Rita Josephine Deters, 94, of Champaign, died Sept. 14 at Meadowbrook Renewal Therapy Center in Urbana. She retired from the university’s department of administration and records. Memorials: Holy Cross Catholic Church, Women’s Cursillo and Heifer International.
John L. Larson, 69, of Champaign, died Sept. 19 at Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana. He was a computer science researcher at the university for 20 years.
Marilyn Sue O’Hara, 58, of Urbana, died Sept. 30. She was a professor in the department of pathobiology at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Illinois. O’Hara was the founder and director of the college’s Geographic Information Science and Spatial Epidemiology Laboratory. Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 5, at Sunset Funeral Home, 710 N. Neil St., Champaign. Memorials: College of Veterinary Medicine via the University of Illinois Foundation, 1305 W. Green St., Urbana, IL 61801.
Joseph H. Smith, 94, of Urbana, died Sept. 21 in Urbana. He began his career at the university in 1964, one of the first African-American faculty members hired. In 1978, he was named assistant vice chancellor for academic affairs, director of affirmative action and associate professor of English. A funeral is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 10, at Chapel of St. John the Divine, Champaign, with a reception to follow at the Canterbury House. Memorials: Chapel of Saint John the Divine, Carle Hospice or the University of Illinois Foundation for the Joseph H. Smith Award in the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs.
Gerald Durbin Wood, 86, of Homer, Illinois, formerly of Mattoon, Illinois, died Sept. 25 at Meadowbrook Health Center in Urbana. He worked at the university for 39 years as an engineer at WILL radio. Memorials: Coalition for People in Need, Adams Funeral Chapel, 2330 Shawnee Drive, Charleston, IL 61920.
David Zola, 71, of Champaign, died Sept. 28 at Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana. In 1978, he accepted a position as an assistant research professor at the university, and, for the next 40 years, distinguished himself as a professor in the College of Education. Memorials: St. Patrick Catholic Church.
