Donnan makes his ‘Voice’ heard on NBC show

BY BARRY MCNAMARA

Ross Donnan started his Monmouth College baseball career in style, as his first hit as a Fighting Scot was a home run.

Donnan made a similar splash in an entirely different endeavor this spring, as he was a successful contestant on the NBC singing contest, The Voice

Competing under his stage name of Ross Clayton (Clayton is his middle name), the 2012 Monmouth graduate’s audition — during which he sang “Blue Ain’t Your Color” — couldn’t have gone better, as all four judges turned their chair, including Blake Shelton. But Donnan chose to join the team of one of the show’s new judges, One Direction’s Niall Horan.

Donnan’s music is described as “a bittersweet blend of modern Americana country and old-school twang,” drawing inspiration from artists such as the Zac Brown Band, George Strait and Bob Seger. Among the songs he performed during his long run on the show were “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” and “With or Without You.”

Donnan’s roots in performance can be traced to his senior year of high school, when he said “peer pressure” led him to audition for a part in the Evanston (Illinois) Township High School production of the musical comedy Little Shop of Horrors.

“I was Steve Martin, if you’ve seen the (1986) movie,” said Donnan. “I was Orin Scrivello, D.D.S., the narcissistic dentist.”

It was also during Donnan’s senior year that he needed to plan for his next chapter. At a baseball showcase, he connected with Monmouth’s coach at the time, the late Roger Sander

“I liked the vision he provided about the program and about the College and the campus,” said Donnan. “I loved that it was a smaller campus. My high school class was almost 1,000 people. I’m a little more of a smallgroup guy. On my visit, it just felt right, and I got to talk to Coach a little more. A big part of it was a baseball decision.”

Donnan initially considered a history major but soon found a home in the communication studies department, taking classes with Chris Goble and Trudi Peterson.

He also did play-by-play for Fighting Scots football and basketball games and strongly considered that as a career option, even doing an internship with the Chicago sports network.

His baseball career was fulfilling, both on the field and off. As a junior, he led the team with a .348 average and 35 RBI, earning All-Central Region Third Team honors. He also recalled the bonds he formed with his teammates.

“My group of seniors was the most solid group of guys,” said Donnan of teammates that included other starting position players such as Kyle Higginson, Mitch Johnson, Caleb Ruyle and Brad Winkler and closer Zach Myers. “To this day, I stay in touch with them. It was just a good mesh, a good connection within my class.”

Donnan believes the College set him up well for the success he’s experiencing now.

“I love Monmouth,” he said. “It holds a special place in my heart. I grew up there. There was a lot of growth in a short time span. The professors, the staff, my friends – it’s just a special place. I love it there, and I appreciate all the support from everybody there.”

In addition to taking communication classes, Donnan dabbled academically in music and creative writing. The latter class sparked his interest in songwriting.

“I also did the talent shows and the open mic nights down in Scotland Yard,” he said. “Ed Wimp (who would soon be working with the band Earth Wind & Fire) was in my class, and we would go do that stuff and jam together. It was all very unstructured.”

The structure began, said Donnan, when he got out into the real world and found that he had free time after he got off work. His next two years were spent “gigging all over Chicago and the Midwest,” and he briefly found an audience in Nashville, the center of the universe for country singers. He then moved to Oklahoma, where he started a family and also toured around the tristate area playing clubs, festivals and dance halls.

But as his family grew — Donnan and his wife have three children, ages 8, 6 and 3 — he decided to step away from performing for a more normal life. That changed last year, when Donnan was invited to send a 60-second tryout video to The Voice

“I jokingly mentioned it to my wife, and she said, ‘Yeah, why not just do it?’” said Donnan. “It was a super low-risk, high-reward thing.”

Donnan’s run stopped just short of one of the show’s highest rewards — making the group of five finalists — but he impressed Horan and the viewing audience all the way through the competition.

It’s now very likely that we haven’t heard the last of Ross Clayton.

