Jason Killips
All Stories

Carthage student Jason Killips is being remembered as a passionate learner and an inspiration to his fellow students.

Mr. Killips, 36, came to Carthage this fall to earn a second bachelor’s degree in chemistry and mathematics. His plan, according to his first-year advisor Joseph Towey, was to continue on to pharmacy school.

Tragically, Mr. Killips was found dead in his apartment on Nov. 30. The Kenosha Police Department is investigating his death as a homicide.

On Thursday, Mr. Killips’ classmates and professors gathered in their classes with Campus Pastor Kara Baylor to remember him and talk through their feelings.

“What I noticed in my conversations with students is the impact that he had in his short time on campus,” Pastor Baylor said. “It would have been easy to come back to school as a 36-year-old and say, ‘I don’t have anything in common with these kids.’ But he didn’t do that. He made an effort to be part of the community, and that mattered.

“People mentioned his dedication to learning and his passion,” Pastor Baylor continued. “He wanted to be there in that chemistry class; he wanted to be part of the Western Heritage discussion. He made an impression on them.

“They noted how passionate he was about his education, and they were inspired by that.”

* * * 

Mr. Towey described Mr. Killips as driven, friendly, and kind.

“Our stories are quite similar,” Mr. Towey said. As a first-year advisor at Carthage, he usually counsels 18- and 19-year-old students working toward their first bachelor’s degrees. Mr. Killips had already earned a bachelor of science degree in management information science from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside in 2007.

“He was returning to earn a second bachelor’s degree to pursue graduate studies in a different field,” Mr. Towey said. “My educational experience was much the same. I returned to college in my mid-30s to work on a second bachelor’s degree. During our first meeting, I shared with him a bit of my story and we bonded over that. He stopped by pretty frequently to chat.”

The two would easily end up talking for 45 minutes to an hour, Mr. Towey said. “He was just a really nice person who was trying to pursue his goals. The first path he took didn’t get him where he wanted to be. A lot of people would just settle, but he wasn’t content with that. He wanted to try again.”

He spoke enthusiastically about his chemistry, math, and Western Heritage courses, Mr. Towey said. “When he talked about being here and pursuing his goals, you could see his face just light up.”

* * * 

Carthage chemistry professor Christine Blaine taught Mr. Killips in her general chemistry class.

“Jason was a wonderful student and part of our fun-loving class,” Prof. Blaine said. “He was curious and enjoyed learning chemistry. Jason sat in the front row of class with his other quiet pals. He will be greatly missed by our CHM 1020 community.”

The Carthage community will gather to remember Mr. Killips at a special service in A. F. Siebert Chapel at 4 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 10. All are welcome to attend.

“Jason was a valued member of our Carthage family and he will be greatly missed,” said Carthage President John Swallow. “All of us at Carthage extend our deepest sympathies to Jason’s parents, his family, and friends.”