Iris Kaye Stovall

Iris Kaye Stovall was born April 14, 1950 in Granite City, Illinois, and passed from this life on September 19, 2019 in Arnold, Missouri. 

She was preceded in death by her parents, Charles Stovall and Irene Fuller Stovall, nephew, Jay Meredith, her beloved friend, Stanley Smith, and her treasured Burmese Mountain dogs, Brody and Racine. 

She is survived by her sisters, Holly (Ron) Drago, and Sandra (Ralph) Meredith. She is also survived by her nephews Jon “Scott” (Noelene) Meredith, Mark (Sharon) Meredith, her nieces Melanie (Rodney) Mathes, Erin (Chip) Row, and Tabitha (Vicky) Gilbert, six great nephews, two great nieces, and her cats, Angela and Jerry.

Iris graduated with her B.A. in Biology, from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville in 1972.  She then received her M.S. in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1975. She did thesis research on biochemistry of soybean root nodule metabolism. In 1978 she received her Ph.D. in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She then earned her Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences from September 1978 – September 1979.

She began her career working as Assistant Director in General Chemistry, for the Department of Chemistry, at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign from August 1979 – November 1997. She then went on to became the Program Director for an Illinois Online Network at the University of Illinois from November 1997 – August 2003. She was also the Director of Illinois Virtual Campus, at the University of Illinois, from August 2003 – July 2007. Her last place of employment was the Director of Instructor Services for the University of Illinois Champaign-Urban, Global Campus, from July 2007 until her retirement in 2012.

In addition to her faculty position at the University of Illinois, Iris was a United Nations consultant to the UNESCO Cairo Office from 1994 to 2006. She traveled throughout the Middle East providing direction for the educational uses of computers, distance and online education.

Iris retired to a hobby farm outside of Hermann, Missouri. There she raised free-range chickens, was active in the local garden club, and served on the Board of Directors of the Gasconade County Historical Society.

Visitation will take place Monday, September 23, 2019, from 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM, at Toedtmann & Grosse Funeral Home, Hermann, MO, where a service will be held immediately after.

Donations in Iris’ memory may be made at: Gasconade County Historical Society, 315 Schiller Street, Hermann, Missouri, 65041; www.gasconadecountyhistoricalsociety.com or Tenth Life Cat Rescue, PO Box 63187, St. Louis, Missouri, 63163; www.tenthlifecats.org or C/O Toedtmann & Grosse Funeral Home.