“When I think about Jean, I remember her compassion, kindness and unwavering love,” said her friend and colleague Amanda Cook Fesperman. “She was dedicated to making the world a better place. Jean was taken from us too soon and I will miss her every day of my life.”

Professor Jean Forst, 60, of LaSalle died unexpectedly at home on Tuesday, April 8, 2025. 

IVCC President Tracy Morris shared, “This week our campus was devastated to lose Dr. Jean Forst, who was a dedicated advocate for our students. Jean taught Developmental Reading and English across all levels. 

“Jean was a devoted teacher, colleague and friend to many and will be deeply missed. Jean served seven years as faculty plus writing center for five years and was a Foundation supporter.

“On her faculty website, she had this quote I would like to share: ‘Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better’ — Maya Angelou. May we all do better in memory of Jean.”

A celebration of Forst’s life was held Sunday, April 13, 2025, at Uptown Grill in La Salle for family, friends and colleagues. The following week, IVCC held a small gathering in the student life space on April 17, where students and staff were able to come together and share their appreciation, fondness and respect for Forst.

Forst started teaching at Illinois Valley Community College as a part-time Writing Center instructor in June of 2011. She later transitioned to full-time teaching in January of 2017.

Before Forst working at IVCC, Mary Beth Herron, director of human resources, said, “Jean had shared with me that she worked as an instructor from 1992 to 2005 at the University of Illinois where she taught undergraduate classes in rhetoric, business writing, film and literature. Forst was a part-time instructor at Joliet Junior College (JJC) from 2009 to 2011 and from 2008 to 2011 Jean taught English as a second language at the English Center in Champaign, Illinois.”

Forst was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy May 17, 2009, at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, majoring in English; she was awarded tenure with the commencement of the Spring 2020 semester at IVCC.

Forst was not only a valued professor at IVCC, but a friend, colleague and activate member in the Illinois Valley community.

Forst was a member of the local Zonta Club of LaSalle-Peru area. The Zonta Club is a member of the larger global organization Zonta International, who “envisions a world in which women’s rights are recognized as human rights, and every woman is able to achieve her full potential,” according to their website.

“Jean joined the Zonta Club of LaSalle-Peru Area in 2020”, Radek-Hall explained. “As a member she helped support local scholarships and worked to support our local domestic violence shelter. Jean marched in our three area local Zonta clubs’ luminary events where we work to prevent domestic violence by calling attention to all the people who help others in those situation or who educate people about different ways to form  relationships or improve their relationship skills—and by remembering those who have been hurt or killed in domestic violence situations. 

“Most recently, Jean helped prepare and host the area Zonta Spring Workshop (which took place on International Women’s Day at IVCC) and the LaSalle-Peru club’s 100th anniversary reception, which occurred after the workshop.

“She really devoted her whole life to helping others live better lives.”

She also was an extremely active volunteer for the local animal rescue, Illinois Valley Animal Rescue (IVAR).

IVAR Staff and Volunteers shared, “The skies wept with us as we learned of the passing of our dear friend and longtime volunteer Jean. Jean has been a volunteer for over 10 years with both the cat and dog building.

“She was a whirlwind of energy that never stopped moving, and her love of the animals was unparalleled. She would always volunteer with the cat building and then come take dogs for walks and in colder months, car rides. They, too, will mourn her absence, especially her dog buddy at the shelter, Shadow and her pets at home, dog Elijah and cats Boo, Keystone, Pumpkin, Simba and Miss Pretty. 

“The world is a little dimmer, and her eccentric personality will be missed. Rest easy, Jean, we will take care of the animals here. You enjoy your time resting at the Rainbow Bridge. We will miss you, Love your Illinois Valley Animal Rescue Family.”

“Outside of IVCC, Jean volunteered at IVAR and Secondhand Ranch, but she was also a member of Zonta, working tirelessly to empower women, globally and locally, no matter their demographic identity”, said her friend and colleague Kimberly Radek-Hall.

Forst enjoyed spending time with friends and colleagues on hiking expeditions and running in local races.

Amanda Cook Fesperman, professor of Political Science and History, coordinator of International and Multicultural Education, and coordinator of Study Abroad program at IVCC, said, “Jean was my dear friend and a light to all who knew her. She was full of energy and joy. 

“Jean’s life was a testament to her unwavering love for animals and animal welfare. She volunteered daily at IVAR, taking dogs for walks or rides in her car and petting cats in the cat building. She ate a “mostly plant-based diet” and was looking forward to the day when cultured meat was widely available so that animals would no longer suffer in factory farms.

“She had a deep love for the outdoors and spent a lot of her free time running, walking, kayaking, biking, and camping. She and I were planning a hiking trip on the Appalachian Trail for the summer of 2026.

“Jean was devoted to her students and wanted everyone to love reading the way she did. She was a passionate advocate for the Science of Reading and was finishing a middle school reading curriculum at the time of her death.

“Jean was intelligent but goofy, impassioned but lighthearted, and always inclusive. She had an open heart and embraced people from all walks of life. She loved her time at the University of Illinois but was so excited to work with community college students where she felt she could do the most good.”

Forst has provided fellow friends and colleagues at IVCC with a lifetime of memories 

Lirim Neziroski, dean of humanities, fine arts and social sciences at IVCC, shared, “Jean Forst was kind of a brilliant person. She had a Ph.D. in her field, and she was constantly learning and reading.  I often spoke with her about literary theory, books, education, and technology, and I appreciated having someone to talk with about these shared interests. She left a great legacy of helping students learn how to read and understand language, and we will miss her.”

