced in Clinton, Illinois and Decatur, Illinois. He later settled in Belleville, where he practiced until his retirement in 2005.

Lewis Williams Taggart '43

09/07/2014
Lewis was the chapter president in 1943 and two of his relatives were Sigma Rho Betas.

Lewis Williams “Lew” Taggart, 93 died Sunday, September 7, 2014.

Lew was born June 24, 1921 in Collinsville, Illinois to Oliver and Alice (Williams) Taggart. He was the last surviving member of his High School Football Team, the CoHoks; class of 1938.

George H. Paris '40

06/24/2014

George H. Paris '40  May 29, 1918 - June 24, 2014

George H. Paris, born May 29, 1918 in Huron South Dakota, grew up in Springfield Illinois, graduated from the University of Illinois, college of Engineering in 1940, and retired from the Portland Cement Association in 1983.

Allen Cassens '58

06/13/2014

Allen Cassens '58 passed away on 6/13/2014. This obituary was published in Edwardsville Intelligencer.

Allen R. Cassens, age 77, of Edwardsville, Illinois, died at 10:00 a.m. Friday, June 13, 2014, at his home.

Allen was Chairman of Cassens Corporation. He served on many boards including Southern Illinois University Foundation, McKendree College, TheBank of Edwardsville, and Allison's Friends of Hope.

Robert William Edwards '53

06/08/2014
Bob Edwards was a Champaign architect whose firm designed the Beta House Upgrade in 1963. Bob's brother Edward is a Sigma Rho Beta.

Robert William Edwards, 84, of Bloomington passed away in his sleep at 8 am Sunday (June 8, 2014) at his home from an apparent seizure.

Bob was born on February 16, 1930 in Champaign, ll., to Harold Mortimer and Marian Bell Scarlett Edwards. He married Gwendolyn Combs Tyner on January 30, 1954. They celebrated 60 years of marriage this year.

Growing up in Champaign, he attended Dr. Howard Elementary School, and both Champaign Junior and Senior High Schools.

Richard E. "Rick" Toth '62

05/14/2014

Richard E. "Rick" Toth, 73, passed away Wednesday, May 14, 2014, surrounded by loved ones. Born July 22, 1940, in Urbana, Ill., he was a son of the late Prof. Edmund F. and Mrs. Georgena Toth.

Rick is survived by his loving wife and best friend, Carol; daughter, Anne, and her husband, Tristan; granddaughter, Alexandra; son, Jim, and his wife, Ashley; brother, Col. James, and his wife, Molly; and a large group of extended family and friends who loved him dearly.

Robert M. Hornaday '61

03/02/2014

Robert M. Hornaday  November 8, 1939 - March 2, 2014

Robert M. Hornaday, age 74, a loving husband, father, grandfather, and brother, died Sunday evening, March 2, 2014, at his home in Michigan City, Indiana, after an illness of a few years.       

Dean Stewart '50

02/09/2014

Dean Russell Stewart of Champaign passed away at 10:15 a.m. Sunday (Feb. 9, 2014).

Dean was born June 15, 1928, in Pontiac, the only son of Gladys (Jones) Stewart and Russell Stewart. Dean attended Urbana schools graduating from high school in 1946. That fall, he entered the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and joined the Beta Theta Pi fraternity.

Larry D Fears '65

01/01/2014

Larry D Fears  April 3, 1943 - January 1, 2014

Larry Douglas Fears, 70, of Leawood, Kansas, passed away Wednesday, January 1, 2014 at home from natural causes.

Larry was born April 3, 1943 in East St. Louis, Illinois. He graduated from the University of Illinois where he was a member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity, Associate Editor of the Illio and named to "Who's Who" at the university. He was a retired Major in the Air Force Reserves.

Robert Lane, Sr. '48

Robert Lane
12/11/2013

Robert K. “Lobo” Lane Sr., 86 of Bloomington, Ill. died at 1:40 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2013 at Advocate BroMenn Medical Center, Normal, Ill. He was born April 18, 1927 in Clinton, the son of Martha Kunkel. He married Joy Chapman and to this union was born three children. He married Edie Lane in 1968 and she survives in Bloomington.

