As I mentioned, my dad passed on last weekend. Here's today's obituary, for anyone interested...
05-01-2004, 10:50 AM
#1
Eighth Member of AudiWorld. God-like, glorious and all-knowing.
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As I mentioned, my dad passed on last weekend. Here's today's obituary, for anyone interested...
John 'Jack' Willis, 69; often-honored professor at City College
By Jack Williams
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
May 1, 2004
John "Jack" Willis could no more walk away from his students at San Diego City College than he could root against his beloved University of Southern California Trojans.
When he retired as a full-time professor in economics and business law in 2002, he decided to stay on part-time almost by popular demand.
Revered for his ingratiating personality and commitment to students, he had been voted Golden Apple Teacher of the Year 17 times.
Dr. Willis was en route to a convention of the Alpha Gamma Sigma academic honor society in the Bay Area when he died of a heart attack April 23. He was 69.
After being stricken while driving in San Jose, he was able to drive off the roadway and avoid an accident, said Diann Ludwick, executive assistant to the president of City College.
Dr. Willis, who joined the City College faculty in 1968, had served for 25 years as the adviser to the school's Alpha Gamma Sigma chapter, a role he had decided to give up at the end of the spring semester.
He had suffered a heart attack a few years ago and had been diagnosed with diabetes, but the setbacks couldn't keep him out of the classroom, said his daughter, Laura Willis.
"Jack was one of those guys who's everybody's best friend," said John A. Crawford Jr., a longtime friend and fellow USC alumnus. "The kids at City College just loved him. They knew Jack as 'Doc' or 'Dr. Willis.' "
From 1976 to 1977, Dr. Willis served as president of City College's Academic Senate.
Before beginning his teaching career, Dr. Willis earned a juris doctorate in 1966 at California Western School of Law. He had received a master's in economics in 1962 from California Western University, which today is Alliant International University, and a bachelor's in 1959 at USC.
His athletic skills - as a quick, darting running back and a rugged defender in the days of single-platoon college football - paved the way for Dr. Willis' education.
After earning all-state honors in high school in Spokane, Wash., and all-conference honors at San Bernardino Valley College, he accepted a scholarship to the University of Tennessee, where he backed up All-American and Heisman Trophy candidate Johnny Majors.
Seeking more playing time, Dr. Willis was all set to transfer to Florida State - where his roommate would have been future acting star Burt Reynolds - when he received a call from USC's Jess Hill.
Hill, who turned the head coaching reins over to Don Clark after the 1956 season to become director of athletics, lured Dr. Willis back to the West Coast.
Dr. Willis played the 1957 season for the Trojans, who had lost key running backs Jon Arnett and C.R. Roberts from the 8-2 1956 team. They finished 1-9 in 1957, the losingest season in USC football history.
After settling in San Diego, Dr. Willis became one of the area's foremost Trojan backers and unofficial recruiters.
"John McKay (the Trojans football coach) would call him up and say, 'Jack, I need a defensive end,' " Crawford recalled. "Before the NCAA tightened its rules on recruiting, Jack was instrumental in getting kids to go to USC."
Some of them - including future All-America tackle Pete Adams of University of San Diego High and linebackers David Lewis of Lincoln High and Greg Slough of Point Loma High - excelled at City College before transferring to USC.
Dr. Willis also worked as a player agent, representing such National Football League players as defensive back Joe Lavender and running back Leon Burns, Crawford said.
Dr. Willis, a Mission Valley resident, was born in San Bernardino. "His father, Paul Beaver, was a full-blooded Cherokee-Osage Indian and recently died at 94," Crawford said.
Adopted by his stepfather after his mother remarried, Dr. Willis assumed the surname of his stepfather, John Willis.
Survivors include a daughter, Laura Willis of San Diego; sons, Brent Sheddan of Tennessee and Brad Willis of San Diego; and brothers, Mac Willis of Rialto and Dr. James Willis of Parowan, Utah.
A memorial service is scheduled for noon May 10 at All Souls Episcopal Church, Point Loma. Donations are suggested to the American Heart Association or the American Diabetes Association.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jack Williams: (619) 542-4587; jack.williams@uniontrib.com
By Jack Williams
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
May 1, 2004
John "Jack" Willis could no more walk away from his students at San Diego City College than he could root against his beloved University of Southern California Trojans.
When he retired as a full-time professor in economics and business law in 2002, he decided to stay on part-time almost by popular demand.
Revered for his ingratiating personality and commitment to students, he had been voted Golden Apple Teacher of the Year 17 times.
Dr. Willis was en route to a convention of the Alpha Gamma Sigma academic honor society in the Bay Area when he died of a heart attack April 23. He was 69.
