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David Lee Jorns went to be with the Lord on Tuesday, October 22, after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease.
David, known as “Dave” to his friends, was born on January 10, 1944, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to Nancy Jane Pollard and Victor Lee Jorns. Dave grew up in Oklahoma and attended Oklahoma State University, earning a Bachelor of Science in Radio and Television and a Master of Arts in Speech and Drama.
He was then commissioned as an officer in the United States Navy, where he served for three years on the USS Hancock during the Vietnam War
Dave always loved the theater. Following his discharge from the Navy, he moved to California and earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Theater History and Criticism from the University of California at Los Angeles.
Dave then began a long career in university teaching and administration, first as a professor in the Department of Speech and Dramatic Art at the University of Missouri-Columbia and later as the chair of the Department of Theater Arts at Mankato State University; the Dean of Fine Arts and Humanities at West Texas A&M University; and the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost at Northern Kentucky University.
Dave’s professional career culminated in his selection as the President of Eastern Illinois University in 1992. After seven years in that role, Dave retired to Oakland, Illinois, where he lived for the rest of his life.
While Dave was honored to serve as the President of Eastern Illinois University, some of his proudest moments came as an educator after he retired, where he continued to teach theater to off-campus and adult students at Eastern Illinois University, Millikin University, and Parkland Community College. In 2011, he was awarded the Roger Whitlow Award for his exemplary teaching, and in 2014, he was presented with the Students Choice Award for faculty at Eastern.
Over the years, Dave acted in, wrote, and directed countless plays and theater productions. In his early years, Dave participated in a number of experimental theater and summer stock productions alongside actors such as Rob Reiner and Chris Cooper. In 2009, he wrote and directed a play about the Matson Slave Trial as part of the events commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Lincoln Douglas Debates. For years before Parkinson’s made it too difficult for him to continue, he adapted and directed musicals at Oakland High School and at the Main Street Children’s Theater in Oakland, Illinois, which he helped found.
Dave was known for his great sense of humor, prodigious reading and love of military history, and endless creativity and enthusiasm for life. He was an amateur artist, a golf enthusiast, and a prolific writer. When Parkinson’s took his ability to move independently, you could see him in his study from the street, writing and reading late into the night.
David is survived by Audrey Parkes Jorns, his beloved wife of 31 years; his two adult children from his first marriage to Linda Jean Wylder, Amalia Wylder Jorns, of Concord, Massachusetts, and Benjamin Alexander Jorns of Ann Arbor, Michigan, and their spouses, Jefferson Clarke and Jenna Jorns; his four grandchildren, Cecilia and Elise Clarke and Calvin and Cassandra Jorns; and his younger brother, Steven D. Jorns of Dallas, Texas. Dave was predeceased by his parents and brother, Daniel A. Jorns.
Dave loved a good meal and a chance to tell stories. To honor him, a celebration of his life will be held on November 2, 2024, from 11 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the private function room at Casa Del Mar II in Charleston, Illinois. All who knew him are welcome to come by to share their memories of Dave and celebrate a life well-lived.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that anyone who so wishes would donate in Dave’s honor to the Oakland Hindsboro Charitable Foundation, P.O. Box 331, Oakland, IL 61943, an organization that, among other things, continues to fund the theatrical productions at Oakland High School.
To plant a tree in memory of David Lee Jorns, visit the Tribute Store.
2
Nov
1410 4th St
Charleston, IL 61920
Krabel Funeral Home & Cremation Service
215 E. Main St., Oakland, IL 61943 • Phone: (217) 346-2121
602 E. Madison Ave., Chrisman, IL 61924 • Phone: (217) 269-2392
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