Charles Bud Gervig '43

04/27/2013
Charles Marzolf "Bud" Gervig, 91, of Waco, passed away on April 27, 2013 after a brief illness. Bud was born August 31, 1921 in Alton, Illinois, the son of Philip M. and Cornelia Spoeneman Gervig. He attended school in Alton through junior high then moved to Belleville, Illinois, where he graduated from high school. In his senior year, he was the first person to be named to all three of the Illinois all-state football teams. He attended Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri and graduated from The University of Illinois in 1943. He was a member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity. Being in the R.O.T.C. Cadet Corps, upon graduation he was immediately sent to Officers Candidate School at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.

Gene T. Fox '59

02/03/2013
Mr. Gene T. Fox, 75, passed away Sunday, February 3, 2013. Mr. Fox was born and raised in the community of Sparta, IL. He graduated from the University of Illinois in 1959, where he was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society and Beta Theta Pi fraternity. He went on to receive his masters degree from Cornell University, where he met his wife, Nancy.

Joseph England '62

Joe England
06/07/2012

Joseph W. England, 71, Moline, died Thursday, June 7, 2012 at his home, surrounded by his family.

Joe was born June 21, 1940 in Moline, the son of Mary (Walker) and Stanley B. England. He graduated from UTHS, and from the University of Illinois in 1962.  At Illinois , Joe was a member of Beta Theta Pi and captain of the golf team his senior year.

Gene Vance '47

02/16/2012
Ellis Eugene (Gene) Vance, 88, of Champaign, passed away at 2:30 p.m. Thursday (Feb. 16, 2012) at his home in Champaign. Mr. Vance was born Feb. 25, 1923, in Clinton, the son of Ellis Wilson and Barbara Armstrong Vance. He married Grace Hoberg Vance on Aug. 7, 1943, at Camp Wolters, Texas. She preceded him in death on Aug. 10, 1980. Gene was a member of one of college basketball's greatest teams, the Illinois' "Whiz Kids" of 1941-42 and 1942-43. This team won back-to-back Big Ten Conference Championships. The team was broken up on March 1, 1943, when all five starters headed to active duty for service in World War II. He served three years in the U.S. Army, including 16 months in Europe and earned two bronze stars during his military career.

Raymond Arthur "Art" Beazley '63

10/30/2011

Raymond Arthur 'Art' Beazley, 70, of Travelers Rest, SC died October 30, 2011 following a heroic 22-month battle with pancreatic cancer.

Born in Tuscola, Illinois, he was the loving husband of Linda Beazley and the son of the late Raymond Thomas Archer Beazley & Elizabeth Olive Goode Beazley. He graduated from Arcola High School in 1959 and received degrees in civil engineering from the University of Illinois. He was a member of Beta Theta Pi.

James Kent Stewart '66

11/16/2010

James Kent Stewart, 66, of Reston, Va., formerly of Quincy, died at 8:15 p.m. Tuesday (Nov. 16, 2010) in Capitol Hospice in Arlington, Va.  Born Dec. 14, 1943, in Quincy, Jim was a son of Donald G. and Laverna Birrer Stewart. Jim married Linda Marsh on June 20, 1970, in Canton, Mass. She survives.

Daniel H. Jahns '64

07/06/2009

Daniel H. Jahns, born 1942, passed away late Monday night, July 6th, 2009, after a courageous five year battle against colon cancer.

Daniel was a Vietnam Veteran and Bronze Star recipient. He led a long and successful career in engineering and real estate, helped found Sentinel Computer Corporation, co-found Village Classic Properties, and worked for both Cincinnati Milacron and the Ohmart Corporation.

Charles W Kohr '65

10/09/2005

Charles W. Kohr, 61, of Decatur, Illinois, passed away 12:50 P.M., Sunday, October 9, 2005 in his home after a courageous battle with brain cancer.

Mr. Kohr was born December 4, 1943 in Great Falls, Montana. He was the son of Samuel L. and Doris (Warren) Kohr. He married Pamela Saunders on September 1, 1968 in Decatur, Illinois.

