PRC-Saltillo announces the retirement of CEO Dave Hershberger after 40+ years of distinguished service and leadership in the field of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). The organization’s Board of Directors selected Sarah Wilds as his replacement. Currently serving as COO, Wilds will assume the role of CEO on January 1, 2025. Hershberger will support the transition process through March 31, 2025 and will join the Board of Directors as Chairman of the Board.

“On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to express our excitement on a successful succession planning process,” commented retiring Chairman of the Board Steve Matthew. “We are thrilled that Dave will assume the position of the Chairman of the Board and Sarah will become CEO. Dave was the right leader for the right time, and he will extend his leadership to the role of Chairman to the great benefit of the organization. As Sarah takes the mantle of leadership, we look forward to supporting her in the role of CEO. Sarah is eminently qualified to lead the company and deliver on its mission to bring a voice to those without.”

 Wilds will become the fourth CEO in PRC-Saltillo’s nearly 60-year history, as well as the first speech-language pathologist to hold the position. In her role as COO, held since 2022, she has focused on the coordination of product development, engineering, operations, marketing, and consulting/support services at a national and global level.

Wilds was introduced to the Prentke Romich Company (now PRC-Saltillo) as a Communication Sciences and Disorders student at the College of Wooster. An internship with the company in 1995 resulted in the completion of her Independent Study thesis examining the speed, quantity and quality of communication by individuals with disabilities using AAC to communicate. Prior to officially joining the company in 2005, she worked in clinical speech-language pathology with AAC communicators in New Zealand, Washington D.C., and Illinois. With over 20 years at PRC-Saltillo, Wilds has served as a regional AAC consultant, marketing team member, and, after 2017, held leadership roles including Business Manager for Saltillo and VP of Product and Service Development.

Wilds holds a B.S. in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the College of Wooster, an M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology from Purdue University, and an MBA from Eastern Illinois University. Her business insight and background in clinical practice provide her with a unique perspective on customer needs and enable her to offer strategic direction to advance the organization. As she continues the dedicated leadership of outgoing CEO Dave Hershberger, Wilds is committed to the mission of empowering individuals worldwide to find their voice through AAC.

“I am honored to lead PRC-Saltillo, a company that I truly love,” commented Wilds. My experience with dedicated AAC communicators and their teams, with passionate employees across the company, and with trusted industry partners makes me confident that the “next generation of AAC” will be rooted in both rapid technological transformation and a deep commitment to individualized communication. I am grateful to have learned from, and worked directly with, past CEOs Barry Romich, Dave Moffat, and Dave Hershberger, and am looking forward to carrying on PRC-Saltillo’s legacy of innovation grounded in tradition.”

Paige is an Associate in Phillips Lytle’s Litigation Practice Group and has represented clients in a broad array of complex civil litigation cases. Her background includes representing clients in commercial litigation, fraud, professional liability, contract disputes, product liability and appeals. She has managed complex multidistrict litigation, representing clients anywhere from small, family-owned companies to Fortune 500 companies in all manner of business disputes. Paige is a Certified Financial Litigator by the Accountant-Lawyer Alliance and has been named to the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America® and Super Lawyers: Rising Stars lists.

With deep sadness, we mourn the loss of Professor Elizabeth Bernhardt, a distinguished scholar, educator, and cherished member of the DLCL community. Elizabeth was a pioneering figure in second-language acquisition and literacy, shaping the academic lives of countless students and colleagues. As a Professor of German Studies and the Director of the Stanford Language Center, Elizabeth was a tireless advocate for language learning, dedicating her career to improving the ways in which languages are taught and learned. Her work was instrumental in advancing our understanding of how learners acquire reading proficiency in a second language, and her insights helped to inform best practices in teaching across the globe.

Beyond her academic achievements, Elizabeth was known for her warmth, kindness, and deep commitment to mentorship. She inspired not only through her groundbreaking research but also through her genuine care for those she worked with. Her influence extended far beyond the classroom, as she touched the lives of students and colleagues alike with her generosity, patience, and wisdom. She will be deeply missed.

Elizabeth Bernhardt’s legacy will continue to live on through her numerous contributions to the field of language education and through the many lives she touched.

Our thoughts and condolences go out to her family, friends, and all who were fortunate to know her.

A celebration of life will be held at the Cedar Room, Stanford Faculty Club from 4 – 6 p.m. on December 11, 2024 in Stanford, California.

July 16, 1932 -August 26, 2024
Rev. Paul Drury Clark was born in Wichita, Kansas, to Walter L. Clark and Mabel C. Clark. His father was a pastor and the family moved several times. He attended schools in Independence, MO, Wausau, WI, and the Philadelphia, PA area. He graduated from The College of Wooster in 1954 followed by earning his Master of Divinity from Princeton Seminary in 1957. He served Presbyterian churches in Tenafly, NJ, Ithaca, NY, and San Diego, CA. He served Congregational churches (NACCC) in Galesburg, IL, Fresno, CA, Los Angeles, CA and Sun City, AZ.
He is survived by his wife Patricia/Pam of Sun City, AZ, sons Kenneth (Lyn Branch), Douglas, (Stephanie), Paul, Jr., daughter Sharon Clark Carpenter (Kerry), five grandchildren and one great-grandchild. He also is survived by his former wife Carol Clark Roberts.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, November 16, 2024, at 3:00pm at The Church of The Palms UCC, 14808 N. Boswell Blvd, Sun City, AZ 85351

A mini college reunion in Manchester, Ct. we met up at Bob’s restaurant, the Mulberry. The group included Bob Sulick, Evie Ziegler, Nancy Falls-Aronchick, Andrew Saslow and Anna van der Burg.

Several alumni gathered in Cleveland to meet new Wooster trustee Q Imam ’91 for Indian food and fellowship with Linden Park Cabernet and Syrah made by Colleen Piscetta ‘89 and Market Garden beers by brew master Andy Tveekrem ‘85. 

