The celebrated community leader passed away on March 15, 2017. In 1932, Bone enrolled in the College and served as president of his freshman class and Sigma Pi literary society, sang in the men’s Glee Club, Octet and Quartet, and lettered in basketball and baseball.

He served as director of admissions in 1938, and later graduated from the University of Illinois Medical School and earned a Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts degrees from the University of Illinois. In 1947, he began a private practice in Jacksonville. After duty with the U.S. Navy, he formed the Bone-Scott Clinic in 1954 with Dr. Harvey Scott Jr. ’42, serving over 20,000 patients as a physician. He retired from the field of medicine at age 100. Bone was married to the late Eileen Kitts Bone for 40 years, raising their sons David, Stephen, and Tim together. Upon marriage to Louise Norris, her daughters, Jennifer and Kathryn, joined his family.

Bone was committed to public service organizations and the arts, helping to make Jacksonville a better place to learn, live and work. He served as president of Illinois College Alumni Association twice, established scholarships and supported initiatives on campus. Most recently, Louise and he gifted their home to IC.

“Illinois College’s mission lies in our students and the inspiring lives they lead as graduates. There is no better example of this than Dr. Chet Bone,” President Barbara A. Farley said at the 2017 announcement. “The Bone house at Illinois College will act as a lasting testament to Chet’s legacy in Jacksonville and the difference he made in the world.”

Bone was awarded the Distinguished Service Award from the Alumni Association in 1972, and IC bestowed an honorary Doctor of Laws degree on him in 1989.

Memorial gifts are suggested to Illinois College in support of the E.C. Bone, M.D. Endowed Scholarship.