Fall 2018 Class Notes
1950s
Kenneth Lawson ’53, of Beavercreek, Ohio, celebrated 62 years of marriage to his wife Marge in December. They enjoy playing bridge twice a week at local senior centers and several times a year at tournaments in Indiana. They also enjoy ocean and river cruising and have taken more than 50 cruises to date. Lawson has had his private pilot’s license since 1987.
Paul Sharar ’53 was honored for a lifetime of service to the national and Ridgewood, N.J., YMCA organizations at a luncheon in April at the YMCA Headquarters in New York City. Sharar was employed by the YMCA for 35 years, retiring in 1991 as vice president for program management and development for the YMCA of Greater New York.
Gordon Smith ’54 and Helen Crider Smith ’56 were featured in the February newsletter of Bethesda United Methodist Church in Maryland, where they have been members since 1962, for their work with Opportunity International, a nonprofit organization working to end global poverty by creating and sustaining jobs.
David Spooner ’57 received the National Outstanding Eagle Scout Award in February. The award recognizes Eagle Scouts who have brought great honor to the highest rank of Boy Scouts of America through their personal and professional contributions at the local, state, and regional levels.
David Hobson ’58, a former U.S. congressman from Ohio, was inducted into the Walk of Fame in Dayton in 2017. The Dayton Walk of Fame recognizes outstanding and enduring personal or professional contributions to the community, nation, and world.
Dan “Skip” Landt ’59, having retired from higher education, is in his 33rd year of teaching at Chicago’s Old Town School of Folk Music. His jug band, Strictly Jug Nuts, has won the Chicago Battle of the Jug Bands three times. In June, he published The Kazoo and You, a cartoon compendium of kazoorelated lore, and produced the Kazoobilee, honoring what he refers to as “America’s most humble musical instrument.”
1960s
Hugh Davis ’63 was named Citizen of the Year in North Haven, Conn., in April at the North Haven Community Service Awards Dinner.
Frederick Haney ’63 published the book The Fundable Startup: How Disruptive Companies Attract Capital in February. Haney has 45 years of experience working with hightech and healthcare startups, and in his book he offers practical advice to entrepreneurs who dream of starting high-tech companies.
Robert Pine ’63, an actor with over 200 film and TV credits, including the TV show CHiPs and the films Independence Day and Frozen, was the first guest on the podcast The Working Actor’s Journey in December 2017.
James Saunders ’63 published the World War I novel Animal Dances, blending eyewitness accounts with historical fiction to tell the story of a conscripted young man who discovers his potential while enduring hardships. Saunders is a retired professor of otolaryngology, physiology, and neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania.
Susan Phillips Read ’69, associate judge of the New York State Court of Appeals, delivered Albany Law School’s 15th Hugh R. Jones Memorial Lecture in April in Albany, N.Y. Her lecture explored whether stare decisis, the doctrine of precedent, constrains decision-making in a court of last resort, with special emphasis on the New York Court of Appeals.
1970s
Stephen Penny ’70 was honored by the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce with its 2018 Community Achievement Award in April in Manchester, Conn. The award honors Penny for his lifelong service to the city, including serving as mayor. He practices law at Penny, Botticello & O’Brien.
Christopher Dutton ’71 received an honorary degree from Vermont Law School in May in Royalton, Vt. Dutton is the former chair of the Vermont Law School Board of Trustees and the former president and chief executive officer of Green Mountain Power.
Alex Shumate ’72 was profiled in Smart Business magazine in January for his work as managing partner of Squire Patton Boggs law firm’s Columbus location.
Nicholas Calio ’75, CEO of Airlines for America, the trade association representing America’s leading passenger and cargo airlines, delivered the opening keynote at Flight Check 2018, the National Airline Council of Canada’s spring 2018 conference.
Cathie Worthing Mutch Helfand ’75 and her husband, Israel Helfand, run Marriage Quest retreats at their 1850s homestead in Cabot, Vt. They have been working as a professional couple helping other couples since 1983. Their Marriage Quest retreat program has been named the Best Marriage Counseling Retreat in the U.S. by Guide Doc since 2015 and holds numerous other high national ratings.
