David Joseph Maurer

1935 - 2024

David Joseph Maurer

June 9, 1935 - December 24, 2024

David J. Maurer, age 89, formerly of Charleston, Illinois, passed away on December 24, 2024 from complications due to Alzheimer's disease. The family thanks the staff at Arbor Rose in Monticello for taking care of him over the last few years and all they did to give him a final home.

David was born June 9, 1935, in Canton, Ohio, the oldest of four children born to the late Harry J. and Elizabeth R. (Fehn) Maurer. He married Ellen Joyce Swan on June 15th, 1957, at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Mt. Morris, Illinois, and they shared 64 years of marriage and friendship. David is survived by two devoted children, Elizabeth (Kenneth) Friedman of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and William Maurer of Columbus, Ohio, 6 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren, and his brother William J. Maurer of Florence, South Carolina. In addition to his parents, David was preceded in death by his wife Joyce, brother, Paul Maurer, and sister, Mary Fortney.

David attained his Bachelor of Arts degree from Beloit College in 1957, a Master of Arts degree from The Ohio State University in 1958, and a Ph.D. in History in 1962, also from OSU. Dr. Maurer began his teaching career at Eastern Illinois University in 1962. During his tenure at EIU he served on the Faculty Senate and the University Personnel Committee and was Chair of both. He also served as the EIU representative to the Board of Governors Council of Faculties as Vice Chair of the Council. He served as the first Coordinator of Faculty Development for five years and as Chair of the Department of History from 1990 to 1995, after which he retired as a Professor Emeritus. He was a founding member of the History Department's Graduate Program in Historical Administration. He served several years on the Illinois Historic Sites Advisory Committee and served as President of the Illinois Historical Society. In 1985 he served during a semester sabbatical as the first Scholar-In-Residence at the American Association for State and Local History in Nashville.

David was a long time member of the Trinity Episcopal Church in Mattoon, Illinois, where he served several terms on the Vestry and as the Church's delegate to the Diocesan Annual Synod.

David shared his love of fishing, gardening and travel with his wife, children and grandchildren. David and Joyce traveled extensively in retirement. They took many trips with the Elderhostel/Road Scholar and other programs and on their own. They explored Europe, the U.K., Australia and New Zealand, including some trips with grandchildren and children. There were also many fishing trips over the years to northern Wisconsin, Canada and Alaska when bass fishing in the pond behind the house wasn't enough.

There will be no in-person service. However, a virtual memorial service is planned for early 2025. For more information, contact Evergreen Cremation Service (217) 714-0664. In keeping with David's love for EIU, it is requested that memorials in his honor be made to the Maurer Scholarship at https://www.eiu.edu/giving.php.