Pictured in the photo are: Front row (left to right): Grace Williams ’18, Erika Federmann ’89, Joanna Horn ’97/P’28, Lori Thorrat ’88.

Back row (left to right): Sandeep Bhatia ’89, Taemour Zaidi ’24, Gio Tramonto ’18, Vedica Jha ’18, Q Imam ’91, Megan Hensley ’89, Mark Sutherland ’76, Tony Love ’86/P’24, Tim Espy ’90

138 people ran the Canalway Towpath marathon I did a couple of weekends ago. The route was an out and back, meaning you were likely to see the same people at least a couple of times along the way. In my case, I saw the same lady near the beginning of the race and then again at the turnaround.

About three quarters through, I started to walk cause my right foot was really sore. As she ran by, that lady asked if I was all right. When I explained my situation, she told me my feet would hurt whether I walked or ran. Good point. So I started running again and paced behind her for a bit.

We traded places a couple times the rest of the way until we caught up with just a couple miles to go. She knew my name because she saw my friend Shawn’s sign with my name on it, so I asked hers: Kathleen. As we continued, Kathleen gave me tips…to focus on my breathing and take the tangents to be extra efficient. Ultimately, we both crossed the finish line together, and I give a lot of credit for my finishing to Kathleen.

We gave each other hugs as we said congrats and farewell.

While I waited for some other friends to finish the race, I noticed a car in the parking lot with a license plate reading “GO SCOTS.” Well, I thought, that has to be a Wooster person…I’ll keep an eye out so I can say hello.

I kid you not—it was Kathleen! She graduated from Wooster, too! To add to the unlikeliness of things, she had just recently decided to run the race.

So out of 138 racers, two (at least?!) were Wooster alums, and we ended up running much of that marathon together.

That’s the Wooster family, Wooster connection, and Wooster pride right there. Go Scots!

It’s been an exciting year for me professionally. I accepted a promotion directing a high school journalism magnet program and am loving it. The position marries my love for all things media with my desire to make a positive impact on the world.

Personally, it was great to return to campus for my tenth reunion and to see many ’14ers in attendance. So much has changed on our campus, yet it remains the same.

I’m still based in Columbia, SC. I’m looking forward to cheering on the Scots men’s basketball team on October 30th when they play the South Carolina Gamecocks in an exhibition game. Hoping to meet fellow alumni there. As always, I am plaid and proud!

 LAS VEGAS, Nev.– The College of American Pathologists (CAP) presents Anil V. Parwani, MD, PhD, MBA, FCAP, with the 2024 CAP Distinguished Service Award. During a ceremony at CAP24, Dr. Parwani is being recognized for his significant impact on the advancement of digital and computational pathology and his unwavering commitment to education and mentorship within the pathology community.

Dr. Parwani’s contributions to the CAP have been both profound and impactful. His active participation and efforts in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Committee and the Digital Pathology Committee, among others, have been instrumental in developing guidelines and standards that ensure the integration of digital pathology and AI into clinical practice, promoting both efficiency and diagnostic accuracy.

Dr. Parwani’s leadership skills extend outside of the CAP, most notably during his term as president of the Digital Pathology Association. He also participates in committees for the US and Canadian Academy of Pathology, the American Society of Clinical Pathology, and the Association for Pathology Informatics, serving as the go-to person for informatics-related issues across these organizations and readily advising several pathology departments planning to implement digital pathology.  His always-available attitude has made him a highly sought-after advisor globally, with his efforts helping to forge collaborative growth across pathology.

Dr. Parwani’s research, particularly in the integration of AI and machine learning in pathology, has positioned him as a leading figure in the field. His extensive publication record, featuring more than 420 papers and multiple chapters as well as books, alongside his involvement in groundbreaking research projects, reflects his dedication to advancing medical knowledge and improving patient outcomes through innovation. His editorial positions in various journals including the Journal of Pathology Informatics have shaped the evolution of digital pathology and the advancement of artificial intelligence in the field.

In addition to his professional accomplishments, Dr. Parwani’s commitment to education and mentorship is noteworthy. He has been a guiding force for numerous students, residents, and fellows, instilling in them a passion for pathology and preparing them for the challenges of a rapidly evolving medical landscape.

In his career, Dr. Parwani has served with distinction at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, where his roles as vice chair of anatomical pathology, director of pathology informatics, and director of the digital pathology shared resource have placed him at the forefront of innovative practice in pathology. His leadership in implementing digital pathology solutions not only within his institution but also on a global scale exemplifies his dedication to enhancing patient care through technological advancement.

Currently, Dr. Parwani is a professor of pathology and biomedical informatics and chair of the pathology department at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Colombus, Ohio

To see more of the CAP24 Meritorious Awards, visit CAP.org.

LANSING, Mich. — LAFCU is proud to announce that Robyn Howell, executive vice president and chief operating officer, has been recognized as a Crain’s Notable Black Business Leader. The recognition highlights Howell’s outstanding leadership, community contributions, and dedication to fostering diversity in the workplace.

With over 74,000 members and $1 billion in assets, LAFCU has benefited immensely from Howell’s strategic oversight in branch operations, human resources, professional services, collections, and facilities. Her leadership has been pivotal in maintaining a motivated workforce, improving operational efficiency, and driving the credit union toward continued success.

Patrick Spyke, LAFCU CEO, emphasized the significance of this honor: “Robyn’s exceptional leadership, strategic initiatives, and dedication have positioned her as a transformative force at LAFCU. She manages critical functions with a proactive approach, and her influence creates a positive, supportive workplace culture. This recognition is well-deserved and a testament to her invaluable contributions to LAFCU and the broader community.”