Michael Davis ’76 retired from the active practice of law and is now a senior lecturer at the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University. In 2017, he received the inaugural Law School Teaching Excellence Award and was selected by the 2018 graduating class as its faculty speaker at the law school convocation held in May. He resides with his wife, Karen, in Arlington, Va.
Robert Burgoyne ’78 joined the law firm of Perkins Coie in Washington, D.C., in February as a partner in the commercial litigation practice.
Jill Lederer Hicks ’78 was named 2018 Assembly District 44 Woman of the Year by the California Legislative Women’s Caucus in March. Since 2009, Lederer Hicks has been president and CEO of the Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce in California, which serves the cities of Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village, and Agoura Hills.
Eric Gnezda ’79 was honored by the Columbus Foundation, a community foundation in Columbus, as one of its 18 “National Number Ones” for 2018 in February. The list celebrates the accomplishments of individual business and nonprofit leaders who have made outstanding contributions to the Columbus community over the past year. Gnezda was selected for his production of “Songs at the Center,” a Columbus music series on WOSU-TV that is distributed nationally. The program features a small group of singersongwriters performing “in the round,” sharing the stage with their audience.
1980s
Greg Cielec ’80 was among the writers who gave readings as part of Thomas Moore College’s Creative Writing Vision Program’s literary reading event in February in Crestview Hills, Ky. Cielec is a Cleveland-based freelance writer and micropublisher and is the author of the novels My Cleveland Story and A Poem on a Barroom Wall, and the novella Home and Away Games.
Nina Stack ’82 was named executive director of the Champlin Foundation in Cranston, R.I., in July 2017. The foundation funds capital projects in Rhode Island to foster better medical care, improve education, expand access to social services, conserve open spaces, preserve historic buildings, enrich the arts, and advance animal welfare. Previously, Stack was president of the New Jersey Council of Grant Makers.
Timothy Corbin ’84, Vanderbilt University baseball coach, became the winningest coach in the program’s history on March 4 with a 9-4 win over Houston. Corbin’s 656th win broke the record previously held by predecessor Roy Mewbourne. He has been the Vanderbilt coach for 16 seasons.
Susan Henkel Smith ’84, adult clinical nurse specialist at Baylor University Medical Center, Critical Care Services in Dallas, was elected to the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists Board of Directors in March. A clinical nurse specialist for more than 20 years, Smith serves the 113 critical-care beds housed within four intensive care units at Baylor University Medical Center — one of the largest hospital networks in Texas. She also chairs the Baylor Scott & White Health system’s Critical Care Council.
Michael Piatt ’88 was named head boys basketball coach for the New Knoxville Rangers in New Knoxville, Ohio, in April.
Bridget Lavelle Houlahan ’89 graduated with her Ph.D. in nursing from the University of Virginia in May 2017. She is currently a tenure-track pediatric nursing faculty member at James Madison University. She resides in Charlottesville, Va., with her husband of 25 years, Scott Houlahan. They have two sons, Timothy Patrick, 16, and John Ryan, 12.
1990s
Bruce Baker ’91 lives in Xiamen, China, and owns or is partners in three small education-related companies. He was a history teacher in the U.S for almost 10 years. China has been Baker’s home for eight years, and he got married there in 2011. His wife is a psychologist, and the couple travels all over Asia and are planning house-hunting trips to Italy, Spain, and the U.S. throughout next summer and fall, as semi-retirement looks like a definite possibility in the next three to five years. Baker is always looking for new ESL teachers to work for him in China, and OWU grads will always come first (especially Delta Tau Deltas). His email is baketeach@126.com.
Luther Marshall Washington ’91 was named president of Kalamazoo Valley Community College in Texas Township, Mich., in July 2017. Previously, he was president of New River Community and Technical College in Beaver, W.Va.
Maria Hudson McCauley ’95 was elected to the American Library Association Executive Board in February. McCauley is director of libraries at the Cambridge (Mass.) Public Library and has served on the ALA Council since 2013.
