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JoAnne Epps Death Cause And Obituary
JoAnne A. Epps, the interim president of Temple University, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 72 after passing out on stage.
Epps was brought to Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia, where, according to the university, she was declared dead about 3:15 p.m.
She unexpectedly passed out on stage while speaking during a memorial event for Charles L. Blockson, the emeritus curator of the university’s Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection.
She was removed from the stage by a police officer in uniform, and the event was put on hold.
Epps was taking part in a memorial service at Temple University (pictured) when she suddenly collapsed while on stage
In a statement that said, “It is with deep heartbreak that we write to inform you that Temple University Acting President JoAnne A. Epps suddenly passed away this afternoon,” the university acknowledged that she had passed away.
Mitchell Morgan, the chairman of the Temple board, stated in the statement that “there are no words to adequately express the gravity and sadness of this loss.”
President Epps embodied the greatest qualities of Temple as a loyal servant and friend.
She devoted nearly 40 years of her life to this university, so it goes without saying that her passing will have an impact on the neighborhood for many years to come.
Ken Kaiser, senior vice president, and Temple’s chief operating officer, refrained from making any assumptions about Epps’ health before she passed out.
Kaiser stated at a press conference that “we are not aware that President Epps had any health issues.”
Gregory Mandel, provost of Temple University, became emotional while speaking about Epps.
We are all in excruciating anguish and speechless. At the press conference, Mandel remarked, “To know Joanne is to be her friend.”
She was among the most incredibly kind and considerate people I’ve ever met.
The university’s Board of Trustees will convene tomorrow, according to Mandel, to “put together a plan for us as we work through this transition.”
Before she passed out, Epps was giving a speech at a memorial service for Blockson, who had passed away on June 14 at the age of 89.
When she passed out, the program was briefly put on hold. It was then resumed by Kimmika Williams Witherspoon, a former president of the faculty senate, who stepped in to read Epps’ words.
Epps, a former dean and provost of Temple’s law school, was appointed to the position in April after Jason Wingard, who had served as the university’s president since July 2021, resigned in March.
After less than two years in office, Wingard, the university’s first Black president, resigned due to a spike in violence that devastated the campus.
After Temple University officer Christopher Fitzgerald, 31, was fatally shot in February while pursuing three men in masks and all-black clothing in a neighborhood where there had been a string of thefts, Epps’ stint there began.
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Temple University Provost Gregory Mandel choked up as he described Epps. ‘We are all in deep grief and at a loss for words. To know Joanne is to be her friend,’ He said at a news conference
