Robert Becvar Sr.

 

Robert Becvar Sr., age 91, of Lombard. World War II veteran. Beloved husband of Betty Jane Becvar, and the late May A. Becvar, nee Yelke; loving father of Barbara (John) Barnett, Audrey (Carmine) Gioiosa, Janice Caraher, Karen Becvar, Robert (Deena) Becvar Jr., Pamela (Clark) Porter-Thorne, Matina Sourapas and Stephanie Sourapas; devoted grandfather of Carolyn (CJ) Nichols, Jessica (Scott) Cseplo, Richard (Beth) Gioiosa, Christina Gioiosa, Steven (Erika) Gioiosa, Nicholas (Stacy) Becvar, Olivia Baughman, Michael Becvar, Katlyn Becvar and Devin Zigman; great-grandfather of Emma, Charles and Wesley Nichols, Molly and Silas Cseplo, Adeline, Caleb, Greysen and Hunter Gioiosa, and Mason, Hannah and Kelso Becvar. Proud member of St. Pius X Catholic Church and Knights of Columbus, Council 6090.

Funeral services were held Friday, April 6, from Knollcrest Funeral Home, 1500 S. Meyers Road, Lombard, to Mass at St. Pius X Catholic Church, 1025 E. Madison, Lombard. Interment Elmwood Cemetery.

Funeral Info: www.knollcrest.net or 630-932-1500.

 

Joan C. Rawls Carl

 

Joan C. Rawls Carl, 89, of Villa Park, passed away on April 2, 2018.

Funeral services were held Saturday, April 7, 2018, at St. Alexander Church, 300 S. Cornell, Villa Park. Interment was at Queen of Heaven Cemetery, Hillside.

For info: 630-832-4161.

 

Leila J. Johnson

 

Mrs. Leila J. Johnson, 85, of Knoxville, Illinois, formerly of Lombard, died 9:09 p.m. Monday, April 2, 2018, at Knox County Nursing Home, Knoxville.

She was born Sept. 4, 1932, in Lombard, to Martin and Anna Sieleit Ruhrseitz.  She married Charles J. Johnson June 19, 1954, in Lombard. He preceded her in death Sept. 27, 2015.

Surviving are two daughters, Susie (and Bill) Bates of Gilson, Illinois, and Linda (and Trena McDaniel) Johnson of Lake Zurich; two grandchildren, Brian (and Sara) Bates and Jennifer (and Israel) Granillo; and three great-grandchildren, Alex Granillo, Nolan Granillo and Blair Bates.

Leila graduated from Glenbard West High School in Glen Ellyn in 1950.  She was a supervisor for production scheduling in the M.I.S. division for Callaghan Company, a law publishing firm in Deerfield.

She was a member of Grace Lutheran Church in Glen Ellyn and in Knoxville. She was very active in her church. She was a member of the Community Chest in Lombard and a Girl Scout Troop leader for many years in Lombard. Leila enjoyed her flower gardening and loved to read.

Funeral Service was held Friday, April 6, 2018, at Hinchliff-Pearson-West Galesburg Chapel, with Pastor Roger Carlson officiating. Burial was at Knoxville Cemetery, Knoxville.

Memorials may be made to Hospice Compassus or Knox County Nursing Home.  Online condolences may be made at www.h-p-w.com.

 

Dr. John W. Miller

 

Central Connecticut State University President Emeritus John “Jack” W. Miller, a long-time educator and advocate for underrepresented populations in higher education and a devoted Blue Devil to the end, died on Monday, April 2. He was 70 years old.

Dr. Miller served as CCSU’s 12th president for 11 years before retiring in September 2016. Soon after, he and his wife Barbara relocated from Farmington, Connecticut, to Belleair, Florida, to enjoy retirement and spend more time with their family.

“We are greatly saddened to hear of President Miller’s passing. Our hearts go out to his wife, Barbara, their three children, and their grandchildren,” Zulma R. Toro, CCSU President, shared in an email to the campus community.

“Although I did not know Dr. Miller personally, I have a deep sense of appreciation for his unwavering leadership at Central, for all that he accomplished on behalf of his students, faculty and staff, and for his enthusiastic devotion as a member of the Blue Devil family. His legacy will be realized and remembered for generations to come,” Dr. Toro said.