Rick Ritzler ’95 was appointed to the Columbus State Community College Board of Trustees in May. Ritzler is the chief talent officer at Information Control Company, the largest privately held IT services firm in Ohio.
Kira Zeyer Baldonado ’97 was named vice president of public health and policy at Prevent Blindness, the nation’s leading volunteer eye health and safety organization, in April. Baldonado was previously director of the National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness since its founding in 2011.
Cynthia Galaty Galabota ’97 was named development officer at the Ruby Sisson Memorial Library in Pagosa Springs, Colo., in April.
Sean Harris ’97 was sworn in as president of the Ohio Association for Justice on May 3 at the organization’s annual convention in Columbus. The OAJ is the only statewide association dedicated to preserving the 7th Amendment and the right to trial by jury. Harris is a partner with the Columbus firm Kitrick, Lewis, & Harris Co., LPA, where he helps people in the areas of product liability, wrongful death, and personal injury.
2000s
Eleni Drakatos ’00 was elected by her peers to serve as the next president of the Ohio State Bar Association in Columbus. As president-elect, she now serves as an officer of the association and will take over as president in July 2019. Drakatos is a plaintiffs’ attorney and the principal in a small family firm.
Stephanie Calondis Geiger ’00 was named executive director of SPI - Where Science and Play Intersect in Mount Vernon, Ohio, in February. SPI provides play opportunities for children to learn about science, both in its dedicated play space and at many community events.
Rita McMillen ’00 was named CPEA Educator of the Year for Canton City Schools in Canton, Ohio. She teaches geology and environmental science.
Amy Davis ’01 joined the Occupational Health Department of Littleton (N.H.) Regional Healthcare in February.
Matthew McGinnity ’01 was inducted into the Beverly High School Sports Hall of Fame in Beverly, Mass., in April. McGinnity was a top-scoring lacrosse player during his time at Beverly High and played lacrosse at OWU.
Matthew Salts ’01 and his business, Charqui Jerky, were featured in This Week Community News on Feb. 6. Salts runs Charqui Jerky in Powell, Ohio, selling awardwinning locally made beef jerky at farmers markets, events, corporate cafeterias, his retail storefront, and other outlets.
Jose “Pepe” Villasenor III ’01 was named head football coach at St. Joseph High School in Santa Maria, Calif., on March 1.
Burton Welly ’01 was named head of special situations and distressed credit trading at Cowen Inc., a financial services firm in New York City, in February.
Andrew Eich ’02 was named the future executive vice president and chief financial officer of the combined Unimin and Fairmount Santrol companies in March. The two companies are slated to merge in mid-2018 to form Covia, providing proppant and industrial materials solutions. Eich has served as senior vice president and chief commercial officer of Unimin, which is headquartered in New Canaan, Conn., since June 2016 and has been a member of the Unimin Board since January 2016.
Clifton R.S. Williams ’06 was named district director for Ohio’s 11th Congressional District in April, serving U.S. Rep. Marcia L. Fudge. Williams had been serving as acting district director since February and was previously senior policy advisor.
Tommy Crabill ’09 was named head men’s soccer coach and assistant professor of physical education at Springfield College in Springfield, Mass., in May.
2010s
Kristen Lear ’11, a student in the Integrative Conservation doctoral program at the University of Georgia, received a Philanthropic Educational Organization (P.E.O.) Scholar Award in May. P.E.O. is a nonprofit organization that promotes educational opportunities for women throughout the United States and Canada. The scholarship will help fund Lear’s work involving the endangered Mexican long-nosed bat, which is under threat of extinction in part because of human harvesting of its main food source, agave plants. Through her doctoral research, Lear is working to raise awareness of the issue among rural Mexican communities while creating and implementing bat-friendly agave management programs.
Bhava Murali ’12 recently graduated with a Ph.D. in molecular cell biology from Washington University in St. Louis. Her thesis work was “Targeting the microenvironment: Approaches for reducing breast cancer metastases and chemotherapyinduced bone loss.”