Weddings

2005 Emily Bouchard and Jeremy Blodgett

Dec. 31, 2020

2012 Jennifer Wheeler and Ryan Kerch

May 6, 2023

2013 Erica Lubkeman and Zach Gillengerten

Jan. 14, 2023

2014 Meredith Olson and Patrick Dabbs

June 11, 2022

2016 Kristen Dillon and Andrew Mesik

Nov. 27, 2021

2020 Aleeka Gentzler and Payton Holmes ’17

June 18, 2022

2022 Shelley Moreno and Nicholas Fashoda

Oct. 13, 2022

Births

2018

Rebecca Dembkowski and Samuel Dummer

April 9, 2022

2022

Marissa

June

Jan. 21, 2023

2005

Emily Bouchard Blodgett and Jeremy a daughter, Avery Sophia

November 27, 2021

2007 Paige Taylor Leath and Quinn a daughter, Taylor Duplain-Kay

April 10, 2023

2020 Lauren Sperry and Lucas Smith

May 13, 2023

2019

May 13, 2023

2008

Laura and Miles Miller a son, Aiden Marcus

March 23, 2023

2013

Erin and Daniel Kane a son, Dean Ryan

May 8, 2023

2016 Kristen Dillon Mesik and Andrew twins, Maeve and Booker

August 23, 2022

1935

Lucretia Brown Green, 108, of Mason City, Iowa, died Jan. 2, 2023. Born in 1914, her sharp intellect allowed her to skip third grade, and she graduated from Morning Sun (Iowa) High School in 1931. At Monmouth, to which she frequently traveled by train, she graduated with a degree in English and was a talented singer. She and her husband of 63 years eloped in 1934 and lived many years in Davenport, Iowa, where Green was a bookkeeper for Iowa-Illinois Gas and Electric. The couple also lived in Hot Springs, Ark., and Mason City, and Green was active in the Presbyterian Church throughout her life.

1949

Margaret Dahlbo Kerr, 95, of Saline, Mich., died Jan. 19, 2023. She graduated with a degree in mathematics and was a member of Kappa Delta. Kerr was a high school math teacher in Cincinnati before becoming a realtor. Survivors include her husband of 69 years.

Marian Cowden Lewis, 95, of Richardson, Texas, died Nov. 24, 2022. She studied art and was a member of Alpha Xi Delta.

1950

Marion Huey Cairns, 94, of Kirkwood, Mo., died May 17, 2023. She graduated with a degree in history and was a member of Kappa Delta. Her career began with five years as a teacher and continued with 21 years of public service through 1976. In 1977, she was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives, serving through 1991. During her time in the legislature, she paved the way for women and other under-represented groups. Cairns sponsored and supported important legislation for the environment, public schools, child advocacy, human rights, real estate reassessment abuses and crime victim protection. She was named Webster Groves Citizen of the Year in 1984 and Missouri Child Advocate of the Year in 1985. The Commencement speaker at Webster University in 1989, Cairns remained active in her service after her time in the legislature, serving on the Missouri Commission on Human Rights.

Rosalie Howard Hammerberg, 93, of Mountain Home, Ark., died July 31, 2022. She studied sociology and was a member of Crimson Masque. She was preceded in death by her husband, James Hammerberg ’48.

Nancy Buchanan Tezak, 94, of Urbandale, Iowa, died May 13, 2023. She graduated with a degree in English and was a member of Pi Beta Phi. She was preceded in death by her husband of 62 years, Donald Tezak ’50. She and Donald owned and operated the Town House Motel in Joliet, Ill., for more than a decade before working in real estate. Tezak was also a teacher and librarian.

William Laxson ’43

William Laxson, 100, of Boise, Idaho, believed to be the oldest living M Club Hall of Fame inductee, died Jan. 5, 2023, one month shy of his 101st birthday. Laxson had three individual first-place finishes, as well as two seconds and a third, at the 1943 Midwest Conference meet, and he also helped the Scots win the mile relay at that year’s Drake Relays. The chemistry major was also a member of the basketball team and Tau Kappa Epsilon. While on active duty with the Navy, he attended medical school at Stanford University, eventually earning his degree in 1948. Laxson served again in the military during the Korean War, this time as an Army surgeon at the 130th Station Hospital in Heidelberg, Germany. In 1957, he joined the Veterans Administration Hospital in Boise as a surgeon, and he worked there through his retirement in 1986. That same year, he retired as a brigadier general in the Idaho National Guard. For many years, Laxson served as the Idaho state surgeon general. He is survived by his wife of 75 years, Mary Jean Walker Laxson ’44.