Howell, a Holt resident, has been promoted three times since joining LAFCU in 2017, reflecting her consistently impactful leadership. Starting as human resources manager, she quickly rose to vice president of human resources in 2018 and was appointed chief human resources officer in 2021. Her most recent promotion to executive vice president and chief operating officer has expanded her responsibilities to include oversight of multiple critical departments.

Under Howell’s leadership, LAFCU’s human resources department achieved great milestones, including the implementation of new standards in recruitment and employee engagement, particularly during the COVID-19 crisis. Howell’s leadership has extended beyond LAFCU to community involvement, with active roles on the boards of the Boys and Girls Club of Lansing and the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Crain’s Notable Black Business Leaders highlights individuals who are breaking barriers, making bold moves, and contributing to the growth of industries in Southeast Michigan. Howell’s inclusion among this distinguished group underscores her influence as a leader both within LAFCU and in the broader community.
The full list of honorees can be found here.

As a child growing up in Torrington CT, he dreamed of running a radio station in NYC. He studied at Suffield Academy in CT, managed the student radio station WCW at the College of Wooster, and earned his PhD from New York University (1968) in communications. From 1968-1980, he was deputy director in the Office of Communications, United Church of Christ. He worked with director Everett C. Parker to challenge the licenses of radio and television stations practicing racial and gender bias in hiring and programming.

In 1985, Ralph fulfilled his childhood dream when he became general manager of WFUV-FM 90.7, Fordham’s NPR member radio station. He oversaw WFUV’s transformation from a student-run station with little audience into a beloved New York cultural force until his retirement in 2011. See: www.nytimes.com/2011/06/29/nyregion/manager-of-wfuv-at-fordam-ralph-jennings-retires-after-26-years.html

Ralph is survived by his wife Paula Tadlock Jennings, daughter Alma and son Matthew.

A memorial gathering for Ralph will be held Monday, October 14, 2024 from 5:00 PM to 5:30 PM at Frank E. Campbell – The Funeral Chapel, 1076 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10028.

A memorial service will occur from 5:30 PM and a reception will follow until 7:00 PM.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Ralph’s memory may be made to WFUV – FM 90.7.

Ken was a member of Fourth Section, double major in History and Philosophy, Phi Beta Kappa. Graduate work in East Asian Studies at Princeton and U. of Wisconsin (M.A. 1970). Ph.D. research in Hong Kong led to an historic early visit with a small group of scholars to the People’s Republic of China during the difficult years of the Vietnam War. That breakthrough event, including visits with many top officials including Premier Chou En-lai, followed by an extensive speaking tour throughout the United States, helped to open dialogue, dispel tension and anxiety, pave the way for a visit to China by President Nixon, and set the tone for better relations and a degree of trust that has continued over several decades as China emerges as a great global economic force.

Returning, Ken entered the American business world, pursuing a 30-year professional career in commercial real estate appraising, management and development, but never giving up interest in history —this time of his local area-acquiring a huge collection of local historical picture postcards, giving popular talks, and writing a major pictorial book illustrating the rise and development of Toledo, Ohio into a major industrial metropolis during the last century.

The Reitz family is saddened to share that Stephen C Reitz (age 70) of Black Forest, Colorado died suddenly of an undetermined illness.

Born in Colorado, Stephen (Steve) was raised in Oklahoma, Costa Rica, Lebanon, and Brazil before heading back to the States to enter college. After attending CSU (Fort Collins, Co), and The College of Wooster (Wooster, Ohio) he received his Bachelor’s Degree majoring in Political Science. Days after graduation, he swore into the Army (Fort Carson) and married his high school sweetheart, Elizabeth (Betz) Reitz. He then began his professional business career in 1977 as a Material Handler for Digital Equipment Corporation, Colorado Springs. During his years there, he advanced to Purchasing and Production Control Manager. He obtained his Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix in 1986. In 1997, he worked as a Commodity Team Leader for Allied Signal Aerospace (Olathe, Kansas), procuring and overseeing parts and inventory for their aerospace mission.

Homesick for his beloved mountains, he returned home to work for Schlage Lock (division of Ingersoll-Rand) in Colorado Springs and Security. There he supported manufacturing at five facilities and enjoyed exchanging notes with his father, an Ingersoll-Rand mining engineer. In 2000, Steve moved on to work for Quantum Corporation as a Supply Chain Manager and Materials and Logistics manager. There he worked his way up to Director of Media Storage, being responsible for the procurement, tracking, and shipment of their manufactured products. In 2008, he secured the position of Director of Procurement at Ricoh/InfoPrint Solutions (Boulder) where he and his team were responsible for direct and indirect procurement of products and parts for 36 countries.

Additionally, Steve worked for a local highway sign company and ended his career working for Proctor and Gamble as a Senior Technician, supporting the installation and maintenance of Industrial chemical dispensers and equipment in a variety of restaurants and facility kitchens.

During his career, he traveled to Malaysia, Europe, Hong Kong, and Japan. Wherever he worked, he developed lasting friendships and cared deeply for the teams under his supervision.

At heart, Stephen was an avid outdoorsman. He enjoyed both small and big game hunting (bow, rifle, shotgun), fishing, kayaking, boating, and camping. He had a special fondness for animals, which ultimately led to fostering over 300 dogs for the National Mill Dog Rescue. He had a wide variety of hobbies, and had an insatiable appetite for reading.

Besides his wife, Stephen leaves behind his 3 children, Amy (Craig) Hartelt, Jonathan (Jenni) Reitz, and Nathan (Shelly) Reitz. He has 8 grandchildren: Daniel, Piper, Finnley, Raylee, KC, Hunter, Naomi, and Jeremiah. His siblings include brother Mike and 2 sisters Tracy (Jim) Stephenson and Jennifer (Bill) Groeneveld. He is preceded in death by his parents, John and Carol Reitz.