Taimur Islam ’13 returned to OWU this spring to deliver the 2018 Muller Award Lecture, “Quantum Encryption: Internet Security in the Age of Quantum Computing Era.” Islam earned his Ph.D. in physics from Duke University and recently began conducting postdoctoral research at Ohio State University, developing encryption technology to secure the internet from the threats of quantum computing.
Nicole Blatchford ’15 received her M.B.A from the University of Akron in August 2017 and her doctorate from the University of Akron School of Law in May 2018.
Ryan Haddad ’15 is an actor and playwright whose one-man play, Hi, Are You Single?, was included in Cleveland Play House’s 13th annual New Ground Theatre Festival May 17-19.
Kyle Simon ’15, a development psychology student at the University of Kentucky, was the recipient of a research grant from the University of Kentucky Office of LGBTQ Resources in May.
Marissa Witkovsky-Eldred ’15 was named assistant coordinator for the 2019 season at the Church of the Brethren Workcamp Ministry in Elgin, Ill., in February.
Evan Lee ’16 was named assistant technical director for the Richmond Kickers Youth Soccer Club in Richmond, Va., in March.
Hannah Simpson ’16 is communications manager and an actor at Odd’s Bodkins, a Chicago Shakespeare ensemble that produces classic plays with unconventional casts and staging. In May, Odd’s Bodkins performed the world premiere of The Tragedy of Tom Riddle, which Simpson and six classmates wrote as the final project for their “How to Write Shakespeare” course at Ohio Wesleyan. The play is the origin story of the Harry Potter series’ Voldemort, written in the style of Shakespeare.
Births
1990s
Aaron Granger ’93 and his wife Stephanie welcomed daughter Lincoln on March 22. Lincoln joins siblings Noah and Shelby.
2000s
Jennifer Blair Hall ’00 and her husband Randy welcomed daughter Katherine Margaret on Feb. 19. Baby Kate was also welcomed by big brother Daniel.
Michael Long ’03 and Erika Howland Long ’04 welcomed their third daughter, Hannah Rose, on April 8.
Sarah Ottney Grover ’06 and her husband Drew welcomed their first child, Marvin, in March.
Meg Flood Struble ’08 and Matthew Struble ’10 welcomed daughter Grace Marguerite on March 21.
2010s
Hannah Palicka Rife ’11 and her husband Justin welcomed daughter Lorelai Gayle on Dec. 7.
In Memoriam
1930s
Elinor Bale Brelsford ’38, of Santa Barbara, Calif., Jan. 30, at the age of 101. She was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority.
E. Ann Haney Johnston ’38, of Martinsburg, W.Va., April 16, at the age of 101. She was predeceased by two brothers, George Haney ’32 and Ralph Haney ’34. She was a member of Alpha Gamma Delta sorority.
Edward Stewart ’38, of Deerfield Beach, Fla., Feb. 21, at the age of 103.
1940s
Betty Babcock Covert ’41, of Portsmouth, Ohio, April 5, at the age of 98. She was predeceased by her husband, Donald Covert ’41, and two sisters, Mary Babcock Scurlock ’49 and Joan Babcock Eynon ’44. She was a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority.
Betty Goodrich Scott ’41, of York, Ohio, Jan. 28, at the age of 98. She was a member of Chi Omega sorority.
Yvonne Renner Brecht ’43, of Parker, Colo., March 31, at the age of 97. She was predeceased by her husband, Henry Brecht ’41, and is survived by a daughter, Mary Lou Brecht Johnson ’73. She was a member of Gamma Phi Beta sorority.
Charles Huffman Jr. ’44, of Westlake, Ohio, March 12, at the age of 95. He was predeceased by a brother, Robert Huffman ’49, and was a member of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity.
Naomi Perkins Shaffer ’45, of Bermuda Run, N.C., March 18, at the age of 95. She was predeceased by her husband, George Shaffer ’43, and was a member of Gamma Phi Beta sorority.