1951

Marilyn Johnston Linker, 93, of Albuquerque, N.M., died Jan. 31, 2023. She was a member of the synchronized swim team and Kappa Kappa Gamma before completing degrees in economics, biology and education at Colorado A&M. After marrying, Linker completed graduate studies at the University of New Mexico and joined Albuquerque Public Schools, working as a middle school librarian until she retired in 1987.

Joanne Thesen Rootes, 93, of Castle Pines, Colo., died June 15, 2023. A member of Pi Beta Phi, she studied elementary education at Monmouth before completing her degree at the University of Missouri. Her husband, who she met at Mizzou, became president of Rival Manufacturing Company in Kansas City, and Joanne was involved with Rival’s development of the first “Crock Pot” slow cooker, which launched in 1971.

Alberta Plumer Schlesinger, 91, of Fredericksburg, Va., died Aug. 28, 2020. She graduated with a degree in English and was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma.

Patricia Haag Slater, 93, of Springfield, Ill., died Jan. 27, 2023. She graduated with a degree in business and was a member of the synchronized swim team and Alpha Xi Delta. For many years, she was the secretary and treasurer of Garretson Lumber/Truss-Slater in Virden, Ill. She was preceded in death by her husband, Duane Slater ’51.

1952

Bill Bailey, 92, of Baton Rouge, La., died Jan. 18, 2023. He graduated with a degree in chemistry and was a member of Alpha Tau Omega before earning a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Illinois in 1955. While in graduate school, he married Patricia Mason Bailey ’53, who survives. The couple was married for 69 years. He had a long career with Exxon and was also very involved with church and community activities in Baton Rouge.

Ethel Milligan Bailey of New Wilmington, Pan., died Jan. 2, 2023. She graduated with a degree in biology and was a member of Pi Beta Phi. Shortly after leaving Monmouth, she was a research assistant to Jonas Salk in the latter years of the development and launch of the polio vaccine. She was preceded in death by her husband of 64 years, Dr. Kenneth Bailey ’52. For 40 years, the couple did mission work for the Presbyterian Church, living in Egypt, Lebanan, Israel/Palestine and Cyprus. Ethel taught microbiology and parasitology during that time and also helped prepare her husband’s first books for publication.

Richard Bruch, 95, of Hays, Kansas, died Jan. 25, 2023. He graduated with a degree in business administration and was a member of the football and basketball teams and Tau Kappa Epsilon. He was a district sales manager for DeKalb Seed for 32 years.

Jane Jackson Pehle Garison, 92, of Mechanicsburg, Pa., died Nov. 10, 2022. She graduated with a degree in English and was a member of Kappa Delta. Later, she completed a master’s degree in library science at the University of Chicago and worked as a media specialist in public education. She later retired from Hammond (Ind.) Public Library. While married to Charles Pehle, she lived in Indonesia for two years, and she twice survived breast cancer before facing dementia in her later years.

Judith Stetson Knox, 92, of Glendale, Calif., died May 24, 2023. She studied languages and was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma. While raising her family, she held down a series of jobs, including credit manager for the Hollywood Reporter. A lifetime lover of animals, she could still be found hand-feeding giraffes at the Los Angeles zoo at the age of 89. She was preceded in death by her husband, Marion “Dean” Knox ’52

Norma Lauer Miller, 91, of Carmel, Ind., died Aug. 3, 2022. She graduated with a degree in mathematics and was a member of Alpha Xi Delta. A world traveler, she visited every continent except Australia. She was preceded in death by her husband, Kenneth Miller ’52

Norma Garst Romine, 91, of Peoria, Ariz., died Feb. 14, 2022. She graduated with a degree in English and was a member of Kappa Delta. She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert

Romine ’54

Carol Levine Schoellkopf of Cincinnati, Ohio, died Sept. 9, 2021. She graduated with a degree in music and was a member of Pi Beta Phi.