He will be missed by both family and friends.

Robert “Bob” Trouteaud died unexpectedly on August 29, 2024 at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta after an heroic struggle with complications following a sports-related arm injury. The youngest son of Roy Cyril Trouteaud and Ruth Bowser, Bob grew up in Franklin, Michigan where he enjoyed an idyllic childhood riding bikes, building forts, roaming the woods, playing Little League baseball and pick-up hockey games, camping, swimming, boating on Lake Michigan, working on scouting badges, and playing board games with his lifelong friend and “brother by another mother”, David Hinman.  He is survived by his wife, Rindy, their son and daughter-in-law, Alex and Cat Trouteaud, their daughter and son-in-law, Chloe and Tim Cook, their beloved grandchildren, Corwin, Keaton, Ellie, Ingrid, and Alistair, his sister and brother-in-law, Yvonne and Chuck Morse, and a host of nieces, nephews, and cousins.

“I build,” Bob told a minister friend as he patiently disassembled an IKEA bookshelf in his wife’s church office. “If a structure lasts three minutes or thirty years, it doesn’t matter to me because I’m called to a ministry of building.” Bob lived his calling in creative ways. Whether building a rock garden with his father, restoring an historic home with his newlywed wife, sanding pinewood derby cars with his grandchildren, constructing stage sets with his daughter for dance recitals, remodeling a commercial site for a karate studio with his son, collaborating with his daughter-in-law to build a “Disney-esque” play structure for his first grandchild, super-gluing beads of a broken necklace for a granddaughter, assembling bicycles on Christmas Eve, or getting down on his hands and knees to construct Lego space stations with his grandchildren, Bob found vast satisfaction in using his builder’s skills for his family.

It was building for others, however, that lit his imagination. Laying roof tiles on cinder block homes in rural Mexico, sheetrocking walls in Nicaraguan community centers, replacing worn windows in Honduran maternal health clinics, painting classrooms in Jamaican elementary schools, repairing homes devastated by hurricanes in Puerto Rico, tarring leaky roofs of single-wide trailers in West Virginia, coordinating crews renovating a church manse, creating a digital presence for a West Virginia retreat home, and crafting online worship services for a Presbyterian church during the covid pandemic fulfilled Bob’s desire for a life that, in his words, “mattered”. How much so is evident in his commitment made days prior to his death, for him and Rindy to travel across the country next summer in their RV to work in South Dakota with the families of Lakota schoolchildren renovating classrooms of the St. Joseph’s Indian School.

The details of any building venture always intrigued Bob, a quintessential organizer who preferred things in triplicate. After a successful career marketing industrial robots, Bob spent decades building and growing a sales and management consulting firm, Trouteaud Consulting Group. Working with a close-knit group of trainers and consultants, Bob created a far-flung group of colleagues who traveled around the world providing customized sales and leadership training for executives in a variety of industries. These co-workers shared his passion for helping others build and rebuild their careers and forge and repair their business relationships. Their rich collaborations laid the groundwork for lasting friendships that delighted Bob long into his retirement.

What motivated Bob most deeply, however, were opportunities to build community with those who shared his interests. Church, sports, music and Scouting were avenues for creating relationships that sustained Bob through changes that occurred as a result of his wife’s long pastoral career serving churches in transition. In each new church setting, Bob jumped into opportunities to get to know his fellow congregants by teaching adult Sunday School classes, serving on a slew of committees, and volunteering hours building Habitat for Humanity homes, delivering groceries to homebound elderly members, and serving people without homes who sought aid from his wife and her colleagues.  A compassionate listener who made room for the stories of others, he had a knack for gracing strangers with the gift of being truly heard.

Ever the enthusiastic athlete, Bob loved being part of a team either as a player or fan. He was a proud member of what he claimed was a worldwide Atlanta Braves fan club comprised of people who could not wait for opening day. Much to his wife’s chagrin, he recorded and watched every single game! As a collegiate lacrosse player familiar with the enthusiasm of fans, he appreciated the noise and antics of the super-charged Georgia Swarm fans and took every opportunity to don his team swag to show his support. But it was on the court, mat, slope, and field that Bob distinguished himself as an athlete committed to building a community shaped by dedicated teamwork. A tenacious volleyball player in college, a competitve cross country skier as a young adult, a proficient golfer in midlife, and a karate black belt in later life opened doors to circles of friends of all ages who shared his passion for competition. Bob was always gung-ho to play softball, and most of his adult years he played on church softball teams. His friend and fellow teammate, Bob Tobey, tells tales of their playing years. “I think of all the great times we had together. Bob and I met playing softball on the Roswell Presbyterian Church team 39 years ago. At some point we needed someone to pitch, and Bob stepped up. After that one game, I recruited him to pitch for all my slow pitch teams. He was my “Greg Maddox” of slow pitch softball. We played 6 or 7 years in that Sunday afternoon league and only lost 4 or 5 games. Bob was asked to play on a 45+ tournament team before I was. Was I jealous…NO…at that level, shortstops were a dime a dozen…but a “Greg Maddox” slow pitch pitcher who could pitch, hit, and field were very rare.” However, it was the wide circle of retired friends and acquaintances, fellow pickleballers who joined him mornings on the court to share the thrill of competition now colored by the challenges of graceful aging, who pushed Bob to do and be more than he thought possible. Coming home after tournaments, win or lose, he would walk through the door and announce to his wife with joy and a hint of swagger, “I’m a contender!”

In addition to his athletic exploits, Bob, a disciplined, consummate musician, cherished the camaraderie he shared with fellow musicians in his high school and college bands, symphony orchestras, and jazz ensembles. What amused him without fail was the pleasure his college friends found in teasing him about marching in formation onto the football field during halftime and playing his trombone dressed in a skirt (a kilt)! Wherever he lived, Bob joined community bands and brass ensembles that fulfilled his penchant for making beautiful music with talented friends. Each year as the holidays approached, he looked forward to Christmas and Fourth of July concerts and juggled his afterwork hours with band rehearsals and dress rehearsals – including rehearsals with an online band during the covid pandemic – to prepare for them.

