Obituaries

GVSU Mourns the Loss of John Tevebaugh

November 20, 2017

GVSU Mourns the Loss of John Tevebaugh

John Leslie Tevebaugh, Professor of History Emeritus at Grand Valley State University, died Wednesday, November 15, 2017. He was one of the “pioneer faculty” of what was then Grand Valley State College.

John was born May 16, 1926, at Mount Carmel, Wabash County, Ill., the son of Julia Gladys Goff and Leslie Arthur Tevebaugh. He earned a PhD in history from the University of Illinois, and on August 19, 1950 married his classmate, Patricia (Patty) Jane Thomas.

In 1957, he and Patty began their teaching careers at Muskegon Community College. In 1962 John was invited to join the fledgling Grand Valley faculty.  His research and writing interests were built on his historical focus on early American history. From that emerged six books and numerous articles, especially about the 300 years of his own immigrant family, the Johann Conrad Dieffenbachs. A well known figure on campus and an excellent administrator, he retired from GV in 1988 after two decades chairing the History Department.

In addition to his research, John enjoyed singing and was an avid participant in school and church choirs and chorales, school musicals, some two dozen musical comedies in civic theaters, several operas and operettas, and a great decade with the Muskegon Chamber Choir, including its date at Carnegie Hall.

He was also an ardent traveler to many interesting points around the world: Western Europe, Russia, China, the British Isles, around South America and the Caribbean Islands, especially St. John.

John was predeceased by his wife Patty in 2002. He is survived by his second wife, Mrs. Barbara Jean Turner Arter, who is an early graduate of GVSU from the class of 1968, his son Tom and daughter Leslie, three grandchildren, and a great grandson.

The family is planning a celebration of John’s life for next spring at Lake Forest Cemetery in Grand Haven; details of the celebration will appear in a future Retiree Newsletter.  Memorial contributions may be made to Muskegon Community College or Grand Valley State University.  

UPDATE: A service for John will be held June 1st, 2018 at Lake Forest Cemetery in Grand Haven. The service will begin at 10:30 a.m. and will include a rifle salute from the military honor guard, as he was a WWII veteran. Please enter from 1304 Lake Avenue to receive a map to the gravesite – maps will be handed out by Tom Tevebaugh's sons. This will allow people to drive directly to the site instead of walking from the parking lot. Chairs will be available at the site. If anyone would like to say something about John at the memorial, you are more than welcome to do so.

After the ceremony there will be a luncheon beginning at 12:00 p.m. at the American Legion post, located at 700 Harbor Avenue, where family and friends will participate in a toast to John, along with a flag raising ceremony right before.

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Page last modified November 20, 2017