David Coon Memorial Scholarship

David Glenn Coon was born on August 1st, 1938, the son of Earl and Olive Snyder Coon. He was born and raised in Oakland, Illinois, and attended CCAR Industries developmental training program in Charleston. David was born with Down’s Syndrome at a time when little was known about this genetic disorder, and most children who had it were institutionalized. His parents, Olive and Earl Coon worked tirelessly to ensure that David had every opportunity to develop as many skills as possible and strove to make him an integral member of the family and the community. David was a very patriotic person and loved everything red, white, and blue. His friends were all very special to him, and his greatest pleasures in life were CCAR and Camp New Hope and the staff and educators he was able to interact with. He also loved watching television, especially sporting events of the Bears, the Cubs, and the University of Illinois.

The David Coon Memorial Scholarship was founded in 2009 in honor of the life of David Coon by four generations of his family who have attended and graduated from Eastern Illinois University. The Scholarship was established with the hope that the funds would assist future educators of special needs, students, to defray the costs of their education so that they too can someday have a positive impact on students like David, who bring joy to the lives of those that love them.

The purpose of the scholarship is to financially assist a student majoring in Special Education.