Ellen R. “Dede” Weil, 56, a longtime university teacher and corporate volunteer consultant, died Tuesday, Oct. 24, in her North Side Chicago home from lung cancer. Born in the South Shore neighborhood, Ms. Weil received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Roosevelt University and became an instructor in the school’s general studies program. In 1988, she was a founding director of Roosevelt’s Partners in Corporate Education program, which offers courses at corporate offices in the Chicago area. After leaving Roosevelt, she became vice president of The Volunteer Network–matching volunteers with nonprofit agencies–until 1992. She later worked as a consultant with the National Retiree Volunteer Coalition and as an independent volunteer consultant. “She thought (volunteering) could change the world,” said her husband Gary Wolfe. Ms. Weil’s favorite recipients, her husband said, were often children. Among the retiree programs she developed were those at Sears, BP Amoco and Kraft Foods. In June, the Sears retiree volunteers created a “Best Consultant” award for her. In her spare time, she and her husband wrote a book, a study of fantasy author Harlan Ellison, that will be published in 2001. Other survivors include her two sons, Bradley and Robert; two daughters, Catherine Porter and Julie Scianna; and numerous grandchildren. Services will be held at 1 p.m. Friday in Chicago Sinai Congregation, 15 W. Delaware Pl., Chicago.