Dr. Miller, first and foremost a devoted husband, brother, father and grandfather, is survived by his wife, Barbara (Pia), formerly of Farmington, Connecticut; and siblings, Mike DiSilvestro and wife Liz of Kansas, Charlie DiSilvestro of Iowa and Ruth DiSilvestro of Kansas. He also leaves behind three children, Raymond Miller and wife Ginger of Kansas, Lauren Kenure Jett of Georgia and Beth Kenure Powell and husband Jeff of West Virginia; and four grandchildren, Dillon Jett, Derek Jett, Spencer Powell and Harper Grace Powell.

During Dr. Miller’s presidency, the University reached many significant milestones. Of particular importance to him was the improvement in the university’s six-year graduation rate (from 40 percent in 2005 to 57.3 percent in 2015) and increased minority enrollment (from 11 percent in 2005 to 31 percent in 2015).

Substantial improvements to the physical campus also were made under Dr. Miller's leadership, including new academic buildings, a residence hall, an engineering laboratory and athletic facilities. In 2007, he was one of the first signatories of the American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment, leading the way for CCSU’s pledge to achieve environmental sustainability and resulting in the university's designation as a "Green College" by the Princeton Review.

The university’s endowment also substantially increased during Dr. Miller’s tenure, from $20 million in 2005 to $63 million in 2015.

Dr. Miller's scholarly work garnered national awards, including the 2005 Excellence in Diversity award from the Brothers of the Academy for his commitment to access, retention and graduation of underrepresented students in higher education in 2005, and the Pacesetter Award from the National Academic Advisory Association as CEO of the year in 2003. His publication of the “America's Most Literate Cities” annual ranking earned worldwide media attention. He co-authored a book, “World Literacy: How Countries Rank and Why It Matters,” based on this work in 2016.

Over the years, Dr. Miller was a principal investigator and wrote 19 research and training proposals, which were funded for a total of $4.5 million by state, federal and private agencies, including the Department of Defense, Department of Education, Bell South Foundation and Foundation for Improvement of Postsecondary Education. He also served on boards of directors for both private corporations and public nonprofit organizations.

Prior to his arrival in Connecticut in 2005, he served as chancellor at the University of Wisconsin Whitewater; dean of the College of Education at Florida State University; and served as a professor and administrator at Georgia Southern University and Wichita State University.

His contributions to the field of education reach back decades and include teaching in public education from the elementary to doctoral degree levels in the U.S., Costa Rica, England and South Africa.

He earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from Ohio University, a master's degree in education from Northern Illinois University and a doctorate degree in education from Purdue University.

Arrangements to honor Dr. Miller are still pending, but the family hopes to hold a memorial service on the CCSU campus this summer. www.mossfeasterdunedin.com.

 

Regina Sharpe

 

Regina Catherine Gilman Sharpe was born February 19, 1941, in Oak Park, and died peacefully on March 18, 2018, at Loris Rehabilitative Center, Loris, South Carolina.

Regina grew up in Rogers Park, Chicago, and attended Sullivan High School. She went on to the University of Montana, then graduated from Elmhurst College and became an elementary school teacher. She taught second grade in Elmhurst, for many years.

 In 1974 she married the love of her life, Donald Sharpe, an executive at IBM. Together they made a home in Lombard, where they were active in their Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church, and after retirement they moved to the balmy weather of Carolina Shores, North Carolina, in 1998.

There they enjoyed gardening, entertaining with friends, working in a garden nursery, and multiple cruises and excursions. They also continued to be active in their church, Our Lady Star of the Sea in North Myrtle Beach.

Regina always enjoyed quilting and she made lovely dolls and toys for her many nieces and nephews. She was an active member of the Carolina Shores Quilt Guild.

Over the last few years she had advancing Alzheimer's disease, but kept her sweet and generous personality to the end.

She is remembered as a sweet, kind, peaceful, humble person without fail. Her family especially remembers her gifts to children, cards, telephone calls, and all the efforts she made to stay in touch through weddings and other celebrations through the years.

"Sis" was predeceased just 13 months ago by her beloved husband, Don. She was also predeceased by her parents, Albert F. Gilman Jr. and Anna Regina Gilman, with whom she had been very close; and her older brother, Albert F. Gilman III. She leaves to mourn her memory scores of former pupils; many nieces and nephews, and many grandnieces and grandnephews; friends and fellow parishioners; sister-in-law, Mia Gilman of Cullowhee, North Carolina; and the Loris Rehab Center team of caretakers.

A funeral Mass will be celebrated at noon on Saturday, April 14, 2018, at Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church. Inurnment will follow in the church columbarium niche.

A guestbook is available at www.leefhandcrematory.com.