Grace Putnam Schantz ’46, of Orrville, Ohio, March 10, at the age of 93. She earned a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University in 1947, and went on to work as a feature writer for The Daily Record and as a high school teacher in Orrville. She married Bruce Schantz in 1948, and raised seven children, including Peter Schantz, the director of the OWU Physical Plant. She was predeceased by a sister, Barbara Putnam Rush ’48. Grace was a member of Chi Omega sorority.
Audrey James Fox ’47, of Bradford, Pa., May 11, at the age of 93. She was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority.
Catherine Wilson McNamara ’47, of Canton, Ohio, April 10, at the age of 92. She was a member of Delta Delta Delta sorority.
Elizabeth Nelson ’47, of Auburn, Ind., March 26, at the age of 92. She was a member of Alpha Chi Omega sorority.
Joan Ballantine Newman ’47, of Hilton Head, S.C., March 14, at the age of 91. She was predeceased by a brother, Ralph Ballantine ’41, and a sister, Betty Ballantine Luft ’38.
Phyllis Strasburg Rowland ’47, of Bay Village, Ohio, May 12, at the age of 94. She was predeceased by her mother, Helen Hudson Strasburg 1922, and two brothers, Robert Strasburg ’58 and William Strasburg ’50. She is survived by a son, Theodore Rowland ’77. She was a member of Gamma Phi Beta sorority.
W. Scott Westerman ’47, of Ann Arbor, Mich., April 18, at the age of 93. He was predeceased by his wife, R. Marcine Percy Westerman ’46, and was a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity.
Phoebe Sears Strahler ’48, of Peachtree City, Ga., Feb. 9, at the age of 92. She was a member of Alpha Chi Omega sorority. Phoebe was born on March 6, 1925. She married Robert Francis Strahler on June 22, 1948, in Columbus. After graduating from OWU, Phoebe taught music in Columbus while her husband finished veterinary studies at Ohio State University. They moved in 1951 to Illinois, where they raised five children. Phoebe helped operate her husband’s veterinary practice and played the church organ. She and her husband enjoyed golfing with friends. Phoebe also played bridge and liked the occasional dry martini. The Strahlers moved to Florida in 1980. After her husband died in 2005, Phoebe relocated to suburban Atlanta to be near three of her children. She is survived by her children, seven grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
Chester Williams Jr. ’48, of Rye, N.Y., Feb. 6, at the age of 97.
Avis Butman Farber ’49, of Medford, Ore., March 11, at the age of 91. She is survived by a brother, Donald Butman ’58.
Paul Hummel Jr. ’49, of Shaker Heights, Ohio, April 6, at the age of 92. He was predeceased by a brother, David Hummel ’52, and is survived by his wife, Shirley Moore Hummel ’48. He was a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity.
Betty Hubbard Bennett Irwin ’49, of Columbus, May 9, at the age of 89. She was predeceased by her first husband, Henry Hubbard ’49, and her second husband, Jack Irwin. She is survived by a sister, Juanita Bennett Weber ’53. She was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority.
Roberta Williams Siegfried ’49, of Wadsworth, Ohio, March 9, at the age of 90. She was a member of Alpha Chi Omega sorority.
1950s
Patrick Marrs Jr. ’50, of North Charleston, S.C., May 7, at the age of 90. He was a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity.
C. Kenneth Storer ’50, of Columbus, April 26, at the age of 91.
Robert M. Olds ’50, of Brigham City, Utah, March 12, at the age of 90. He is survived by his wife, Catherine Winkler Olds ’49. He was a member of Beta Sigma Tau fraternity.
Jeanne Bigalow Tripp ’50, of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, Feb. 24, at the age of 89. She is survived by a granddaughter, Catharine Gardner Tripp ’02, and was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority.
Ruth Sinnett Westbrook ’50, of Columbus, May 8, at the age of 89. She is survived by a sister, Arlene Sinnett Harshman ’44, and was a member of Alpha Chi Omega sorority.
Carolyn “Kitty” Carr Eberhardt ’51, of Pittsburgh, March 29, at the age of 88. She was a member of Chi Omega sorority.
