In Memoriam: John Vohs, Senior Lecturer Emeritus

It is with great sorrow that we report the passing of John Vohs, Senior Lecturer Emeritus. John passed away in April at the age of 90. From 1966 through 2004, he was a dedicated faculty member in the Department of Communication at UC Davis and played a meaningful role in the department’s development over nearly four decades.

In the classroom, John specialized in small group dynamics and organizational communication, areas informed by his extensive work with dozens of corporations, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations. His impact extended well beyond teaching: he served as department chair, Faculty Senate President, Director of the Teaching Resources Center, and Associate Dean.

Tens of thousands of students took John’s classes during his tenure, and many of them remained in contact with him long after graduation. He was deeply respected for his wisdom, warmth, and commitment to teaching.

Never one to fully retire, John continued to engage actively with academic and professional communities. In 2016, he authored A Virtual Eleventh Campus, a unique research report documenting the activities of nearly 4,500 University of California faculty retirees. His central insight—that UC emeritus faculty collectively form a vibrant and largely unrecognized “eleventh campus”—reflected his enduring belief in the value of intellectual and civic engagement well beyond formal retirement.

John is survived by his wife, Linda, and his daughter, Jaime. He will be deeply missed by his students, colleagues, and all those who knew him across the University of California system. To read more about John’s life, please see the obituary published in the Davis Enterprise.