As a schoolboy, Bob found a home in the world of Scouting, a home he claimed throughout his life. An Eagle Scout at 15 years old, Bob continued earning Eagle Palms and joined the ranks of the National Eagle Scout Association. As soon as his son, Alex, entered first grade, the two of them worked together on Cub Scout badges. Over time, Bob assumed more leadership responsibilities as his grandsons and granddaughter entered Scouting programs. It really excited him when the doors of the former Boy Scouts of America opened wide to allow the participation of girls. He served for years as Cubmaster of Pack 553in Gwinnett County, and under his leadership, membership ballooned. Although Bob received much recognition for his work with scouts, he was particularly honored to receive the Celtic Cross Award for “his faithful service to youth in Christian ministry in testimony thereof by the National Association of Presbyterian Scouters.”

As soon as temperatures dropped, Bob began to anticipate a tradition: a gathering of college friends who traveled to the Berkshires to sit around a campfire on the banks of Lake Buel and watch the autumn leaves change color. Bob loved pulling out the canoes and kayaks and paddling with friends to the opposite shore for a close-up view of an aerie of eagles hiding in the branches of towering pine trees. He looked forward to hanging out in the kitchen with his former fraternity brothers who, in their retirements, perfected the art of gourmet cooking. Hiking the mountain trails, chopping firewood, perusing the local shops of Great Barrington, listening to throwback rock and roll favorites, sneaking m&m’s and homemade chocolate chip cookies after midnight, playing board and card games into the wee hours of the night, piecing together impossibly difficult puzzles, swapping tales of adult children and grandchildren and sharing memories of the past and hopes for the future filled Bob’s heart with so much gratitude for the breadth and depth of these precious, life-giving friendships that have weathered the tests of time. Traveling home after these long weekends, Bob would declare that he was a better person for having such friends in his life.

If you asked Bob questions about his proudest moments, he would tell stories of his children, Alex and Chloe. He was continually surprised by the twists and turns of their lives, their accomplishments, and their devotion to using their gifts and talents – for which he claimed genetic responsibility –  to repair a fractured world. He was inspired by their creative efforts to bring peace and justice, light and hope, beauty and love to the small corners of their communities. Dazzled by their considerable achievements, he loved them lightly, fiercely, as only a father can.

The dearest, most devoted and faithful love Bob shared in his life was with and for his wife, Rindy. They met as wet-behind-the-ears freshmen the first day of fall semester at the College of Wooster in Wooster, Ohio. Together they built a family and a home where all were welcome. In their one-day-short-of-49 years of marriage, not a day passed without the two of them laughing at some odd joke or sight gag, sharing a quirky but useless fact or nugget of information, pontificating on world events, and reminding each other that “all is well and all manner of things shall be well”. It was Rindy’s deepest and most privileged blessing to be with Bob at his bedside, holding his hand as he took a breath of the world so huge it carried him into eternity.

A memorial service of witness to the resurrection and celebration of Bob’s life will be held on Thursday, September 19, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. at Shallowford Presbyterian Church, 2375 Shallowford Road, Atlanta, Georgia. Reverend Mark Harper and Reverend Bradley Kibler Bond will officiate. The family will receive friends and acquaintences at a reception following the service. Those wishing to honor Bob’s life, loves, and commitments are encouraged to contribute to the continuing education of the ICU medical staff of Grady Memorial Hospital who provided Bob with extraordinary end-of-life care: Grady Health Foundation, 191 Peachtree Street, N.E., Suite 820, Atlanta, GA 30303 and the St. Joseph’s Indian School which offers indigenous children the opportunity to build their futures: St. Joseph’s Indian School, 1301 North Main Street, Chamberlain, SD  57325.

Howells, Marion Elenor (née Black), passed away surrounded by her loving family, Monday, September 23, 2024, at the age of 84.

Beloved wife for 62 years of William R Howells; loving mother of William B (Analyn) Howells, Michael (Michelle) Howells and Peggy (Jeffrey) Gruender; dear grandmother of William E Howells, Jenna Gruender, Jack Gruender and Maxwell Gruender. Sister to Margaret Esther Black Thornton Rhinehart (deceased), Lois Black Veale, Christina Black, and brothers Hugh L. Black (deceased), and Donald F. Black (Barbara).

Marion was born in Cleveland, Ohio on July 30,1940 to Margaret Esther Blaser Black and Marion Eckert Black. Marion’s given name is after her father’s name, and her middle name is after her Aunt Lois Elenor’s middle name. When her father returned from his service as a medical doctor in World War II, they moved to Shaker Heights, OH, on Lee Road, and she attended Fairmount Presbyterian church, where she was confirmed. She described this time as, “When she first became acquainted with God”. Her favorite hymn to sing was “This is my Father’s World”. Marion was surrounded by family, as her Aunt Lois lived next door, as well as her father’s grandparents, Louis Eckert Black and Jenny Clare Fought Black. Marion graduated from Shaker Heights High School in 1958 and attended the College of Wooster, in Wooster, Ohio, graduating with departmental honors in Speech & Language in 1962.

Marion married William R Howells on August 29,1962 and moved to Pittsburgh, PA where she earned her Master’s Degree in Education in 1964. She earned her first teaching position at Mount Lebanon School District, a suburb of Pittsburgh, in a class for hard-of-hearing and deaf children. Marion paused her teaching career to lovingly raise her children. From Pittsburgh, PA, they moved to Portsmouth, OH, then Saint Clairsville, OH, then Indianapolis, IN, where Marion initiated a community Bible study and enjoyed spending time with friends and neighbors. In 1969 Marion moved to Columbus, OH, where she spent seven years and served as PTA President, and again initiated and lead a community Bible study. Marion also visited local nursing homes to bring them joy and comfort. She enjoyed being mother to her three children, as well as experiencing many forest & beach camping trips, gardening, and spending time with friends.

