Carlyn "Carl" Elliott

Carlyn (Carl) Hartley Elliott died on April 1, 2022, shortly after his 100th birthday, a milestone he worked hard to achieve. 

Carl was born on March 21, 1922, in Columbus, Indiana, the only child of Hazel and Herschel Elliott.

Carl was a gifted musician, delighting all who heard him play the piano, organ and trombone. 

He was part of the Indiana University Marching 100 and together they all volunteered for the Army/Air Corp shortly after the United States entered WWII.    

Toward the end of WWII, Carl married the love of his life, Elizabeth Schmitt, and together they raised four daughters.  He looked forward every year to taking his family to Wisconsin where he taught his girls to fish and watched them swim and waterski. 

After WWII ended, he began his career as an assistant professor at Miami University in Ohio.  From there, he moved on to Purdue University where he received his PhD in Industrial Psychology, weeks before the birth of his twin daughters.  After teaching at Purdue Calumet Center, he began working in Employee Relations at Mobil Oil in East Chicago, Indiana, and then New York City.  A few years later, however, he returned to the Calumet Region, responding to an invitation to become the Director of the Purdue Calumet Center (Purdue Northwest), a position he held for sixteen years, growing the small commuter school to a large, campus serving increasing numbers of students each year.  During this time, he served on many boards of directors throughout the community, including NIPSCO, St. Margaret Hospital, and Evening Colleges. He was a founding member of the Woodmar United Methodist Church, where he served as a Trustee and Pastor Parish Committee member.

In 1975, he became President of Tri State College in Angola, Indiana.  Under his leadership the college became a university and student enrollment grew.  He retired in 1983 to care for his wife Elizabeth who was seriously ill, taking loving care of her until her death in 1984.

He was active in the Masons; following in the steps of his father, he became a 33rd degree Scottish Rite Mason in 1981.

Out of gratitude for his years of service, Purdue Calumet awarded him an honorary doctorate in 1985. 

In 1985 he married Meredith Kopper and together they traveled the world. 

Carl is survived by his four daughters, Prudence Lynn Leslie (William), Lisa Carol Medanic (Steve), Linda Beth Johnsen (Donald), and Nancy Louise Fisher (James), as well as 15 grandchildren and 24 great grandchildren.

 He was preceded in death by his parents, his wives, Elizabeth and Meredith, his stepdaughters, Jocelyn Kopper Fields, and Sande Kopper Thrasher, and one great grandson, Daniel Allen Medanic.

A memorial service will be held at Woodmar United Methodist Church at 10 am on Saturday, April 9, 2022, with visitation at 9:30.  Graveside services were held with the family in Columbus, Indiana. 

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Woodmar United Methodist Church in Hammond, Indiana.

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