Aurora University shares the sad news that alumnus and former faculty member Homer Easley of Aurora, Aurora College class of 1959, died January 23. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Pauline (Barton) Easley 1959 1987 degrees, their two children David, 1984 and Sheryl, 1987, and their seven grandchildren, one of whom is an AU student.
Homer came to Aurora College as the first member in his family to seek a baccalaureate degree. Having been influenced by Sputnik in 1957 and his Nation’s call to beef up the sciences, Homer majored in physics, planning to teach high school science after graduation. He and Pauline were married the weekend after graduation and then moved to Baltimore where Homer enrolled at Johns Hopkins University to continue his study of physics.
A call from then-president James Crimi and dean Mark Trumbo brought Homer and Pauline back to campus. Homer was invited to replace then-retiring Professor Clarence Smith. Homer accepted the position, working part-time while he completed his studies at Northwestern University, where he earned his master’s degree.
He began a 30-plus year career at the college, teaching physics and mathematics. In the early 1970s, he became interested in computers and did additional graduate work in computer science at Northwestern. He was the first professor at Aurora College to teach computer science and he established the Computer Science Club on campus. Students who studied with Homer or who were members of the Club often recalled how he would give them the key to the room for the college’s only computer.
Homer became chairman of the Computer Science Department and later dean of information science. He was the person responsible for computerizing all administrative functions on campus. In the mid-1990s, in a search for new challenges, Homer became director of development for the University.
After more than 30 years at AU, Homer accepted the full-time position of director of development at Wayside Cross Ministries in Aurora. He worked there full-time for five years and stayed at Wayside Cross for another decade, and worked part-time as the primary information technology staff person and database administrator.
A man of deep faith, he was active in the Aurora Advent Christian Church for more than 50 years, serving in various capacities including chairman of the committee to build the new building on Edgelawn Drive in Aurora, as an elder, computer technician, and even a Sunday school teacher on occasion. He served as president of the central region of the Advent Christian denomination.
Homer was recognized by his alma mater in 1992 with the Distinguished Alumni Award. In 2014, as part of the John C. Dunham Partnership School, the Homer Easley Seminar Room was established. The space is used for a variety of purposes, including showcasing student-faculty research projects, lectures, and symposium.
Naming the largest and most versatile space for Homer Easley honored his legacy and the zeal for learning that shared with his students and in every endeavor he took throughout his life.
— Aurora University