Marion then moved to Batavia, IL, a suburb of Chicago, where she worked as a Learning Center Teacher at the newly built HC Storm Elementary school. Her three children also attended the same school. Marion enjoyed her time as Girl Scout Troop Leader for Peggy’s Troop, bike riding, sewing, baking, ice skating, sledding, camping, holidays, and enjoying time with friends and family. A family recipe of importance is Delmonico cake. She enjoyed our first dog, Heidi, a yellow labrador.

Marion’s final relocation was her move to Chesterfield, MO in 1980, where she taught hard-of-hearing and deaf children in the Hazelwood School District. Afterward she taught at Special School District located at Litzinger School for four years, helping children of many disabilities. While working full-time as a teacher, and mother to three children, she also took evening classes to achieve Missouri State Certification in Education. Upon receiving her certification, she earned her teaching position at a school named United Services for the Handicapped in St. Charles. There, she taught deaf, blind, autistic, down syndrome, and children born from meth, crack and cocaine-dependent mothers for twenty years. Her total years of service in helping & educating handicapped children was forty years.

During this time, she also enjoyed attending St. Louis Family Church in Chesterfield MO, and aided in their effort to clean up after the flood of 1993. Marion enjoyed the church’s Bible study, women’s groups, and prayer groups. She contributed to the St. Louis Family Church in her work as JUMP camp (summer camp), vacation Bible school, and craft class volunteer for many years. Her grandchildren and their friends attended these events under her care.

Marion was also proud to support the St. Louis Family Church in their effort to re-establish Christian values in the community. She picketed with the church in front of the abortion clinic on Manchester Road and Weidman for three years, until it closed, in response to the church’s efforts. This is the time that they sang “Awesome God” and “Waymaker”, as they picketed. She also picketed in protest to theaters showing, “The Last Temptation of Christ”, for six weeks, until it also closed. She called it the “Abomination of Lies”. Marion also volunteered for Larry Rice’s St. Louis phone bank charity service to raise money for the Christian community’s families-in-need. In turn, Marion and her children served Christmas day lunch to needy families in Saint Louis. She accomplished all these milestones while working full-time teaching severely handicapped children, being a mother to three young children, and a wife.

Marion was once asked, “What do you see as your greatest strength and accomplishment?”. Her answer, “I don’t give up. I have perseverance.  I raised three wonderful children, while working full-time for forty years, and working at a happy marriage. I achieved my Master’s degree while working full-time, raising children, and had no family in-town to assist”.

Services: Celebration of Life at the SCHRADER Funeral Home and Crematory, 14960 Manchester Road at Holloway, Ballwin, Saturday, October 12, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. Visitation from 2:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. Friends may sign the family’s on-line guestbook at Schrader.com.

The service will be live streamed for those unable to attend through a link at the Schrader Funeral Home website.

Drs. Mary Lucal and Kathy Lechman bumped into each other at a CUPA HR conference in Orlando, Florida! The conference, a huge gathering of college and university HR leaders, draws over 1,400 HR folks from all around the country. Amid all of these people, Kathy and Mary managed to bump into one another! As well as catch up on their own news, they quickly compared notes on 92′ COW peeps who also were in Holden Hall all those years ago! It was a wonderful, chance meeting, and they hope to bump into one another again next year when the conference goes to Denver!

From The General Assembly of  THE STATE OF OHIO, House of Representatives – Thomas P. Patton, District 17

Jason Stephens, Speaker -“Whether occupying center stage or working diligently in the wings, you have always made your dynamic, supportive presence felt, and your positive attitude, meticulous attention to detail, and aptitude for creative problem solving are worthy of emulation. To your credit, you have shown how very much can be accomplished by a conscientious,  industrious person, and you can be proud that your vision and vitality have inspired many who know you to dedicate themselves similarly.”

Adam Donnelly and Kasie Donnelly (Fagan), both 2014 Wooster alumni who met their senior year and fell in love, married on March 20, 2021 and welcomed their baby girl Eleanor Mae Donnelly on March 30, 2024! The family of three are happily living in Chicago.

Jambo! That’s Hi in Swahili! I am organizing my 10th safari expedition to the Serengeti for July 2025. Please send me an email if you are interested in joining this trip. My safaris include 4 National Parks in Tanzania including 3 nights in tented camp (glamping) in the Serengeti. Email me: peggymackellar58@gmail.com for more complete information. I hope some classmates join me!

I also retired on July 10 this year and have been traveling quite a bit since then. I went to Alaska for 2 weeks in August and Ireland for 12 days in September. I love the fall in Lake Placid so will be hiking around home here until the leaves are gone. After that, we locals all look forward to winter and skiing at Whiteface and xc as well.  Peggy MacKellar

Michaela Boros, class of 2014, earned her Doctor of Music Arts Degree in Piano Pedagogy from the University of South Carolina in December 2021. She now serves as Operations Manager for The Frances Clark Center for Keyboard Pedagogy–a nonprofit continuing education organization for piano teachers, learners, and performers–and maintains a small studio of private piano students in Blythewood, SC. Michaela credits her undergraduate teacher, Dr. Brian Dykstra, with encouraging her to move in the direction of piano education for masters and doctoral studies! pianoinspires.com.

I’ve been really excited to expand my work from mostly theatre and dance lighting into the more technical world of museum installs and lighting systems design. While that sounds dry, it’s very fun to work on projects that will stay permanently installed for decades.

