Class Notes

Notices received as of April 3, 2026

1983

Valerie Sims-Rucker was honored by the Illinois State Board of Education with the Award of Special Recognition through the 2026 Those Who Excel & Teacher of the Year program. She is an OSD (Office for Students with Disabilities) social worker with the Chicago Public Schools.

1987

Tracy Laden Poelvoorde received a UnityPoint Health–Trinity Lifetime Achievement Award for Community Health Improvement. She is chancellor of Trinity College of Nursing & Health Sciences in Rock Island, Ill.

1990

Emily Benson is the director of communications, the 7th grade advisor and dorm head at Indian Mountain School, a junior boarding school in Lakeville, Conn.

1991

Lawrence Falb is the chair of ICSC Environmental Policy and Land Use Subcommittee.

1999

Jessica Waytenick was named Employee of the Year by NAI Ruhl Commercial Company, where she is the marketing director.

2003

Lisa Beane was appointed by Governor Tim Walz to serve as a judge on the Minnesota Court of Appeals.

2011

Jessica Ciaccio was promoted from teacher to dean at the West Aurora (Ill.) School District 129 High School, starting this fall.

Tim Faith and Adam Slaker founded a software company – Tasterra LLC – in February.

2020

Christian Elliott wrote an article, "The Disease Detectives Who Solve the World's Strangest Outbreaks" for National Geographic.

2021

Kate Normoyle is a research assistant with Applied Arts of Europe, working on the George F. Harding Collection in Arms and Armor at the Art Institute of Chicago.

Deaths

Notices received as of April 3, 2026

June Berg '47 Ericsson on Jan. 1, 2024.    

*Marjorie Fest '49 Miller on March 14, 2026.  

A. Scott Bushey '52 on Feb. 28, 2026.  

Margery Bruning '54 Johnson on Feb. 15, 2026.   

Helen Larson '56 Nystrom on Nov. 26, 2024. 

DeAnn Peterson '59 Clancy on Feb. 26, 2026.      

Bill Culbertson '59 on March 20, 2026. 

Martha Swanson '59 Sundquist on March 11, 2026. 

Charles Peterson '61 on March 13, 2026.  

Clarence Stomp '61 on Jan. 15, 2025.  

Sandy Perkins '63 Hass on March 8, 2026. 

Mary Truska '76 Swenson on Aug. 20, 2024. 

*Thomas Spielman '77 on Feb. 9, 2026.

John Foley '80 on March 13, 2026.  

Elizabeth Klein '80 Wegscheid on March 11, 2026.

Stephen Krippner '90 on Feb. 12, 2026.  

* attendee