Daniel Boyd Kokes '65

04/15/2005

Daniel Boyd Kokes, November 30, 1943-April 15, 2005.

Son of Ruth and Wilbur Kokes; brother of Kate Fletcher and Sue Shiffrin; partner of Jeannie; father of Jenni Hulsey, Todd and Matt; father-in-law of Tom and Stacey; brother-in-law of Mary Lee, Larry, Ruth and Barby; Papa of Luke, Zack, Kyle and just-born baby-girl Hulsey; uncle of Cami, Eva, Aaron and Steve.

Randy M. Reu '66

04/10/2004

Randy Melvin Reu, 60, of Ingleside, formerly of Carthage, died at his home on Saturday, April 10, 2004, after a long battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis "Lou Gehrig's disease."

He was born on Jan. 30, 1944, at Aurora, a son of Melvin Thompson and Evelyn Lindsey Reu. He married Mary Adkins on Sept. 22, 1973, in Farnhamville, Iowa. He later married Martha Jane Potempa, on Sept. 13, 1986, in Woodstock.

John W. DeWolf '30

02/05/2004

John W DeWolf of Beta Theta Pi, University of Illinois, died February 5, 2004 after a brief illness.

John was initiated into the Sigma Rho chapter in February 1927 on the 25th anniversary of the Chapter. Francis Shepardson, the president of Beta Theta Pi, attended the initiation. John returned to the campus in 2002 to attend the 100-year anniversary of the Chapter.

John served as a Lt. Colonel in the Air Corps in WWII, entering active duty just before Pearl Harbor. He was awarded the Legion of Merit Medal. He spent most of his business life in industrial advertising, starting with General Electric; followed by three years with Bethlehem Steel; 20 years with Basford, a New York industrial advertising agency; and finally 19 years with Cahners Publishing Company, a business-magazine publisher headquartered in Boston. John was a strong supporter of the Sigma Rho chapter and the Beta Theta Pi Foundation.

David Michelman '65

10/03/2003

Dave Michelman died on October 3, 2003. The following article is from the Detroit Free Press.

Holly resident and psychologist David Michelman died suddenly Monday at a conference of mental health professionals in Traverse City. He was 60.

Mr. Michelman, a licensed clinical psychologist, retired almost three years ago from Genesee County Community Mental Health, where he served as deputy director and program chief of mentally ill adult services. He worked there for 30 years.

Namo Jeffery Lundeen '66

02/15/1996

Namo Jeffery Lundeen, a native of Moline, Illinois, died at El Camino Hospital Feb. 15, 1996. He was 51.

A salesman for Consilium Inc. he is survived by his sister, Connie Schimbor of Houston, Texas, and children Jennifer Lundeen and Namo MacArthur Lundeen, both of Santa Rosa.

Dr. Ted Donosky '65

02/27/1989

Dr. Theodore Donosky, 45, of Evansville, Ind.. formerly of Benton, died Monday, Feb. 27, 1989. in Cave-In-Rock. 

Dr. Donosky was a physician for Bristol-Meyers.

He was a member of Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Evansville, the American Physician's Association and the American Medical Association

He was president of the Plaza School Baseball Boosters Club in Evansville, a board member of the Harrison High School Soccer Club, and was an Army veteran. 

David G. Mueller '65

02/19/1987

David G. Mueller '65      3-19-1943 -  2-19-1987

From the Hammond Times, Hammond, IN on 2-21-1987:

David G. Mueller, age 43, of Livonia, Michigan - formerly of Hammond, Indiana, passed away Thursday, February 19, 1987. Survivors: wife, Sharon; two sons, Thomas and Jeffery: mother, Edna Mueller of Vero Beach, Florida.

Bill Sullivan '65

Bill Sullivan
11/27/1986
Bill Sullivan was born on July 27, 1943 and passed away on November 27, 1986 in Cupertino, California after an eighteen month battle with brain cancer. Bill was from Streator, IL and earned a football scholarship at the University of Illinois. He pledged Beta Theta Pi in the fall of 1961 and began work on a degree in Electrical Engineering.