Jane Black Snyder of Rochester, N.Y., died May 17, 2023. She graduated with a degree in music and was a member of the synchronized swim team and Kappa Delta. She was preceded in death by her husband, the Rev. James Snyder ’52.

Patricia Acosta Wiedenman, 92, of Avinger, Texas, died April 10, 2023. She studied elementary education and was involved in synchronized swimming.

1953

Susan Barrett Boelke, 91, of Monroe, Wis., died March 23, 2023. She studied history and was a member of Alpha Xi Delta. After starting a family, Boelke earned a master’s degree in education and a teacher’s certificate and went on to teach kindergarten and special education for more than 20 years. She was preceded in death by Gerald Boelke ’51, her husband of 66 years.

Marilyn Wolford Evans, 90, formerly of Monmouth, died Nov. 11, 2022. She studied science and was the Warren County Schools director of food services for 14 years. She was preceded in death by her husband of 68 years.

Stanley Fottler, 91, of Chelmsford, Mass., died April 29, 2023. He studied physics at Monmouth and earned a master’s degree in mathematics and physics from Wayne State University. Fottler’s work with thin and thick film resistors, semiconductors and hybrid circuits included several patents in collaboration with his work at GM Research Center, Texas Instruments, Phillip Morris, Zenith and Raytheon. He was preceded in death by his wife of 63 years, Elizabeth McKinlay Fottler ’54. Four of their five children attended Monmouth — Margaret Fottler Johnson ’75, Heather Fottler Magian ’77, Linda Fottler Wyke ’81 and Doris Fottler Hathaway ’81.

Margaret Jacoby Josephson, 91, of Monmouth, died Nov. 2, 2022. She studied science at Monmouth and then taught at four schools before becoming the first teacher/director of the Monmouth Early Learning Center in 1970. She was preceded in death by her husband, Don Josephson ’54

Marjorie Barnewolt Mauch, 90, of Palatine, Ill., died April 19, 2022. She studied secretarial science.

1954

William Pizante, 89, of Vestal, N.Y., died Aug. 17, 2021. He was a member of the baseball team. Pizante was a professor of philosophy at SUNY-Binghamton for many years. Survivors in- clude his wife of 43 years, Dvorah.

1956

Ann Brillant Pizante of Endicott, N.Y., whose high school sweetheart and former husband was William Pizante ’54

Clarice Radmacher, 88, of Bettendorf, Iowa, died Oct. 26, 2022. She graduated with a degree in elementary education and was a second grade teacher in Galesburg, Ill. In her later life, she was an office manager for Radmacher Plumbing and Heating in Monmouth, her husband’s business. Dolores Cole Rose, 90, of Rochelle, Ill., died May 1, 2023. She graduated with a degree in elementary education and was a member of Kappa Delta. Rose taught at Lowell School in Wheaton, Ill., and sold Mary Kay products for more than 45 years.

John Sward, 88, of Skokie, Ill., died April 11, 2023. He graduated with a degree in business administration and went on to work as a hospital administrator. Survivors include his wife of 64 years, Mary Bradford Sward ’60, who he met on a blind date while visiting on a break from his graduate studies at the University of Iowa.

Constance Irey Swenson of Missoula, Mont., died June 7, 2023. She graduated with a degree in elementary education and was a member of Pi Beta Phi. A member of the College’s national champion rifle team, she was also named “queen” of several campus events, including Homecoming. After graduating, she was a stewardess for United Airlines for a year before marrying. She and her husband, who were together for 52 years prior to his death, founded Swenson Realty, a farm and land sales agency.