Herman Luchs Jr. ’51, of Riverside, Calif., March 20, at the age of 88. He was a member of Chi Phi fraternity.
Elizabeth “Betty” Hart Raup ’51, of Springfield, Ohio, Sept. 1, 2017, at the age of 88. She was predeceased by her husband, George Raup ’49, and a brother, James Hart ’37. She is survived by a daughter, Janet Raup Gross ’81, and a granddaughter, Charlotte Gross ’20. She was a member of Gamma Phi Beta sorority. Incomplete information was included in the Winter 2018 issue of the magazine, we regret the oversight.
Paul “Ron” Pendery ’51, of Fort Thomas, Ky., July 4, 2017, at the age of 87. He was a member of Chi Phi fraternity.
Elizabeth Lyon Beachy ’52, of Sandusky, Ohio, Feb. 14, at the age of 87. She was predeceased by her mother, F. Lucile Budd Lyon ’23, and was a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority.
William Kuhne ’52, of Champaign, Ill., Feb. 2, at the age of 85. He is survived by a brother, Christopher Kuhne ’59, and was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.
James Wagner ’52, of Simsbury, Conn., Oct. 6, at the age of 87. He was predeceased by his parents, Justine Heasley Wagner ’25 and H. Hughes Wagner ’25. He is survived by a sister, Mary Wagner Manley ’52, and two sons, Jeffrey Wagner ’83 and James Wagner ’80. He was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. Incorrect information was included in the Spring issue. We regret the error.
Nancy Campbell Brawley ’53, of Winston-Salem, N.C., March 14, at the age of 87. She was a member of Delta Gamma sorority.
Barbara Kunz Kiernan ’53, of Fayetteville, N.Y., Jan. 30, at the age of 86. She was a member of Delta Gamma sorority.
Karen Klopp Petry ’53, of Newark, Del., March 25, at the age of 87. She was a member of Gamma Phi Beta sorority.
Sam Morgan ’54, of West Melbourne, Fla., April 19, at the age of 85. He is survived by his wife, Diane Carpenter Morgan ’55, daughter Amy, and son Scott. He was a member of Phi Kappa Psi fraternity.
Peter Whedon ’54, of Kenwood, Ohio, Feb. 21, at the age of 85. He was a member of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity.
Richard Brautigam ’55, of Decatur, Ill., May 11, at the age of 85. He was predeceased by his father, Chester Brautigam ’30, and was a member of Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity.
Albert DeMartin Jr. ’55, of Hamilton Square, N.J., April 17, at the age of 86. He was predeceased by his wife, Nancy Weaver DeMartin ’56, and was a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity.
Rev. Joseph Goetz ’55, of Dayton, Ohio, Feb. 24, at the age of 84. His sister, Sue Goetz Doody ’56, passed away just two months later (see ahead). Goetz was a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity.
Charles Helm ’55, of Cleveland, March 22, at the age of 87. He is survived by his wife, Judith Hawley Helm ’56, and a son, Carter Helm ’83. Charles was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, and he served in the U.S. Army from 1950 to 1952.
Carolyn Carrigan Wells ’55, of Toledo, Ohio, April 1, at the age of 84. She was predeceased by a brother, Warren Carrigan ’49. She is survived by her husband, L. Jack Wells ’53, a daughter, Elizabeth Wells Weeks ’79, and two grandchildren, Dale Cooney ’92 and Sarah Wells ’14. She was a member of the OWU Board of Trustees, the OWU Tower Society, and Pi Beta Phi sorority. She received an OWU Alumni Award in 2000.
John Wing ’55, of Painesville, Ohio, April 22, at the age of 85.
Thomas Bonnell ’56, of Canton, Ohio, July 15, 2017, at the age of 83. He is survived by his wife, Georgia Cummings Bonnell ’56, their children, and grandson Jacob Bonnell ’13. He was a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity. Incorrect information was included in the Winter issue. We regret the error.
