Feb. 17, 2012
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Former University of Illinois Director of Athletics and basketball All-American Gene Vance, 88, passed away on Thursday, Feb. 16, at his home in Champaign.
Vance, a native of Clinton, Ill., was a three-time honorable mention All-American for the Fighting Illini and is most known for being of a part of the famed "Whiz Kids" at Illinois in the 1940s. After Vance helped lead Illinois to back-to-back Big Ten Championships in 1942 and '43, including a perfect 12-0 conference record in 1943, he and his Whiz Kid teammates - Andy Phillip, Art Mathisen, Ken Menke and Jack Smiley - chose to enter the armed forces for WWII instead of participating in that season's NCAA Tournament.
Vance served three years in the U.S. Army, including 16 months in Europe and earned two bronze stars during his military career. He returned to Illinois in 1947 following the war along with Phillip, Menke and Smiley, and led the Illini to a second place Big Ten finish.
Vance was a first-team All-Big Ten selection in 1942 and '43, and was a second-team honoree in 1947. He was named a member of Illinois' All-Century Team in 2004, and his jersey was raised to the Assembly Hall rafters in 2008 as part of the Night of Legends celebration honoring former Fighting Illini greats.
Following his Illinois career, Vance went on to play four seasons in the NBA with Chicago, Tri-Cities and Milwaukee from 1948-52. He returned to the University of Illinois as the Director of Athletics from 1967-72 and as senior development officer at the University of Illinois Foundation until his retirement in 2000.
Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 22, at Morgan Memorial Home, 1304 Regency Drive West, Savoy. Interment will be held at the Mount Hope/Roselawn Cemetery. Memorial services will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 23, at the First Presbyterian Church, 302 W. Church St., Champaign.
Mr. Vance was born Feb. 25, 1923, in Clinton, the son of Ellis Wilson and Barbara Armstrong Vance. He married Grace Hoberg Vance on Aug. 7, 1943, at Camp Wolters, Texas. She preceded him in death on Aug. 10, 1980. He married Janann Duffy Hagan on Aug. 28, 1981. She survives.
Also surviving are two sons, Jon (Sara) Vance of Solana Beach, Calif.; James (Tricia) Vance of Cordova, Tenn.; two daughters, Sue (Roger) Peterson of Champaign and Martha (Tom) Tanner of Loveland, Ohio; three stepchildren, Michael Hagan of Savoy; Kelly (Rick) Willis of Waverly, Iowa, and Shannon Hagan of San Diego, Calif.; seven grandchildren, Jennifer (Peter) Ballentyne of Hackensack, N.J.; Jonathan (Meredith) Vance of San Diego, Calif., Kathryn (Jason) Whalen of Champaign, Scott (Rachel) Tanner of Hoover, Ala., Emily Grady of Champaign, Sarah and Andrew Tanner of Loveland, Ohio; three step-grandchildren, Tyler, Eric and Ryan Willis of Waverly, Iowa; and five great-grandsons.
