Current DES Information moved to new DES Website

The DePaul Emeritus Society has a new website, as of 2022, on the DePaul University website. It includes:

• Information on the history and mission of the DES; 
• Membership; 
• Current officers and Steering Committee; 
• The four committees of the DES; 
• Links to health benefits and university privileges for retirees; and,
• Links to DES videos, this DES Blog and retiree oral history interviews.

All retiree memoriams after January 2022 are posted on the DES Website as well.

Click on the following URL to go to the DES site on the university's website:

https://www.alumni.depaul.edu/DES

In Memoriam - John Milton CSV

 

John Milton Death, Obituary – John Milton Has Passed Away

By Joseph Blessing | January 26, 2022

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John Milton Death, Obituary – Fr. John Milton, CSV, would have celebrated 70 years as a Viatorian in September and 65 years as a priest. He was among the inaugural class of brothers to profess first vows at the Province Center in Arlington Heights and he lived out his vows through his long and productive life. Students at Cristo Rey St. Martin surprised Fr. Milton with a cake on his 90th birthday in 2019.

John Milton Death, Obituary – John Milton Has Passed Away

He passed away Jan. 24 at the age of 92. All but five years of Fr. Milton’s active ministry were spent teaching physics. He was a founding member of the science department at Saint Viator High School, where he taught for 20 years, and he spent another 24 years as a professor at De Paul University in Chicago. He started his career at Cathedral Boys’ High School in Springfield, before short assignments at Spalding Institute in Peoria and Bishop McNamara High School in Kankakee.

Upon his retirement in 2011, Fr. Milton served as a science consultant to faculty members at Cristo Rey St. Martin College Prep, where he helped obtain lab equipment through his network of physics colleagues and helped to start the school’s first AP physics course. Students and faculty members alike enjoyed the projects he brought to the class, including one standout, “When Pigs Fly.”

Source: https://societyalert.com/john-milton-death-obituary-john-milton-has-passed-away/

In Memoriam - Cornelius Sippel

 

It is with great sadness I learned of Dr. Cornelius Sippel death today. I was using his name and wanted the correct spelling and found his obit instead. Dr. Sippel was my History 101 teacher in 1964! May he rest in peace.

CORNELIUS SIPPEL

October 1929 - December 2021

Cornelius Sippel III “Corny”. Corny passed away quietly late December 2021 at Glenview Terrace Care Center following a series of illnesses and setbacks. His accolades included a BA from Carlton College and masters and doctorate degrees in history from the University of Michigan. His academic career was interrupted by the Korean War where he served in the Army stationed in Tokyo Japan. His entire teaching career as a history professor was spent at DePaul University in Chicago where he taught for over 50 years. He always spoke fondly of his students and his advanced classes where debate was fostered and encouraged. As the department grew and the need arose for a professor to teach Russian history, he rose to the challenge, doing research and writing his own book. He carried his love of history and current events into retirement, participating in book clubs and discussion groups. Sports and exercise were a regular part of Corny’s life. He was a lifelong Michigan Wolverine fan and loved Big 10 football. He enjoyed cheering on the Chicago pro teams and called the Cubs the “Loveable Losers”. His love of swimming spanned his entire life and included captaining and being on the swim team at Carlton College. In addition he regularly played racquet sports, organizing a Saturday morning tennis group for many years and playing well into his 80’s. His love of games expanded to Bridge, Poker, and Sunday Game nights and later board games, Trivia, and cards with the grandkids. In the winter he tirelessly spent hours making and maintaining the family backyard ice rink which was enjoyed by friends, family and neighbors and in the summer he grew a wonderful assortment of garden vegetables. In addition for many years he umpired neighborhood “softball” games, planned block party kids contests and helped lead the 4th of July block parade. Dad created many cherished memories as the family photographer and meticulously planned and chronicled many wonderful family road vacations to California, Florida, Yellowstone National Park and others. His children fondly remember the infamous red sweater which he included in many scenic photos to “improve the color” of his slides (or when the kids resisted getting out of the car). A dog lover, Corny supported the SCPA and all his dogs over the years loved him dearly. Dad had a love of “acting” although his only formal role was in a grade school play of the Prince and the Pauper. However, he could recite jingles and intros from old radio and sing all the verses to every Christmas carol with drama and finesse. He played regular characters with kids and grandkids: Ghost, Monster, Mr. Stranger Danger, and the infamous “Fake Santa”. Dad had always told us of his desire to Donate his body to Science and his generosity was very low key and understated. He was a man of little advice but big example. We will miss reminiscing and laughing with Dad about the family vacations, experiences, and cast of family characters with which our lives have been blessed over the years. His place at the table will be missed terribly.

