William Colekin ("Bill") Vance of Lake Forest, Illinois died peacefully at home on September 12, 2023, at the age of 75. He was born on October 9, 1947, in Evanston, Illinois, the son of Herbert Alexander Vance and Dorothy Jones Vance. He grew up in the Chicago suburbs, attending post primary schools in Massachusetts and Illinois. After college he joined Vance Publishing Corporation, holding various offices in the business his father founded. He served as Chairman and CEO of Vance Publishing from 1983 until his retirement in 2015. He married Carol Elizabeth Crumbaugh in 2005. Bill was introduced to the arts at an early age by his mother and enjoyed attending and supporting them. He had a special love of opera and was an enthusiastic supporter of the Lyric Opera for many years. He was actively involved on the Lyric Opera’s Executive Board and the Board of the Ryan Opera Center. His other community activities in Chicago included supporting memberships at The Art Institute of Chicago, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the Newberry Library, to name a few. He was interested in historical preservation and held supporting memberships at the Drayton Hall Preservation Trust, The Royal Oak Foundation, and several Lake Forest and other local and national preservation organizations. Club memberships included The Casino, The Chicago Club, Farmington Country Club, Racquet Club of Chicago, and Shoreacres.
He is survived by his wife Carol, son William Colekin (Darlene) Vance Jr., brother Herbert Alexander (Patricia) Vance, Jr., two nieces, Alison Vance Scherer and Heather Vance Haddon, and several grand-nieces and nephews. He also leaves behind step grandchildren Brittany Lowe and Amber Lowe, other beloved relatives and his former wife Valerie Vance, mother of William.
Visitation and service will be held Saturday, September 16th from 9:00-11:00 AM at the Wenban Funeral Home, Lake Forest. Interment at the Lake Forest Cemetery will be private. Gifts in lieu of flowers may be made to The Art Institute of Chicago, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Drayton Hall or the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
