Category: In Memoriam

Sherry Chapman, retired associate clinical professor, died Aug. 21 after an extended illness. Sherry taught at the Wichita State School of Social Work from 2007 to 2017.

Sherry positively impacted thousands of people both as an instructor, as a licensed clinical social worker and as a registered play therapist. She received her Bachelor of Social Work from WSU and her Master of Social Work from the University of Kansas. Sherry taught across the social work curriculum and provided support and leadership with the annual social work POWER Conference at Wichita State.

A viewing will be today at 6 p.m., followed by a rosary at 7 p.m. St. Mary Catholic Parish. Services for Sherry will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 25 at St. Mary Catholic Parish in Derby, Kansas. Her interment will be at Hill Crest Cemetery (also in Derby) following the service. In lieu of flowers, donations will be made to WSU’s School of Social Work.

Dorothy K. “Dotty” Billings, Wichita State emerita professor of Anthropology, died Aug. 12, 2022, after a brief illness.

Dotty, 89, taught Anthropology at WSU for 44 years. She studied under Margaret Mead at Columbia University and earned her PhD in Anthropology at the University of Sydney.

A Celebration of Life and lunch are scheduled 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Sept. 29 at the Marcus Welcome Center at WSU.

To honor LaWanda Holt-Fields’ tireless work at Wichita State, a memorial for the McNair Scholars Program has been created in her name. The program provides research training and scholarly experiences to prepare 28 students for graduate studies leading to a Ph.D. As the director of WSU’s McNair Scholars Program, LaWanda touched many lives at Wichita State, and this memorial fund will help continue her legacy.

If you would like to contribute, the fund is available at the WSU Foundation website.

LaWanda Holt-Fields, director of WSU’s McNair Scholars Program, died Aug. 6, 2022.

LaWanda, 54, touched many lives at Wichita State and beyond, including those she served through the McNair program, as well as the many faculty, staff and students she interacted with on a daily basis.

Details on services are still pending and will be published at LaWanda’s digital obituary when available.

Retired Sergeant Edwin (Ed) Catlin passed away on Aug. 3 after a long battle with lung cancer. Ed retired from WSUPD in January 2016 after 28 years of service. His visitation will be held at 9 a.m. Monday, Aug. 8 at Colonial Heights Church, 5200 S. Broadway. The funeral will follow at 11 a.m., and the burial will be held in Sedgwick, Kansas.

Dr. Walter Mays, College of Fine Arts professor of music theory and composition, passed away July 11.

Among the many honors he accrued during his distinguished career, he was a Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor of Music Composition, and received the Naumburg Recording Award and Composers Award from the Martha Baird Rockefeller Fund for Music.

His oratorio, “Voices from The Fiery Wind,” was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in 1981. He had commissions from many prestigious ensembles, including the Pro Arte String Quartet, and his works were performed throughout the world.

The family of Kenneth “Larry” Keller will host a celebration of life ceremony beginning at 2 p.m. June 23 at Countryside Christian Church (1919 S. Rock Road). Keller worked at the Wichita State University Police Department (WSUPD) for 23 years. Upon his retirement, he moved to Florence, Arizona with his spouse where he passed away April 19.

Dr. James Keller, Student Health Services (SHS) medical director, passed away June 1. Keller was the medical director for SHS for more than 40 years. Services for Keller will include a rosary at 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 8, and a funeral mass at 10 a.m., Thursday, June 9. Both events will be at Church of the Magdalen Catholic Church.

Keller worked with numerous SHS staff and directors to implement new health services that would benefit students and guided treatment protocols and consultation for providers and nurses. Keller also assisted in the design of the Wichita Student Wellness Center that opened in 2020. He was a steadfast medical consultant during the COVID-19 pandemic and always made sure SHS had the most recent information to care for students. 

Keller’s humor, patience and kindness with the SHS staff and WSU students will be greatly missed and his service to the university will forever be appreciated. He is survived by his wife Donna, children and grandchildren. 

Dan Close, associate professor of communication, passed away Saturday, May 28. He was 63 years old.

Close was a first-generation college student and a long-time Shocker who earned two degrees from WSU: a bachelor’s in journalism in 1981 and an master’s in communication in 1993. As a student, Close was the editor of The Sunflower and the department’s outstanding senior. Close started as an assistant professor in 1995 after a successful career as a reporter for The Wichita Eagle.

Close taught a wide range of courses, though mostly in journalism. He served as the faculty advisor to The Sunflower for 16 years. Close’s recent passion was his first-year seminar, “Exploring WSU in your photos and words.” The course was a blend of journalism and photojournalism, but with a focus on encouraging students to explore and report on the campus and culture at Wichita State.