FRIENDS & FAMILY

Children: George Sippel (Tina), Tracey Gordon, Judy Reilmann (Dave) --- Grandchildren: Jeremy Gordon, Sharlene Osilaja (Adeolu), Bethany Duncan (Jeff), Justin Reilmann, Alexander Sippel --- Great Grandchildren: Isaac Osilaja, Naomi-Noelle Osilaja, Michael-Gabriel Osilaja

https://www.sciencecare.com/memorial.../cornelius-sippel

Book Club December 1

 About a dozen members of the Book Club convened on Zoom to discuss Angle of Repose, a long, complex novel dealing with a marriage and the struggles of an engineer and an artist in the harsh environment of the western states.  Some found it “depressing” or even “confusing.” while others admired Stegner’s skills in structure and style, finding his characters sympathetic and the narrative engaging.  Some of these differences centered on Stegner’s use of a limited narrator, Lyman Ward, who researches and recounts the life of his grandmother Susan; especially in view of Lyman’s strong opinions and the dream fantasy at the end of the novel, we might distrust some of his judgments.  Readers’ responses to Susan ranged from impatience with her social snobbery and her decision to marry Oliver Ward (a “consolation prize?”) to sympathetic admiration for her strength and courage in the difficult circumstances of western life.  Lyman views her sympathetically but never defends or excuses her possible involvement with Frank; he is notably evasive about the nature of their relationship and perhaps also condescending towards her work as an artist.

 Several readers were interested in Stegner’s use of the Foote family letters and noted that many letters were used almost verbatim; perhaps these added to the sense of history, of real life, in the novel.  There was general agreement that Stegner’s narrative style was eloquent, particularly in rendering the visual splendor and the harsh reality of life in the western states.   One reader added that the novel’s treatment of life in the small town and cities of Idaho and California revealed that the exploration and settlement of the West was not only the work of brave individualists, but was controlled and exploited by large Eastern corporations and unscrupulous lawyers and investors—like the lawyer who cheats Oliver out of a homestead.  Altogether, the novel’s scope and style help to explain Stegner’s literary awards and staying power, even if some readers “admired rather than loved” the novel.  Despite its multiple stories,  Angle of Repose makes a determined march towards tragedy; after Agnes’s death Oliver and Susan can never recover their trust and happiness, and even their son appears withdrawn and cold.  One reader pointed out that Lyman’s final lines consider forgiveness, something greater than his grandfather was capable of, and thus end the novel with the possibility of redemption or healing.

Our next book will be John LeCarre's memoir The Pigeon Tunnel: Stories of my Life. Next meeting willbe Wednesday, February 2, still on Zoom. Discussion starts at 11 am, with link open at 10:30 for log on and chat. Please contact Kathryn DeGraff or Helen Marlborough with any questions.

In Memoriam - Frank Sherman

 OCTOBER 4, 1927 – NOVEMBER 22, 2021

Frank Sherman passed away November 22, 2021, at home attended by his wife, Barbara, daughter, Emily, and grandson, Ian Koller.

Frank Eugene Sherman was born October 4, 1927 in Lakeview Michigan. His childhood was spent in Lakeview until the Great Depression forced his parents to place him in an orphanage in Ohio. He moved to Chicago and lived on his own at age 16. Frank enlisted in the Army in January 1946, serving until discharged June 22, 1947. He attended the University of California at Berkeley on the GI bill, graduating Phi Beta Kappa. He continued at Berkeley to earn a PhD in English Literature. While in graduate school, Frank met and married Barbara Hope. They had two daughters, Celia and Emily. His teaching career began at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, continued at Roosevelt College, and DePaul University, from which he retired as Professor Emeritus of American Literature in 1987.

Frank's enthusiasm for education transcended his career. He was an early supporter and proselytizer for KPFA, the pioneering Bay Area radio station. He took his family for a European tour for most of 1965. He mentored many student groups on trips to England and Europe. Frank also enjoyed travelling on his own or with Barbara, primarily to London, Paris, Vienna, and Bayreuth. During retirement, he continued his dedication to, and support of, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and local theater. Chicago audiences and his many friends in the Arts community will be a little poorer because of his absence.