Sue Goetz Doody ’56, of Columbus, April 26, at the age of 83. She was a member of Delta Delta Delta sorority. She was predeceased by a brother, Rev. Joseph Goetz ’55 (see earlier), and is survived by her children, Trish Doody Elkind ’83, Chris Doody ’83, Rick Doody ’80, and Beth Anne Doody Anderson. She is also survived by seven grandchildren, who were her pride and joy. A native of Dayton, Ohio, Sue graduated from Oakwood High School. She went on to graduate from OWU with a degree in education. She taught elementary school in Columbus City Schools for three years. During her travels, Sue developed a love for cooking and great food. This passion propelled her to share her table with others, first with cooking classes in her home, followed by a catering business, and culminating in her beloved Lindey’s restaurant. She operated Lindey’s, a Columbus institution in German Village, for more than three decades. Sue served on many boards and supported many organizations within the community.
Richard Henry ’56, of Jackson, Ohio, April 22, at the age of 84. He is survived by his wife, Marjorie Mitzel Henry ’57, and was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.
Diane Petersen Kopp ’56, of Greenwich, Conn., Feb. 1, at the age of 83. She was a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority.
William “Bill” Lodge ’56, of Estes Park, Colo., March 3, at the age of 85. He was a member of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity.
Walter Sherman Jr. ’56, of Nokomis, Fla., May 11, at the age of 84. He was a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity.
Robert Spolar ’57, of Southington, Conn., March 19, at the age of 82. He was a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity.
John Knapp ’58, of Waynesboro, Va., March 9, at the age of 81. He was a member of Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity.
Albert Cinelli ’59, of Youngstown, Ohio, May 12, at the age of 81. He is survived by his wife, Suzanne Vacha Cinelli ’60, a sister, Dorothy Cinelli Powers ’62, and a daughter, Pamela Cinelli ’94. He was a member of the OWU Tower Society and Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity.
Carol Matthews Keighron ’59, of Hendersonville, N.C., Feb. 28, at the age of 80. She was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority.
1960s
Catherine Rusk Howard ’61, of Newcomerstown, Ohio, April 12, at the age of 78. She was a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority.
Joanne White Nye ’61, of Orwell, Ohio, Feb. 6, at the age of 78. She is survived by a brother, Robert White ’63, and was a member of Alpha Xi Delta sorority.
Arthur Pape ’61, of Wheaton, Ill. and Woodcock, Pa., Feb. 15, at the age of 78. He was predeceased by his father, Edward Pape ’34, and was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.
Joseph Razek ’61, of Georgetown, Texas, April 17, at the age of 78. He was a member of Pi Lambda Phi fraternity.
Gayle Binder Treon ’61, of Toledo, Ohio, Jan. 31, at the age of 79. She was a member of Delta Gamma sorority.
Judith Hudson McDowell ’62, of Columbus, May 6, at the age of 77. She is survived by a daughter, Alaska Black ’90, and a son, Jason Black.
Charles Mills Jr. ’62, of Bonita Springs, Fla., Feb. 23, at the age of 77. He was predeceased by his father, Charles Mills 1919, and is survived by two sisters, Mary Mills Neely ’49, and Rachel Mills Gherlein ’47. He was a member of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity.
Sheila Wagner Ploger ’62, of Oberlin, Ohio, Oct. 30, at the age of 76. She is survived by a brother, Randall Wagner ’60, and was a member of Zeta Tau Alpha sorority.
Leo Basbagill ’63, of Milford, Conn., Dec. 30, at the age of 76. He was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity.
Marian Peed Weisz ’63, of Waterton, N.Y., Feb. 25, at the age of 76. She was predeceased by her father, Paul Peed ’30, aunt Marian Seymour Simmermacher ’31, and, by six months, twin sister Martha Cline Peed ’63. Marian received her master’s in education and community relations as part of the National Teacher Corps Program. She was the city of Boston health coordinator of elder affairs and was an adult education specialist with the Army Continuing Education Services, working with U.S. soldiers in Germany, Fort Drum, N.Y., and at Fort Richardson, Alaska.
William Gleason Jr. ’64, of Seattle, Feb. 3, at the age of 74. He was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity and the OWU Tower Society.
