Communication instructor Lora J. DeFore, 49, died Monday at Mississippi Baptist Medical Center in Jackson after battling cancer since 2005.
DeFore worked for the Mississippi State University Department of Communication for 19 years, teaching over seven different public relations and journalism courses throughout her tenure. She also served as the coordinator of public relations concentration for the department, as well as its internship program coordinator.
Communication department head John Forde said DeFore was a huge asset to the department because of her love for students and her ability to teach a variety of courses.
“She loved advising and she served on almost every committee at the department until she got sick,” he said. “She really put students first and always wanted to do anything that was best for the students.”
Karyn Brown, communication instructor and broadcasting concentration coordinator, said DeFore was one of the first people she met when she started at Mississippi State 16 years ago.
“She really supported me as a new teacher,” Brown said. “That’s the one thing I’ll always remember about Lora – she was extremely supportive and motivating.”
DeFore put students first, always working to build relationships with them, Brown said.
“Lora was just completely selfless,” she said. “She always put her students before herself.”
Pattye Archer, Instructional Media Center coordinator and friend of DeFore’s, said DeFore really enjoyed her time at MSU.
“It was more than a job or vocation,” Archer said. “She would spend hours at her office, not just teaching, but spending time with students.”
Chris Williams, 1997 communication alumnus, had DeFore for at least five classes and said he appreciated her understanding nature.
“I remember her having a passion for teaching,” he said. “You could tell she loved being around college students. She wanted to know what was going on in our lives.”
Michael Busbin, 1993 communication alumnus, said he was grateful for DeFore’s open door policy.
“She was one of those teachers where you could go to her office and hang out and not dread going in for a visit,” he said. “You actually went there to visit, converse and learn.”
While DeFore loved her students, they, as well as her colleagues and friends, knew her family was her first love.
“I would say her No. 1 hobby was her nieces and nephew; they were absolutely her No. 1 pride and joy,” Archer said. “She spent most of her free time traveling with them. She would leave almost the day after her last exam in May and take June off and stay [with them] through the 4th of July.”
Colleagues and students remember her office filled with photos of her family, and DeFore frequently spoke about them.
“She always talked about her family and her nieces and nephew,” Brown said. “When she wasn’t doing [other things] or meeting with students, she was traveling to see her family.”
An avid MSU sports fan, DeFore regularly attended football, basketball and baseball games, traveling to many away games to cheer on the Bulldogs. She served as a mentor for the Lady Bulldogs basketball team and was once a guest coach for the team.
Brown recalled a time where she, DeFore and Archer traveled to the SEC women’s basketball tournament in support of a player whose mother was sick and could not attend.
“She [DeFore] just always supported the players and was always at the games,” Brown said. “Just a great person.”
DeFore was also an active supporter of the Starkville Community Theatre (SCT). While she never acted, she worked as a volunteer and helped with publicity. Archer said DeFore went on trips to New York with the group and loved to host SCT parties.
Angie Marquez, a 2000 communication alumna who is active with SCT, said DeFore was quick to encourage and serve the SCT group.
“She told me she loved watching me perform and wanted me to be happy,” Marquez said. “She wanted to encourage me and knew how to encourage others.”
Brown said DeFore was quick to jump in and help others. DeFore taught Brown’s classes for her when she lost her mother to cancer in 2000.
“There was no hesitation – Lora immediately took over my classes until I got back,” Brown said. “If you were having a problem, Lora wanted to know how to help you.”
Senior communication major Ross Lockwood said despite her cancer, DeFore wanted to keep people upbeat. He recalled one time when his class did not know how to respond to DeFore losing her hair to chemo.
“As soon as she walked in, she broke the tension by cracking a joke,” he said. “She was really funny and able to make you laugh, but at the same time be serious about what she wanted you to do.”
DeFore graduated from Murray State University in 1982 with a bachelor of arts degree in journalism and Spanish.
LaDonne Delgado, a college friend of DeFore’s, said she considered DeFore part of her family.
“Lora was like a sister I never had,” Delgado said. “She always came to my house, came to my family get-togethers and my family activities, especially when it wasn’t a long enough break for her to go home to her family. She just always felt like she was part of our family.”
DeFore received her master of arts in mass communications from Texas Tech University in 1984 and did journalism doctoral work at the University of Tennessee.
Prior to teaching at MSU, DeFore taught at Freed-Hardeman University.
She was a three-time recipient of the Lambda Pi Eta Faculty Member of the Year award at MSU. She was also a member of the Public Relations Association of Mississippi, the Society of Professional Journalists, Mississippi Press Association, the National Communication Association and Kappa Tau Alpha Mass Communication Honorary Society.
Visitation and a memorial service will be held today at the MSU Chapel of Memories from 1 to 3 p.m. Visitation will be from 1 to 1:50 and the service will follow from 2 to 3 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations be made to the Lora J. DeFore Scholarship Fund. Checks should be made out to MSU Foundation/Department of Communication with “Lora J. DeFore Scholarship Fund” in the memo line and can be mailed to the Department of Communication, P.O. Box PF, Mississippi State, MS 39762.