URBANA – Dr. Thomas Newell Ewing Jr., resident of Meadowbrook at Clark-Lindsey Village, Urbana, passed away on Tuesday (Aug. 18, 2015).
Dr. Ewing was born in Decatur on Nov. 6, 1913, the second son of the Rev. Thomas Newell Ewing and Jesse Belinda Wilkin Ewing. He lived in central Illinois during his youth and graduated from Danville High School in Danville. He continued his education at DePauw University in Greencastle, Ind., earning a Bachelor of Arts in psychology. He earned a Master of Arts in psychology at Syracuse University and a Ph.D. in psychology at Duke University.
Dr. Ewing taught several years at Ohio Northern University, Ada, Ohio. He served 3¾ years in the Army during World War II in psychological work and was stationed in Tinian, Saipan and Iwo Jima. In May 1946, he moved to Champaign and began his work at the University of Illinois. Dr. Ewing retired Feb. 28, 1977, as professor of psychology and associate director of the Psychological and Counseling Center. In addition to counseling students, he supervised psychology majors in their graduate work. He received national research awards from the American Psychological Association and the American Personnel and Guidance Association.
In September 1995, Dr. Ewing was inducted into the DePauw University Athletic Hall of Fame as a member of the 1933 football team which was unbeaten, untied and unscored upon. He taught "Rules of the Road" at the Urbana Library for more than 20 years and was chairman of the advisory committee for the Champaign County Office on Aging.
A staunch supporter of U of I sports, he also volunteered at the World Heritage Museum and Clark-Lindsey Village. Dr. Ewing was a member of Delta Upsilon Fraternity, University of Illinois Alumni Association, American Psychological Association and American Personnel and Guidance Association. He was a member of Wesley United Methodist Church for more than 60 years. His hobbies included gardening, fishing and golf. In November 2012, Dr. Ewing flew to Washington, D.C., as a part of the Honor Flight from Champaign. In November 2013, he celebrated his 100th birthday with family and friends.
On June 22, 1941, Dr. Ewing married LaVerne Daring at Ada, Ohio. They had celebrated 60 years of marriage when she passed away on June 22, 2001. Dr. Ewing was preceded in death by his wife, LaVerne; his parents; a brother, Wilkin MacDonald Ewing; and a sister, Alice Ann Ewing Pickard.
Surviving are his daughter, Mary Ewing Gosline (Robert) of Adamstown, Md., as well as a nephew, Tom Pickard (Joyce) of Jamestown, Tenn., and nieces, Ann Pickard Moser (Charles) of Apollo Beach, Fla., Margaret Pickard Rauschenberger (Robert) of Homer, Martha Harmeyer Schnetzler of Toledo, Ohio, and Ann Harmeyer Jennings (Ron) of North Liberty, Iowa. The Harmeyers lived with the Ewings.
Grandchildren include Robert B. Gosline III (Corrine) and Alisa Gosline Mitchell (Greg). Great-grandchildren include Kaitlyn Gosline, Chloe Gosline, Teryn Mitchell and Bryce Mitchell.
Graveside services will be at the Toledo Memorial Park Cemetery in Sylvania, Ohio, at a later date.
Memorial contributions may be made to Wesley United Methodist Church, Urbana. Condolences may be offered online at www.rennerwikoffchapel.com.