After being stricken while driving in San Jose, he was able to drive off the roadway and avoid an accident, said Diann Ludwick, executive assistant to the president of City College.
Dr. Willis, who joined the City College faculty in 1968, had served for 25 years as the adviser to the school's Alpha Gamma Sigma chapter, a role he had decided to give up at the end of the spring semester.
He had suffered a heart attack a few years ago and had been diagnosed with diabetes, but the setbacks couldn't keep him out of the classroom, said his daughter, Laura Willis.
"Jack was one of those guys who's everybody's best friend," said John A. Crawford Jr., a longtime friend and fellow USC alumnus. "The kids at City College just loved him. They knew Jack as 'Doc' or 'Dr. Willis.' "
From 1976 to 1977, Dr. Willis served as president of City College's Academic Senate.
Before beginning his teaching career, Dr. Willis earned a juris doctorate in 1966 at California Western School of Law. He had received a master's in economics in 1962 from California Western University, which today is Alliant International University, and a bachelor's in 1959 at USC.
His athletic skills - as a quick, darting running back and a rugged defender in the days of single-platoon college football - paved the way for Dr. Willis' education.
After earning all-state honors in high school in Spokane, Wash., and all-conference honors at San Bernardino Valley College, he accepted a scholarship to the University of Tennessee, where he backed up All-American and Heisman Trophy candidate Johnny Majors.
Seeking more playing time, Dr. Willis was all set to transfer to Florida State - where his roommate would have been future acting star Burt Reynolds - when he received a call from USC's Jess Hill.
Hill, who turned the head coaching reins over to Don Clark after the 1956 season to become director of athletics, lured Dr. Willis back to the West Coast.
Dr. Willis played the 1957 season for the Trojans, who had lost key running backs Jon Arnett and C.R. Roberts from the 8-2 1956 team. They finished 1-9 in 1957, the losingest season in USC football history.
After settling in San Diego, Dr. Willis became one of the area's foremost Trojan backers and unofficial recruiters.
"John McKay (the Trojans football coach) would call him up and say, 'Jack, I need a defensive end,' " Crawford recalled. "Before the NCAA tightened its rules on recruiting, Jack was instrumental in getting kids to go to USC."
Some of them - including future All-America tackle Pete Adams of University of San Diego High and linebackers David Lewis of Lincoln High and Greg Slough of Point Loma High - excelled at City College before transferring to USC.
Dr. Willis also worked as a player agent, representing such National Football League players as defensive back Joe Lavender and running back Leon Burns, Crawford said.
Dr. Willis, a Mission Valley resident, was born in San Bernardino. "His father, Paul Beaver, was a full-blooded Cherokee-Osage Indian and recently died at 94," Crawford said.
Adopted by his stepfather after his mother remarried, Dr. Willis assumed the surname of his stepfather, John Willis.
Survivors include a daughter, Laura Willis of San Diego; sons, Brent Sheddan of Tennessee and Brad Willis of San Diego; and brothers, Mac Willis of Rialto and Dr. James Willis of Parowan, Utah.
A memorial service is scheduled for noon May 10 at All Souls Episcopal Church, Point Loma. Donations are suggested to the American Heart Association or the American Diabetes Association.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jack Williams: (619) 542-4587; jack.williams@uniontrib.com
05-01-2004, 12:44 PM
#4
Eighth Member of AudiWorld. God-like, glorious and all-knowing.
Thread Starter
Re: Thanks for sharing Brad, what an interesting & purposeful life he led.
It's true. I'm getting phone call after phone call from people who's life he turned around. A fellow called me 15 minutes ago who was in and out of jail and trouble continuously and had a real distrust of white men. He told me that my dad was instrumental in helping him to change his attitude and direction.
He got his act together and became a paralegal. As a paralegal, one day he was leaving court from a civil case when the deputies arrested him. It seems that he had an outstanding arrest warrent that had never been taken care of. They locked this fellow up on a Friday afternoon. Since he had no money, that meant that he would spend at least the weekend in jail.
So he called my dad from jail and my dad put in a call to a judge to vouch for his character. They released him a very short time later.
This fellow is now an ordained minister, a paralegal and is married to one of the professors who my dad worked with.
I'm getting a lot of these sort of stories and it's very nice to hear.
He got his act together and became a paralegal. As a paralegal, one day he was leaving court from a civil case when the deputies arrested him. It seems that he had an outstanding arrest warrent that had never been taken care of. They locked this fellow up on a Friday afternoon. Since he had no money, that meant that he would spend at least the weekend in jail.
So he called my dad from jail and my dad put in a call to a judge to vouch for his character. They released him a very short time later.
This fellow is now an ordained minister, a paralegal and is married to one of the professors who my dad worked with.
I'm getting a lot of these sort of stories and it's very nice to hear.
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