Elmer Samuel Ciancone , June 25, 1925 — May 31, 2018

After a long, successful, happy life, Elmer Samuel “Sam” Ciancone quietly found peace on the morning of May 31, 2018. He was 92. He loved his students and his work as a teacher.

He loved his family. He loved music, airplanes, travel, dogs, the Cubs and the Bears, and working with his hands. He was born in Rockford, IL on June 25, 1925 and graduated from East Rockford High School in 1943.

He passed the qualifying exams to become an officer candidate in the Army Air Corps as a high school junior and joined in September 1943, was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant later that year and trained as a bombardier in B-24s and B-29s. He served in the Air Corps, the Army Air Force and then the United States Air Force Reserve, retiring as a colonel in 1985. His last assignment was as a Liaison Officer with the United States Air Force Academy.

After the war he used the G.I. Bill to earn a bachelor’s degree from Northern Illinois State Teacher’s College in 1949. While there he met his love and lifelong partner Elizabeth Ann Cook. They married on November 29, 1952.

He earned a Master’s degree at University of Illinois in 1950 and his Ed. D at Indiana University in 1962. He worked toward it all so he could be a better teacher.

From 1950 to 1952 he taught at the Illinois State Training School, from 1952 to 1956 at St. Charles, IL schools and from 1956 to 1989 at Indiana State University. He received the Caleb Mills teaching award in 1984. He was a member of the Industrial Education Association of Indiana, the American Industrial Arts Association, the American Association of University Professors, the Military Officers’ Association, the Retired Officers Association, the Indiana State Teachers’ Association, the United States Air Force Museum Association and the United States Naval Aviation Museum.

Sam was preceded in death by his father and mother, Anthony and Christina Ciancone and his sister, Leida Defferville. He is survived by his wife Elizabeth, sister Nancy Gray (Dewey), brother-in-law Mike Cook (Chris), his sons Mark (Susan) and Peter, his grandchildren Jack, Laura and Sam, his nephews and nieces. A celebration of life will be held June 25, 2018 at Greiner Funeral Home in Terre Haute, Indiana.

In lieu of flowers, his wish is that contributions be made to Indiana State University, Indiana University, University of Illinois or Northern Illinois University.

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