Janet Campbell Young, 87, of Cottonwood, Ariz., died Nov. 14, 2022. She studied elementary education and was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma. After graduating, she headed west for a teaching position in Long Beach, Calif., and she also worked in Anaheim, Calif., before retiring to raise her family.

1957

Donna Yearous Dimas, 88, of El Dorado Hills, Calif., died in April 2023, after a four-year struggle with cancer. The oldest of 11 children, she spent a year at Monmouth before graduating from the University of Northern Colorado with a degree in social studies. Dimas was a teacher in Colorado and California, retiring in 1989. Survivors include her husband of 66 years.

Robert Hick, 87, of East Grand Rapids, Mich., died April 4, 2023. He graduated with a degree in philosophy and was a member of Theta Chi. Hick completed a law degree at the University of Minnesota and, after moving to Holland, Mich., in the early 1980s, practiced law there. He was preceded in death by his wife of 53 years.

Rev. John Lyford, 95, of Whitewater, Wis., died July 28, 2021. After graduating from high school in 1944, he entered the Army and served in the Pacific during World War II. Following the war, Lyford attended the Milwaukee Business Institute and worked in industry for five years. Feeling a calling for the ministry, he went back to school, graduating from Monmouth with a degree in religious studies and attending Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. Lyford was ordained as a minister in 1960 and served churches in Taylorstown, Pa., Brookfield, Ill., and Oconto, Wis.

Judy Reed Reiter, 87, of Bloomington, Ill., died in May 2023. She studied English and was a member of Crimson Masque before graduating from Purdue University. Survivors include her husband of 65 years, Richard Reiter ’58.

1958

John Eckley, 90, of Oquawka, Ill., died April 3, 2022. He graduated with a degree in geology and later earned a master’s degree from Western Illinois University. Prior to attending Monmouth, he served in the Coast Guard. Eckley taught in Gladstone, Ill., and then for three years at the newly created Union High School. His education career in the area continued with stints as a principal in Biggsville, Alexis and Galesburg. Eckley then moved to Lincoln, Ill., and was a sales representative for Science Research Associates before retiring at 55. He was preceded in death by his wife of 64 years. Survivors include a daughter, former Monmouth staff member Patricia Cook, and a grandson, Michael Cook ’13.

Phyllis Lanphere Kettering, 86, of Monmouth, died May 7, 2023. She graduated with a degree in Latin and secondary education and taught in the area at Warren School, Achievement Industries and Roseville Elementary School. She was preceded in death by her husband of 55 years, Donald Kettering ’55. Survivors include a daughter, Laura Kettering Everly ’88

Morey Weiss, 87, of Bradford, Vt., died Feb. 10, 2023. A member of Tau Kappa Epsilon, he became a salesman and worked his way up the corporate ladder.

1959

Dr. Robert Bilderback, 85, of Beardstown, Ill., died March 10, 2023. He graduated with a degree in biology and was a member of the basketball team and Sigma Phi Epsilon. Bilderback received his doctor of medicine degree from the University of Missouri School of Medicine in 1963. A Vietnam veteran, he was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam

Campaign Medal and Air Force Commendation medal for his service as battalion surgeon and staff physician at the 12th U.S. Air Force Hospital. After his military service, Bilderback was an orthopedic surgeon in San Antonio, Texas, where he had a ranch and cared for exotic animals. In 1987, he closed his medical practice and continued his medical research in St. Louis and in Galesburg, Ill., before moving to his hometown of Bowen, Ill., and then to Beardstown.

Don Dixon, 91, of Burlington, Iowa, died Feb. 7, 2023. Prior to attending Monmouth and studying business administration, he served two years in the Army during the Korean War, and he was active with the Army Reserves until 1960. After graduating, he also attended the Burlington School of Business. Dixon was a human resource manager for Lehigh-Leopold Furniture for 33 years and also worked as an accountant. The graduate of Oquawka (Ill.) High School served as treasurer for the Henderson County Historical Society.