Diane Dickerson King ’65, of Victor, N.Y., Jan. 25, at the age 74. She was a member of Delta Gamma sorority.
Keith Kistler ’65, of Lancaster, Ohio, Oct. 15, at the age of 74.
Betty Ann Bowser ’66, of Mexico, March 16, at the age of 73. Bowser was a renowned TV news correspondent, working for many years for PBS NewsHour, where she covered hundreds of stories, including the Oklahoma City bombing, life in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, and the debate over Obamacare. Bowser was among the first generation of female broadcasters, beginning her career at a local Virginia TV station and advancing to a position at CBS News, where she was the co-anchor of 30 Minutes, a newsmagazine program for children that won four Emmys as well as DuPont and Peabody awards, before joining NewsHour in 1986. She was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority and the OWU Board of Trustees.
Carolyn Baumann Morris ’66, of Atlanta, April 1, at the age of 73.
Robert Cleaveland ’67, of University Place, Wash., Feb. 14, at the age of 73. He is survived by his wife, Deanna Davis Cleaveland ’68, and was a member of Chi Phi fraternity.
Gary Peterson ’68, of Louisville, Ky., April 30, at the age of 72. He was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.
Lynn Ryder Cain ’69, of Red Lodge, Mont., April 28, at the age of 70. She was a member of Delta Delta Delta sorority.
1970s
Melissa Brown Massman ’74, of Coffeyville, Kan., March 29, at the age of 65.
Kenneth Mutch ’74, of Foresthill, Calif., March 27, at the age of 66.
Tommy Robertson Jr. ’74, of Westerville, Ohio, Feb. 4.
Bruce Wilson ’74, of Milwaukee, Jan. 28, at the age of 66. He was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.
Rina Sky Wolfgang ’74, of High Point, N.C., Feb. 8, at the age of 65.
Donald Haley ’79, of Amelia, Ohio, March 26, at the age of 60. He was a member of Phi Kappa Psi fraternity.
2010s
Todd D’Andrea ’17, of Columbus, March 24, at the age of 31.
Faculty/Staff
Katherine “Kitty” Kutzli Lester ’44, of Joliet, Ill., Feb. 2, at the age of 95. She was a member of Alpha Gamma Delta sorority. She returned to OWU after her graduation in the dual post of assistant dean of freshmen women and University social coordinator. It was then that she met and later married a member of the music faculty, Paul Lester. The couple moved to Joliet and had three daughters, and Kitty went on to teach kindergarten, third grade, and developed a gifted program.
Myrna Jean Morton, of Biglerville, Pa., Feb. 10, at the age of 88. She was a librarian at OWU.
Roland Pfaff, of Joyce, Wash., March 31, at the age of 77. He was a professor of philosophy at OWU.
Betty Trego, of Delaware, Ohio, Feb. 15, at the age of 90. Betty worked at OWU from 1965 to 1997, serving as a secretary in the office of public relations and secretary to the Board of Trustees. She served as a “surrogate mother” to the many students she befriended over the years. She was known for contributing far beyond the formal capacity of her role, serving as an integral part of both the office and broader campus community. She is survived by daughters Jane Maggio and Lori Trego ’83.
Sympathy To
Marilyn McGarrity Minford ’63 of Winston-Salem, N.C., who lost her husband of 45 years, James Locke Minford, when he passed away suddenly and unexpectedly of cardiac arrest on June 14, 2017.
Suzanne Farmer Campbell ’72 for the death of her father, C. Richard Farmer, of Lancaster, Pa., on Feb. 7.
Elizabeth Eynon Wetherell ’78 and David Wetherell ’76 for the death of Elizabeth’s mother, Susan Eynon, April 27, at the age of 85.
Amy Herrington Ventre ’10 for the unexpected death of her mother, Dawn Herrington, on Jan. 25. Dawn was Amy’s biggest supporter both in college and beyond, and was a particularly big fan of OWU, as Amy as the first member of the family to graduate from college. Amy is pictured here with her mother and father, John Herrington.
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