Delores Robinson, English and speech professor at IVCC, said, “I was lucky enough to work closely with Jean during her time at IVCC as a member of the English Department and as a co-sponsor of IVCC’s Mu Alpha chapter of the Two-Year College English Honor Society, Sigma Kappa Delta. She had just recently become a co-sponsor, and she threw herself into the job with the same energy, enthusiasm, and generosity that she gave to all her projects. 

“Additionally, I counted Jean as a friend and fellow animal lover, and I was amazed at the time and energy she devoted to area animal shelters, especially IVAR. She had such a loving heart, and I’ll miss her presence at our English Department gatherings.

“Jean saw the good in everyone, especially her students, and she spoke often of how hard her students worked and how impressed she was with their efforts. She was so close with her family, speaking often about how happy she was to spend time with them. I know her sisters, her mother and her entire family will miss her, always, as will we at IVCC miss her terribly, as well.”

Kimberly Radek-Hall, English and humanities professor at IVCC, shared, “It’s hard to imagine a more alive person than Jean. She had an energy and passion that she brought to everything she did: taking care of animals, students, people, and organizations. She practically vibrated with it. And she ran—a lot—to places, to take care of people or pets, and for pleasure (which I do not understand).

“I first met her in 2011 when she began working here part-time, and even as a person that I did not have a lot of contact with, she immediately impressed me with her respect and care for her students and her willingness to do what she could to improve their lives, academic and personal, curricular and extra-curricular.

“She volunteered for committees, staying long extra hours to help determine placement scores or stuff folders for English department events. Then, she joined the department as a fulltime faculty member about eight years ago, and we became closer.

“It was impossible not to because she radiated caring, compassion, and friendliness constantly, like it was what fueled her—but she was also extremely intelligent and had serious concerns about policies, philosophies, people, pets, and politics.

“Personally, Jean helped me a lot: offering advice and encouragement (or occasionally a shoulder for crying on) as I progressed through my doctoral work, or tutoring me in my relationship with a nearly-feral dog that my husband and I adopted, and lending both emotional support and dog-babysitting assistance when my mother was ill and I had to leave Illinois to care for her.

“Jean brought fun with her on trips to the theatre or shopping, recently, to name a few things that I will most miss doing with her. I will miss her when next I read a good book or see a great film, because she won’t be there to talk to about it. It does not happen often that you meet someone who is so unconditional in their giving—and all of us who knew Jean had that.

“Because of things that Jean has done, everyone here at IVCC, whether they were aware of it or not, has had a little easier path. With Jean’s passing, a light has gone out in our presence—and it’s up to us to keep shining the light for her by remembering her wonderfulness—and picking up the work that she dedicated herself to and hadn’t yet finished.”

Mary Black, mathematics professor at IVCC said, “I will always remember Jean as a kind and generous soul. She was someone who only put good out into the world and will be remembered that way by all who knew her.”

Kirk Lockwood, English and technical writing professor, said “Jean and I met when we were both tutoring in the Writing Center, even before she joined the English Department. From this meeting to becoming colleagues throughout the years in the English Department, I have always appreciated Jean’s friendliness and caring attitude.

“Our offices were in the same office suite. Jean often asked me how I was doing, especially with classes and grading, and she would offer some encouraging words to keep persevering. Sometimes, I could hear her humming or singing softly in her office while she worked. 

“Jean truly cared about her students, her colleagues, and her volunteer work. Like many, I miss her warm and encouraging presence, and I’m thankful for the opportunity to have known and worked with Jean.”

Nora Villarreal, English professor at IVCC, shared, “The English department at IVCC is a special place, and it will not be the same without Jean. We will always remember and miss her collegiality, friendship, passion, and love for the world.”

Tina Hardy, Center for Accessibility and Neurodiversity coordinator, shared, “I remember Jean as someone who cared about students and cared about her content. We sometimes had philosophical differences about approaches to teaching and learning, especially for students who had barriers to learning, but she was always open minded. I can’t tell you how many times I’d pass Jean, and she’d say, “We should talk about that sometime.” The “that” was what was at the forefront at the time – students’ needs after returning from COVID, best practices for teaching learners in developmental classes, etc… No matter the topic, she exhibited curiosity and willingness to collaborate.”

Mike Phillips, geology professor at IVCC shared, “I enjoyed working with Jean.  She was always willing to help and was never afraid to ask questions; two things that make for a wonderful colleague as well as a friend.”

Jill Urban-Bollis, psychology Instructor at IVCC, shared, “She was a kind soul, and I will miss her on campus warming up her rice near my office and running with her on the road. She always had her phone in her hand while she ran. She will be missed.”

Inle Findlay, IVCC student, shared, “There are a handful of stories, but my favorite with Jean is within the first month of first meeting her—I was in her reading class. 

“She asked all of us what we were going to school for or what we would like to do with our degree. I told her I was going to IVCC for an Associate of Science,with a major in wildlife biology.

“My whole life I have had a deep connection to wolves. Now that I have the opportunity to go to school, I am going to study or work with wolves in some way. I ended up staying after class that day, and many more after that. We talked about that a bit more and our mutual love for animals and our pets. 

After that conversation, a few days a week, she would send me emails of wolf books, both fiction and nonfiction and the next time I would see her, she would ask if I was familiar with those books or had read any of them. A good number of the nonfiction books she recommended about wolves, I already had. 

“One of the fictional books she recommended is called The Sight by David Clement-Davies, published in 2001. I read this book back then and I really connected with it (even cried over it). I totally forgot about it! I had no idea it later ended up being a trilogy. 

“I’ll forever thank Jean for bringing that book back into my life. Now I am re-reading The Sight and it is bringing back so many memories and emotions.

“It really makes me sad to think about what else she would have brought into or back into my life.”