Last year I did the lighting programming and some of the systems design work for a new exhibit at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry: The Blue Paradox. This is a new permanent exhibit at the museum. It’s been very rewarding to break into this industry while continuing to work in theatre/dance/opera.

60 years young, 42 years friends celebrating in Cleveland.

Bernice L. Walker, Tamra Allen Perry, Priscilla Cooper-Price

Bria is a new addition to the Board of Trustees Georgia Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and patient advocate for the state. 

Aaron Winston (College of Wooster, 2014) and Maggie Ximenes (Texas State, 2015) will be getting married in early 2024 outside Austin, Texas. They currently live in Austin where they recently bought a house with three cats and two dogs (a true blended family).

This year marked our 32 annual reunion for this group.   We get together every year, attached pic was taken in Knoxville, TN.   Left to right:  Chris Merrill, Jason Weiner, Chris Bell, Brian Tornow, Mike Grospitch, Thom Clark & Mike Casey (’90 grad).

Global nonprofit housing organization Habitat for Humanity announces a significant addition to its leadership team. Elizabeth “Liz” Satow has been appointed as the Area Vice President for Asia and the Pacific and will be a pivotal leader to drive Habitat’s strategic initiatives and foster collaboration and growth within and outside the region.  Read more

With retirement,  we have begun to carpe diem and travel more.  Abby Wilson Kurth ’76 is chronicling the adventures she and her husband, Laurence Kurth ’76, are having in a new blog glutenfreegastronomy.blog.

We had a blast reminiscing about our Wooster days. L to R: Dorsey Barnett, Erica Immenschuh, Heather Bradley, Katie Roumel. All class of ’92

It’s been long time since original post, if any. I’ve enjoyed reading your news over the years.

I’ve been officially retired now for 13 years, from Children’s Department at Ashland Public Library.

My first retirement was in 2002, after 29 years as Children’s Librarian in my home town of Wellington, Ohio. I’m proud of those 29  years as Children’s Librarian at Herrick Memorial Library, where I began discovering books and more books, from the age of ten. When people ask if I have any children,  I tell them I’ve had thousands! And they all went home at the end of the day!

When I began working there the staff was 5 to 6 people, not all full time. When I left staff had more than tripled in size, full and part time. I left after a new director arrived in 2000 from collegiate, botanical, and medical libraries. She did not adapt well to a small town library, or the village population of under 5,000. She left after about four years, had to return to city life.

After a one year break,  I began as a Children’s Assistant at the Ashland Public Library.  Back to working mainly with childrens books as well as adult literature. Working with books and children was not a job, but a calling,  where I felt I was meant to be.

Since retirement I have had to continue learning to live with Sjogrens Disease, as well as several other autoimmune conditions, which seem to increase. After years of helping in the care of grandparents, second father, and then my mother, it’s now my turn to take care of myself. This is a hard job to do by myself, without any family or lifelong friends around. The lack of these people or others, is making my life journey hard.

I hadn’t intended to write a biography, but didn’t know where to stop. Thank you to everyone who read to the end. Peace and health to all.

Rebecca Schreiber (2006) recently graduated from The Pennsylvania State University as a Master of Education in Higher Education. Schreiber’s studies focused on enrollment management, assessment and research, and student affairs. She was named to Phi Kappa Phi honor society for superior scholarship. During her final semesters of study, Schreiber was selected from a national applicant pool to be a STAR Student-Parent Data Fellow with Urban Institute and SPARK Collaborative. Through the fellowship, Schreiber has co-authored several research briefs focused on the student parent experience in higher education, including an exciting piece that examines the financial challenges parenting students face as they pursue a degree. The briefs will be published in fall 2024.

Haley and Tim were married on September 23, 2023 in Glenview, IL and were honored to celebrate with family and friends, including many from Wooster.

Front row left to right: Ann Lewis ’12, Lynanne (MacDonald) Iyengar ’12, Amanda Koehn ’12, Rachel Johanson ’12, Emily Gallivan ’12, Haley (Brown) Stehulak ’12, Tim Stehulak ’13, Mary Stehulak ’19, Maggie Connors ’16, Zachary Kelly ’14, Emilie (Ivanowicz) Biniker ’12, Greer (Morgan) Friedrich ’12

Back row left to right: Adam Jankowski ’13, David Greetham ’13, Nick Biniker ’14

The article includes a video interview where Dianne discusses her groundbreaking research in developing a drug for Alzheimer’s disease.

https://newsroom.clevelandclinic.org/2024/08/21/partnering-for-patient-impact-advancing-drug-discovery-for-alzheimers-disease

Judith (Judy) A. Clark died on June 14, 2024, at the age of 87. She devoted her professional life to teaching mathematics, 30 of those years at Chico State. Free time was spent playing the violin, 36 years with the Chio Symphony Orchestra, 20 years with the Paradise Symphony Orchestra, and many years with a variety of chamber groups. After retirement she devoted much time studying and volunteering at Bidwell Presbyterian Church. She is survived by her brother John. Donations can be made to Bidwell Presbyterian Church or to the Paradise Symphony Orchestra. A memorial service is planned for Saturday, August 3, 2024, 11:00 am at Bidwell Memorial Presbyterian Church in Chico, California.

