Vaughn Vandegrift

His loving family mourns the loss of Vaughn Vandegrift, 76, of Arlington, Virginia, who passed away in hospice care on July 11, 2023, after an extended struggle with a form of Parkinsonism. A beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, and brother-in-law, his family and friends will remember him for his hard work, wisdom and humor. We’ll remember his puns and his silly jokes, and most of all the love he shared with all of us.

Vaughn was born to Frederick and Marjorie Frelond Vandegrift in Jersey City, New Jersey, on December 7, 1946. He grew up in Saddle Brook, New Jersey, and attended Montclair State College, where he earned a degree in chemistry. He taught at River Dell Regional High School from 1968 to 1970 before leaving to pursue a doctorate in biochemistry at Ohio University, where he was a National Defense Education Act fellow. His academic research included work with histones, recombinant DNA, and removal of proteins from animal wastewaters.

After completing his doctorate, Vaughn began his career in higher education in 1974 as a chemistry professor at Illinois State University. He joined the faculty at Murray State University in 1976, later serving as chemistry department chair through 1988.

He then returned to his home state of New Jersey as Dean of the College of Science and Mathematics at his alma mater, Montclair State. In 2000, he became Provost and Vice President of Georgia Southern University. Finally, in 2004, he was named Chancellor at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, where he served until 2012.

As Vaughn moved through the academic ranks over the course of his distinguished career, starting out as a professor and ultimately leading a university, he embraced a lifelong commitment to public institutions of higher learning, dedicating his professional life to the idea that the purpose of higher education is to develop and fulfill human potential.

Vaughn’s professional memberships and honor societies include the American Chemical Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Omicron Delta Kappa, Sigma Xi, Beta Gamma Sigma, and Phi Kappa Phi. In addition to acting as mentor to numerous students and faculty, Vaughn also served in many advisory capacities, including as a member of the Governance Group for the CityArchRiver 2015 Foundation, which oversaw the renovation and beautification of the Arch grounds in St. Louis. He also was the recipient of many awards and was recognized for his many achievements.

Vaughn met his wife, Suzanne Bouchoux of Nutley, New Jersey, in 1964 when they enrolled in their first college chemistry class. They married in Hackensack, New Jersey, in 1969, and Sue went on to become a high school chemistry and physics teacher. Vaughn and Sue raised three children: Beth Vandegrift (Jeff Clarke) of Arlington, Virginia; David Vandegrift of Asheville, North Carolina; and Mark Vandegrift (Sara) of Austin, Texas.

Vaughn and Sue are the proud grandparents of seven grandchildren: Vaughn, Camilla, Fletcher, Elizabeth, Amelia, Charlotte, and William.

Vaughn was predeceased by his parents, Fred and Marjorie Vandegrift of Saddle Brook, New Jersey and Murray, Kentucky, and by his sister Sandra Turek of Bend, Oregon. Vaughn is survived by his siblings Fred Vandegrift (Nancy) of Oakland, New Jersey, and Nanci Vandegrift (Darrell Hodge) of Prescott Valley, Arizona, and by his brother-in-law Frank Turek of Bend, Oregon.

As much as Vaughn achieved in his career, family was his first priority. He and Sue loved to travel, especially in their retirement years, and they enjoyed many trips to visit the extended Vandegrift and Bouchoux families, as well as friends in locations around the country. In retirement, Vaughn pursued success on the golf course, but he would be the first to say he found more success in other areas of life.

A memorial service will be scheduled at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the following:

The Vaughn and Sue Vandegrift Chancellor’s Scholarship Endowment,

Georgetown University Brain Bank for research into Multiple System Atrophy or

your local hospice organization.