Maurice M. Willis

Maurice M. Willis, 97, died Wednesday, October 12, 2011 at Advocate BroMenn Regional Medical Center.

He was born June 7, 1914 to Ralph E. Willis and Blanche Young Willis in Centralia. He married Joan Straight on December 15, 1985 at First United Methodist Church in Clearwater, FL. She survives.

Also surviving is a sister-in-law, Mary W. Willis and many nieces and nephews in Illinois, Michigan, California and Oregon.

His parents, stepmother Georgia, twin brother James Howard, brother Wilford Dean, sister Mary Ellen Eldredge, and nephew Jeffrey preceded him in death.

Visitation will be 10:00am to 11:30am Wednesday, October 19, 2011 at Wesley United Methodist Church, Bloomington, with funeral services at 11:30am. Interment will follow at Park Hill Cemetery. The Rev. Vaughn Hoffman and Rev. Keith Ferguson will officiate. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Salvation Army, Wesley United Methodist Church or Illinois Wesleyan School of Music.

Maurice received his early education in the Patoka and Centralia public schools. He attended Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, graduating in 1936. He earned a Master’s of Music degree from Illinois Wesleyan University and a Master’s of Science with a music education emphasis from the University of Illinois. He was initiated into the Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Alpha Xi Chapter at the U of I. He did additional study for one semester at Indiana University, Bloomington, IN.

Maurice played the French horn. During his year at the U of I he was a member of the University Concert Band and the Marching Illini. He played French Horn with the Bloomington-Normal Symphony and was the librarian for many years. He did private horn study with Max Pottag, principal horn player at Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and Louis Stout, professor of horn at University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. He began teaching in 1936 in the Illinois Public School system, first at Odin and then in Augusta. He was drafted into the US Army while at Augusta. Following his honorable discharge, he came to Illinois Wesleyan, and joined the faculty in 1946 after earning his Master’s there. He remained at IWU until his retirement after the 1978-79 academic year. He had earned the rank of Associate Professor of Wind Instruments and Music Education.

In 1952, Dr. Carl Neumeyer, then director of the IWU School of Music, founded the IWU summer music camp, with Maurice as an assistant director. Originally, the camp was a two week session for high school students. In 1957, Maurice assumed the position of director of the camp. In 1967, a one week session for junior high students was addded, eventually becoming a two week session. These students participated in band, orchestra and chorus. It was said that literally thousands of students were touched by the fun and learning experiences of the IWU summer music camp. Many of the guest conductors described the camp as the “finest in the Midwest”. He became “Uncle Maury” to faculty and students alike, and is still known by that nickname.

Maurice was an active member of Wesley United Methodist Church for over 60 years and participated in the choir program. He enjoyed arranging his favorite hymns, and directed the choir in his arrangement of “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” during a worship service. When he and Joan wintered in Florida, they participated in the choir program at First United Methodist Church, Clearwater. While there, he arranged and conducted his arrangement of the hymn “Down by the Riverside”.

He liked to tell stories of his war-time experiences, and truly enjoyed and appreciated his continuing friendship and close relationship with members of the music camp staff. He will be missed by his family, loyal colleagues and many friends.