Gene Vaughan was born May 13, 1947 in Wichita, Kansas. He died January 26, 2009 in Chicago from lung cancer. After graduating from Carleton, he taught high school English in New York and worked as a textbook editor for Scott, Foresman in Chicago. In 1976, he entered law school at the University of Chicago and graduated in 1979. He worked for one of Chicago’s largest law firms for several years before deciding that practicing law was not for him. He returned to Scott, Foresman and worked there until his death.
He was my roommate junior and senior years. Gene was a most remarkable guy who tried never to let on how remarkable he was. You had to work to get to know him. He was exceptionally bright, and he had a wide range of interests—music, history, astronomy among them. I was always amazed at how much he knew about them. He was a true Renaissance man. He was also committed to learning and tutored kids in his Chicago neighborhood. I only learned about his tutoring from reading his obituary. That was quintessential Gene—helping others and never making a big deal out of it.
Carleton was the right place for Gene. It challenged him and allowed him to pursue his diverse interests. And, there were lots of people who could appreciate him.
John Linner ’69
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Gene Vaughan is greatly missed. He was my roommate during my sophomore year. Gene’s son Greg noted, at the post-funeral gathering for Gene’s widow, the late Bonnie Kepplinger, that Gene and Bonnie annually shared their love of English literature by setting aside a specific day to read aloud their favorite poems from the celebrated anthology, Immortal Poems of the English Language, edited by Oscar Williams. Gene and Bonnie hosted several First Goodhue Frosh reunions at their home, a converted boardinghouse, in the Wrigleyville neighborhood of Chicago, as well as at least one reunion at their summer place (“The Red House”) in Wisconsin. Gene also extended great comfort to me by traveling out to Homewood, a South Suburb of Chicago (at least 30 miles one way from his home in Chicago), to extend his condolences in person to me when my late first wife Trisha died in 2006. Gene was the sole Carleton person who came to the funeral home, a deed for which I will forever be grateful to him.
Andrew Korsak ’69
Comments
Gene Vaughan is greatly missed. He was my roommate during my sophomore year. Gene's son Greg noted, at the post-funeral gathering for Gene's widow, the late Bonnie Kepplinger, that Gene and Bonnie annually shared their love of English literature by setting aside a specific day to read aloud their favorite poems from the celebrated anthology, Immortal Poems of the English Language, edited by Oscar Williams. Gene and Bonnie hosted several First Goodhue Frosh reunions at their home, a converted boardinghouse, in the Wrigleyville neighborhood of Chicago, as well as at least one reunion at their summer place ("The Red House") in Wisconsin. Gene also extended great comfort to me by traveling out to Homewood, a South Suburb of Chicago (at least 30 miles one way from his home in Chicago), to extend his condolences in person to me when my late first wife Trisha died in 2006. Gene was the sole Carleton person who came to the funeral home, a deed for which I will forever be grateful to him. Andrew Korsak '69