Dr. John Rose Faust

COLUMBIA, MO – Dr. John Rose Faust, age 87 of Columbia, Missouri and formerly of Charleston, passed away on Saturday, April 21, 2018 at his residence.  Visitation will be held from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. on Monday, April 30, 2018 at Wesley United Methodist Church, 2206 4th Street in Charleston.  The funeral service, honoring and celebrating his life, will begin at 3:00 p.m. on Monday with Reverend Dr. Bob Swickard officiating.  Inurnment will follow at a later date in Roselawn Cemetery, Charleston. 

John was born September 25, 1930 in Salisbury, North Carolina, the son of the late David Earl and Genevieve (Rose) Faust.  He married Mary Lucille “Brownie” Menius on September 1, 1956 and they shared 45 years of marriage prior to her death on December 6, 2001.  John is survived by his children, Mary Jensen and husband Mark of Missouri City, Texas, Linda Gatzen and husband Dirk of Columbia, Missouri, Bill Faust and wife Eva of Fayetteville, North Carolina and David Faust of Falls Church, Virginia; four grandchildren, Rebecca (Stephen) Goodwin, Amanda Jensen, Aaron Faust and Matthew Faust; and a brother, David (Edith) Faust of El Paso, Texas.

John graduated high school from Mercersburg Academy, in Pennsylvania.  He received a bachelor’s degree in history from Catawba College in Salisbury, North Carolina.  His master’s and doctorate degrees in political science are from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.  Starting in 1953, he studied in Australia for a year as a Fulbright scholar, an opportunity that grew out of his interests in political science and promoting world peace.  He served in the US Army as a cryptographer in Japan from 1954 – 1956.

John taught political science at southwestern Louisiana (now ULL) in Lafayette, LA in the early 1960’s.  He taught at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, IL from 1964 to 1966.  In 1966, he accepted a position with Eastern Illinois University and was a professor in the Political Science and Foreign Policy Department until his retirement in 1998.  During his tenure at EIU, he traveled to Europe twice for research, and 4 times to China for speaking engagements.  He was especially interested in the United Nations, researching it, teaching courses on it and taking students to model UN events in several cities.  He co-authored a book on China, published in 1995: China in World Politics.

John has been a member of Wesley United Methodist Church since moving to Charleston.  He sang in the church choir and was devoted to his Sunday school class.  John had studied classical piano, playing Bach and Chopin, but he also had the ability to play be ear.  If he saw an empty piano bench, he would soon be sitting there playing music that ranged from big band tunes and boogie-woogie to Christmas carols and hymns.  It was a special honor the evening he was invited by Dino, a pianist who performs in Branson, Missouri, to play a duet with him during one of his performances.  Shoji Tabuchi, a fiddler and singer, was another Branson favorite.  During the year he lived at Brookstone Estates in Mattoon, he thoroughly enjoyed their grand piano, often playing for other residents.

John was an enthusiastic rose gardener and loved giving away bouquets of roses.  He was one of the founders of Lincolnland Rose Society, which for many years hosted annual rose shows at the Cross County Mall.  He competed in other rose shows as well.  Beautiful gardens were an interest whenever he traveled.  He was a fan of the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team even as a child in North Carolina.  While he was teaching at Eastern, he often played table tennis (ping pong) at the gym over lunch time.  He was a serious bridge player.

John was a beloved father and grandfather whose memory will forever be cherished in the hearts of his children and grandchildren.

Thoughtful donations in his honor may be made to Wesley United Methodist Church or to the Lincoln Log Cabin Foundation.  Gifts may be left at the visitation or service or mailed in care of Adams Funeral Chapel, 2330 Shawnee Dr., Charleston, IL 61920.