Victoria Schleich Fitzgibbon, 85, of Springfield, Ill., died Nov. 22, 2022. She studied speech/ communication/theater before attending Emerson College in Boston. She received her teaching certificate from Western Illinois University and taught elementary education before taking an extended leave to raise her family. When she returned to the field, Fitzgibbon worked with children with severe and profound disabilities. She was preceded in death by her husband of 60 years.

Mark Loveless, 85, of Yucca Valley, Calif., died Oct. 4, 2022. He graduated with a degree in physical education and was a member of the wrestling and baseball teams and Alpha Tau Omega. Loveless joined the Marine Corps in 1959 and was a Vietnam War veteran. He retired as a lieutenant colonel at the Marine Corps Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, Calif., in 1986, then worked as a substitute teacher. Survivors include his wife of nearly 60 years, Ellin McDougall Loveless ’61

Bernie McKee, 85, of Northbrook, Ill., died Jan. 8, 2022. A member of the wrestling team and Tau Kappa Epsilon, he graduated with a degree in psychology, then followed his brothers into the Navy to serve a two-year tour on the USS Stoddard McKee, who earned an MBA at Lake Forest College, had a career in insurance and reinsurance and served as president of the Chicago CPCU Society, a professional insurance organization.

Blaine Shoemaker, 85, of Oklahoma City, Okla., died Dec. 6, 2022. After two years at Monmouth, where he was a member of Theta Chi, Shoemaker studied agriculture science and animal science at the University of Illinois, receiving a bachelor’s and master’s degree. He was a food service manager at the University of Illinois before embarking on a career in the meat industry

In Memoriam

Susan Romaine

Susan Romaine, 72, a member of the Monmouth College Board of Trustees, died March 15, 2023, following a short battle with a rare form of cancer. A former financial analyst on Wall Street, Romaine was also a gallery owner and accomplished artist. She had a 30-year friendship with Monmouth President Clarence R. Wyatt and First Lady Lobie Stone. That friendship, and her attraction to the mission of Monmouth College, drew her to service as a trustee. Among her other areas of service, she was board president for the Center of Women in Charleston, S.C., where she spearheaded the development of a micro-loan program for small women-owned businesses.

father’s business, Marengo (Ill.) Tool & Die Works, and held that position for many years. Survivors include his wife of 60 years.

1962

Robert Best, 83, of Lancaster, Pa., died March 26, 2023. He was a member of the cross country, swimming and track teams and Tau Kappa Epsilon. During the Cold War, Best served in the Army in Germany as a sergeant. Between stints as a math teacher in Minnesota and Delaware and post-retirement math instructor at Harrisburg Area Community College, he was a programmer analyst at the former Borg Warner Co. in York, Pa. Best was also a talented singer and avid long-distance runner.

with Wilson Foods. Raised on a farm near Seaton, Ill., Shoemaker enjoyed raising cattle all his life and had “a passion for all things agriculture.” Survivors include his wife of 62 years, who was his high school sweetheart.

1960

Alvin Peterson of St. Petersburg, Fla., died March 5, 2023. He graduated with a degree in psychology.

Ralph Riggs, 84, of Davis, Calif., died Jan. 1, 2023. A member of the cross country team and Alpha Tau Omega, he graduated with a degree in chemistry. He was preceded in death by his wife, Judith Irelan Riggs ’60. Survivors include a son, David Riggs ’87 and a granddaughter, Rebecca Riggs ’13

1961

Robert Creasey of Macomb, Ill., died March 31, 2020. He completed his degree at the University of Illinois and worked as an engineer for General Electric before becoming owner/operator of Creasey Chevrolet-Olds in Bushnell, Ill.

Carl Goff, 83, of Cambridge, Ill., died April 26, 2023. He graduated with a degree in physical education and was a member of the football, basketball and baseball teams and Theta Chi. The holder of a master’s degree from Western Illinois University, Goff was a teacher and coach at two western Illinois high schools, Yorkwood and Cambridge, retiring in 1998. Survivors include his wife of 61 years.

