HALBERT E. GULLEY

1919 - 2011

Halbert E. Gulley, 91, of DeKalb, Ill., passed away Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2011, at Oak Crest DeKalb Area Retirement Center.
Born Nov. 21, 1919, in Sesser, the sixth of eight, to Roy A. and Mary (Martel) Gulley, he married Nadine Ellen Dauderman June 28, 1941, at First Christian Church, Iowa City, Iowa.
Halbert graduated from Goode-Barren Township High School in 1936. He received a Bachelor of Education from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, in 1940 and earned a Master of Arts in 1941 from the University of Iowa, Iowa City. In the fall of 1941, he accepted a position at Hannibal Missouri High School. Shortly thereafter, he was inducted into military service. He served four years in the U.S. Army. He was wounded in action in Germany, but survived and retired as a captain in the Infantry. After leaving the service, he returned to civilian life and went immediately to the University of Iowa to pursue a Ph.D. in speech communication. He received the degree in August 1948, accepted a position as assistant professor of speech at the University of Illinois, and moved his growing family to Urbana for a stay of 19 years.
During that time his children grew up, his wife began a teaching career and Hal rose to the rank of full professor. The Gulleys left U of I in 1967 for Colorado State University, Fort Collins. He taught there one year, and then went to the University of Kentucky, Lexington, as chair of the Department of speech. He accepted the chairmanship of the Department of Speech, Speech Correction and Theater at Northern Illinois University in 1970, served for nine years and retired in 1979. Hal was a gifted orator and writer. He authored seven books, three in his field of expertise. He and Nadine moved to Oak Crest Retirement Center in 1999.
He is survived by his children, Jerry (Nancy) Gulley of New Castle, N.H., Beth (John) Knecht of Chicago and Bill (Leanne Mumpy) Gulley of Madison, Wis.; seven grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Nadine, in 2009.
A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 18, at Oak Crest Chapel, DeKalb, with the Rev. Blake Richter of Westminster Presbyterian Church, DeKalb, officiating. Private family burial will be at Elmwood Cemetery, Sycamore, with full military honors provided by DeKalb County Honor Guard.
In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the Halbert E. Gulley Memorial Fund for the Samaritan Fund at Oak Crest DeKalb Area Retirement Center in care of Anderson Funeral Home Ltd., P.O. Box 605, DeKalb, IL 60115. For information, visit www.AndersonFuneralHomeLtd.com or call 815-756-1022.