Jeffrey Steele

Dr. Jeffrey C. Steele, PhD was Professor Emeritus of Theatre at Principia College in Elsah, Illinois. He passed away on January 21, 2025, at age 63. Throughout his life, Jeff shared his wide-ranging and immense wealth of knowledge with passion, enthusiasm, and humor, blessing students, colleagues, and friends with his life of love, learning, and laughter.

Jeff established and served as Head Coach for the Principia College Mediation Team, bringing home numerous trophies from national and international competitions. He was chosen as “Coach of the Year” in 2016 by the International Academy of Dispute Resolution. Students thrived under his coaching, leadership, and mentorship, as they learned about peacemaking.

A love and passion for theatre ran deep throughout his life.  He was a member of Actor’s Equity Association, Society of American Fight Directors, and Shakespeare Association of America. As an actor, Jeff was known professionally as Geoff Callaway. He performed with numerous theatre companies in roles ranging from Shakespeare to comedy to improvisation. He was a founding member of Bankside Repertory Theatre in Alton, Illinois where he wrote, performed, and produced. Jeff was a playwright, and many of his more recent plays were produced by Bankside. A company and audience favorite was A Dickens of a Tale, a touching and humorous retelling of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.

Jeff grew up in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. He moved to the Chicago area to attend Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois completing a BS (1983) and an MA (1984) in performance studies. He built lasting friendships in the theater and his fraternity Lamba Chi Alpha. Jeff settled in Chicago, working as an actor with many theatre companies. He met his wife, Chrissy in an epic production of The Three Musketeers. It doesn’t get better than swords on stage!

Jeff’s love of learning continued at the Shakespeare Institute in Stratford-upon-Avon, England where he obtained his doctorate in Shakespeare. His dissertation, The Fascination of Evil: Mental Malpractice in Shakespearean Tragedy (2009) was one of his crowning academic achievements. The three years spent in England with his family were some of the most academically challenging and joyous times in his life. He built lasting friendships at church, at the Institute, and in the local community.

Some of Jeff’s fondest memories and stories that he regaled his friends and family with came from his enjoyment of the great outdoors, particularly his childhood summers at Camp Owatonna in Maine and Adventure Unlimited in Colorado. Jeff, a descendant of Daniel Boone, loved volunteering (in costume) at the Daniel Boone home in Defiance, Missouri.

His life of service and love is exemplified by his spiritual commitment. He selflessly volunteered at the First Church of Christ, Scientist in Jerseyville and participated in the Jerseyville Ministerial Alliance. Above all, he blessed those who were close to him with his dependable friendship and joyful optimism.

Jeff’s keen wit and lively performances blessed all he came into contact with, turning strangers into friends in record time. He was gracious and welcoming to everyone, demonstrating the power of laughter, love, and a good attitude. His love and legacy live on through his family: his wife Chrissy, and children Annalicia, Boone and Olivia, his sister Valerie Steele, as well as many nieces and nephews, brothers and sisters-in-law, and father-in-law. While we wish we had more time with him, he blessed so many with a life full of love and laughter, and we are forever grateful to have been a part of it.