Gilbert Tauck, 85, of South Bend, Ind., died Feb. 26, 2023. He graduated with a degree in German. An Army veteran, Tauck took over his

Colleen Fisher Kinney, 80, of Monmouth, died Sept. 26, 2021. After a semester at the University of Miami-Coral Gables, she graduated from Monmouth with a degree in psychology and was a member of Pi Beta Phi. Kinney taught for two years before raising a family. She returned to teaching in 1978, working for 24 years at Monmouth’s Immaculate Conception School. She was preceded in death by her husband of 58 years.

Leslie Montgomery, 83, of San Jose, Calif., died Dec. 20, 2022. A member of Sigma Phi Epsilon, he graduated with a degree in physics. Montgomery earned master’s degrees in systems management and nuclear engineering from the College of Notre Dame and Iowa State University, respectively, as well as a Ph.D. from UCLA in engineering. He had a successful career in physiology research. Montgomery was awarded three postdoctoral fellowships, including two with NASA’s Ames Research Center, and he also worked in the nuclear field for Atomics International and Argonne National Laboratory. Later in life, he and his family were responsible for shipping thousands of books to Uganda, as well as providing support for development initiatives there. Survivors include his wife of 51 years.

1963

Eleanor Crow Gustafson, 93, of Eldridge, Iowa, died Dec. 8, 2022. She graduated with a degree in elementary education and worked at the Monmouth College library for many years. Survivors include a son, John Gustafson ’76. Donald Moran, 87, of Peoria, Ill., died Dec. 29, 2022. He graduated with a degree in physics, focusing on mechanical engineering, and he completed an MBA at Bradley University. Moran worked in Michigan for General Motors and Federal Mogul. He then went into engineering-related sales, working for nearly 20 years for Garlock before becoming an independent sales representative selling hydraulic components for multiple companies, a line of work he continued through his mid-80s. Survivors include his wife of 59 years and a daughter, Christina Moran Hahs ’93

Nancy Huff Myers, 81, of Valley Center, Kansas, died Dec. 16, 2022. She graduated with a degree in English and was a member of Crimson Masque. Myers, who earned a master’s degree from the University of Kansas, spent the majority of her career as a member of the faculty at Wichita State University.

Lynette Lyndrup Russell of Seattle, Wash., died July 24, 2020. She graduated with a degree in biology and was a member of Pi Beta Phi.

John Seatter, 82, of Punta Gorda, Fla., died Oct. 31, 2022. He attended Duke University before completing his degree at Monmouth. After serving in the Army for two years, Seatter worked for Motorola for 33 years, living in Western Springs, Ill. Survivors include his wife of 58 years.

David Wongstrom, 82, of Galena, Ill., died June 18, 2023. He graduated with a degree in physical education and was a member of the football team. He also held degrees from the University of South Carolina and Western Illinois University. Wongstrom was principal of his high school alma mater in Cambridge, Ill.; served as superintendent for three Illinois school districts, including two in the northwestern corner of the state; and taught and coached at a third, Hanover, before retiring in 2007. Survivors include his wife of 61 years.

1964

Julia Wiley, 77, of Hoffman Estates, Ill., died Sept. 24, 2020.

1965

Jewell Eisfeldt Fitzgerald, 76, of Westbury, N.Y., died June 11, 2020. She graduated with a degree in French and was a member of Kappa Delta. She then earned a master’s degree in French studies from the University of Wisconsin. Fitzgerald taught French and Spanish and received an award from the Long Island Language Teachers. Survivors include her two siblings, who also graduated from Monmouth — Barry Eisfeldt ’68 and Jane Eisfeldt Ehrenhart ’77

Ronald Sloan of Punta Gorda, Fla., died in 2022. He graduated with a degree in biology and was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon before earning a master’s degree in biology from Illinois State University. A veteran of the Army, Sloan was a hospital administrator.

Maureen Beck Hamilton, 78, of Richland, Wash., died Dec. 27, 2022. She graduated with a degree in chemistry. Hamilton worked much of her life as an industrial hygienist, primarily at Hanford Environmental Health Foundation. She also worked as a consultant, conducting laboratory safety inspections. She was preceded in death by her husband, Richard Hamilton ’67