Ron Willis, a professor emeritus of theater at Kansas University, died last week at his home in Lawrence.

Willis joined KU in 1970 and retired in 2000. During his 30-year tenure, he served as director of theater from 1976 to 1989 and as well as department chair.

“On behalf of the entire KU community, I offer my sympathies to Ron’s family, friends, colleagues and the many alumni who were fortunate to have known him as a teacher and director,” said Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little. “For three decades he helped make KU a creative space and guided students to share that creativity beyond our campus borders.”

Willis was both playwriting awards chair and national committee chair for the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival, earning a Gold Medallion for Outstanding Service. Along with authoring his book “Fragile Magic: A Guidebook for Theatre Respondents,” Willis was also a member of the College of Fellows of the American Theatre and a nationally recognized theater adjudicator.

“Ron was a friend, mentor and artist,” said Delbert Unruh, KU professor of theater. “He also was possessed of the finest, most pure sense of humor any human being ever had. A great light has gone out.”

A celebration of his life will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday at Murphy Hall’s Crafton-Preyer Theatre. Willis was buried in a Christian service earlier this week.