Frank is survived by his wife, Barbara; daughters, Celia Roe and Emily Sherman; grandchildren: Francesca Hugueny, Alexander Roe, and Laurel and Ian Koller; and great-granddaughter, Beatrice Hugueny.

Memorial donations in Frank’s name may be made to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association, Development Department, 220 S. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60604 or at: https://cso.org/support/make-a-gift/

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.

Source: Neptune Society: https://obituaries.neptunesociety.com/obituaries/rolling-meadows-il/frank-sherman-10458924

Photo credit: Elaine Beaudoin

Book Club October 6

A group of about a dozen readers met to discuss Stephen Johnson's The Ghost Map. We found many areas of interest in Johnson’s account of John Snow’s efforts to pinpoint the causes of a cholera epidemic in 19^th century London.  One obvious and widely shared response was a horrified awareness of the limits of 19^th century sanitation and the dangers it posed to public health.  Johnson also provided a wealth of accompanying detail on living conditions and popular ideas; in fact, some readers found the second half of the book overloaded with “scattershot” detail that interrupted the narrative. Others appreciated Johnson’s analysis of issues, such as his lively account of a cholera infection or his explanation of popular resistance to Snow’s claims because of the belief in miasma or poisoned air.   One reader noted that we might have learned more about the media and transmission of information in this society, while others recognized Snow’s vivid demonstration in his map of fatalities near the Broad Street pump.  Johnson also notes the persistent human tendency to blame the poor or lower classes for their own illnesses, as many believers in miasma did.  The linkage of illness to “weak morals” has been documented in other places as well; Johnson gives a good account of the social dimensions of public health issues.  We also discussed Johnson’s perhaps optimistic view of the possibilities of urban life; discoveries like Snow’s help to alleviate the risks of life in crowded urban areas, but public health efforts, as we know, face many challenges.

The next meeting,  December 1, will focus on a work of fiction.  The group selected Wallace Stegner’s Angle of Repose for this meeting.  As we agreed in August, our February meeting will discuss John LeCarre’s memoir The Pigeon Tunnel. We will continue to meet on Zoom in December and we eagerly welcome new members. The Zoom link will be sent prior to the meeting, we open the link at 10:30 with the discussion beginning at 11 am Central Standard time. If you have questions or suggestions, please contact either Kathryn DeGraff or Helen Marlborough.

Book Club August 4

 About a dozen Book Club members met to discuss Britt Bennett’s novel The Vanishing Half, exchanging thoughts on a number of topics literary, historical, and social.  One reader noted at the start that the novel might well have been titled “Passing,” because its central characters were attempting to “pass” as members of another race or sex; in that reading, Stella and Rees are particularly important, “passing” by huge efforts in social behavior or even surgery, and their characters are developed in depth; but in another sense the entire town of Mallard, with its preference for light skin, attempts to pass as racially other.  Other readers commented that these transformations are also “vanishings” because old identities are left behind or disappear; and when Desiree flees from her abusive husband, she too vanishes, absorbed back into the town she left as a teenager.

These reflections led to a number of comments on the pervasive racism of American society and the traditional themes of American identity.  The inter-generational trauma of racism finds violent expression in the brutal murder of the twins’ father, for example, and helps to explain Stella’s fears of discovery and Kennedy’s unfocused resentments.  All the characters seem to be engaged in the traditional American quest to discover or shape a new identity, free from the constraints of the past, but all these quests are shaped by the stresses of racism and oppression. Still, a few characters, such as Jude or Earl, accomplish their goals and represent the strength and integrity possible within (and beyond) Black communities.

Some readers noted weaknesses in the novel’s structure or style; in an effort to cover a number of current issues and locations, Bennett sometimes leaves characters and situations undeveloped: Stella’s husband seems a stereotype, for instance, and Stella’s black neighbors might deserve more treatment.  On the whole, however, the novel raised important questions about current American culture and exposed the high costs of racism in America, whether to individuals or to the culture as a whole.

Our next book will be The Ghost Map by Stephen Johnson. We will meet on Wednesday, October 6, at 11 am Central Time, via zoom. The link will open at 10:30 to provide for some connecting time prior to the book discussion. If you have any questions, please contact Kathryn DeGraff or Helen Marlborough.

We enjoy catching up with our fellow retirees and we welcome new members to the group. These zoom meetings have provided a great way for us to connect virtually with local and distant DES members.