Deloris Gregory Pourchot

Deloris (Dee)J. Gregory Pourchot M.S. ‘67 (Secondary Education), Ph.D. ’81 (Adult Continuing Education) was born in Peoria, IL. She attended a country school for six years near her home of Easton in Central Illinois before graduating salutatorian from her high school and attending the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She was an active and proud 4-H member and embraced the organization’s motto of “clearer thinking, greater loyalty, larger service and better living” throughout her life.Deloris was organized and helpful. While working in DeKalb as a home extension advisor for the University of Illinois Cooperative Extension Service, she earned advanced degrees at NIU. Her work with Cooperative Extension Service, both in Illinois and Virginia, spanned 36 years and not only found her helping people with day-to-day living skills, but also activities that would help them advance in their careers.Deloris married Leonard Pourchot, a former professor of education at NIU, in 1992. Always a professional, she worked with both youth and adults. She quickly learned to appreciate and love traveling as she attended meetings across the country for the National Association of Extension Agents (NAEA). She and Leonard ventured outside the country to Europe and would travel at times with their grandchildren. While in Blacksburg at Virginia Tech, she became a strong advocate for women pursuing education. In addition, she befriended foreign students, often inviting them into her home. Her pastor described her as a “mixture of steel and velvet.” Her two younger sisters say they could always count on her and knew she appreciated them caring for her parents while she lived away. Deloris was a member of the Immanuel Lutheran Church, the League of Women Voters, the Coalition of Women Church Members, and the National Association of Extension Agents – Home Economists.