Palumbo, Joseph Jay, age 59, passed away on March 15, 2018. He was the beloved husband of Sandra for 35 years, and proud and loving father of Anthony and Bryce. Joseph was born in Germany, but was a longtime resident of McMurray, PA. He thoroughly enjoyed his career as an attorney and was an active member of his Church. Joseph constantly engaged in outdoor activities with his wife, kids and dogs. Joseph bled black and gold, and was a loyal follower of the Steelers and Pittsburgh Panthers, his alma mater. He was preceded in death by his father, Joseph; and survived by his mother, Marion; and siblings, Pat, Jim, Tom, Linda, Judie and Penny. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Peters Creek Evangelical Presbyterian Church (P.O. Box 184, Venetia, PA 15367) or the Washington Area Humane Society (washingtonpashelter.org). A private memorial will be held at a later date. Arrangements by BEINHAUERS, 724-941-3211, 2828 Washington Rd., McMurray. Please add or view tributes at: www.beinhauer.com To Plant Memorial Trees in memory, please visit our Sympathy Store. Published in Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Mar. 18, 2018

Scarlett Caminiti Bouder (’96) and her business partner have created a new philanthropic fund that will help young women and girls in Cleveland and across Ohio–particularly low-income and those of color–access reproductive services, build their capacity for public service, and afford higher education.

The Advocacy & Communication Solutions, LLC (ACS) Fund for Women & Girls was created by entrepreneurs Scarlett Caminiti Bouder (’96) and Lori McClung and their all-female company in honor of the firm’s 20^thanniversary in business. ACS is an Ohio-based female- and minority-owned consulting firm that has grown into a national business with clients in nearly two dozen states. The firm provides advocacy, communication, strategy development, and capacity building services across the nonprofit, government, and philanthropic sectors, with a focus on early childhood, K-12 education, workforce, Medicaid, and health and human services fields.

The Fund is held at the Cleveland Foundation and will support the efforts of young women to achieve reproductive justice (including access to abortion or contraceptives, transportation, other health care procedures, and prescriptions); build their capacity for public service (such as training to become an elected official, seed funding for campaign planning, and supporting women in government leadership); and access to higher education (including assistance for first-generation applicants and students applying to or attending an institution of higher education with expenses such as application fees).

Bouder said the idea of the Fund was inspired by individuals, organizations, and communities they have served through their work and from their own personal experiences.

“The ACS team knew that we could be a catalyst for change, and we plan to aggressively leverage the fund to support targeted and proven solutions that have impact,” said Bouder. “Young women and girls are resilient, creative and inspiring and when we invest in them, especially women and girls of color, everyone benefits.”

A first-generation college graduate, Bouder, ACS president and co-founder, added, “Higher education is many times out of reach financially for first generation students, but we do know that when they receive direct support for things usually not covered by traditional grants and scholarships, they are more likely to persist and complete their degree.”

The entrepreneurs seeded the fund with an initial $20,000 investment in honor of their 20 years in business. The inaugural fundraising goal of $200,000 will fuel its first grants at the end of 2024.

For more information about the Fund and/or to make a contribution, visit the Cleveland Foundation donations page.

I retired July 10, 2024 after an enjoyable 36 years as a dental hygienist. Retirement is absolutely great so far!! I am flying to Anchorage and then doing a self driving tour of Alaska Aug 14-29 and plan to visit the other 3 states I have not been in over the next year. Those states are Hawaii, N Dakota and Idaho. I plan to drive out to N Dakota and Idaho next summer, adding Glacier Ntl Park to that trip. I am also guiding hikers in the High Peaks area of the Adirondacks. It’s great to be able to mentor people as they try backpacking or hiking.  I also plan to finish hiking the NE 111 peaks in winter. I have climbed 72 of those peaks over 4000 ft in ME, NH, VT and NY so far. Climbing mountains in winter is really one of my favorite things!

I still use my music education degree by singing in two choirs and occasionally playing the organ at my church.

I am leading safari trips to the Serengeti every year. February 2025 trip is full but there is space in the July 2025 trip. Email me at peggymackellar58@gmail.com if you are interested in going to the Serengeti in July 2025 or February 2026. It would be great to have a full truck of 6 Woo alumni! Peggy MacKellar, Class of 1980

Ten Wooster Volleyball alumni from the Class of 2019 and the Class of 2020 went to Greece this summer for a reunion! We spent 12 days traveling to 4 islands, making lots of new memories and reminiscing on our time as teammates.

I was fortunate enough to host my sisters in my hometown, Buffalo, NY. Pictured in front of the Frank Lloyd Wright Darwin Martin House are Cindy Mache ’78, Joan Blanchard ’78, Lisa Carter Sherrock ’79, Shelley Griewahn ’79, Cyd Raftus McDowell ’79, Nancy Toll Huffman ’78, Gaye Kelly Robinson ’78, Diana Dewey Emanuele ’78, Carol Bowers ’79.

Craig Charles Hustwit died on July 19, 2024 at his home. Born July 16, 1952, his life was marked by deep dedication to his family, friends, and the environment. Craig is survived by his wife and best friend, Gail Stedje Hustwit, and his daughters and their partners, Janna, Julia (Marcus), and Lauren (Jacob). He was adored by his grandsons, Augustin, Rhys, Griffin, and Ben. Craig leaves behind his beloved brothers, Ron and Jack Hustwit, as well as a cherished family of in-laws, nieces, nephews, and cousins. Craig was the loving son of Jack and Gilda (D’Orazio) Hustwit. A proud and dedicated Pittsburgher, Craig earned degrees from Wooster College, Point Park, Pitt, and Carnegie Mellon. He devoted his career to photography, environmental engineering, and public policy, combatting climate change at the National Energy Technology Laboratory at the US Department of Energy. He was a lifelong learner and hobbyist with a love of the outdoors and a commitment to environmental protection, civil rights, and progressive causes. He was known for good-humored snark and a penchant for imparting knowledge with a deep breath and “Let me tell you a story…” A memorial service will be held later this year. Donations may be made in Craig’s honor to the ACLU. May his memory be a blessing and his stories continue to be told by those whose lives he touched. Arrangements handled by John F. Slater Funeral Home, 412-881-4100.

Lisa Read started a new position as Music Librarian at Princeton University at the end of July. She leads the staff team at Princeton’s Mendel Music Library; serves as liaison to faculty and students in music, dance, theater, and music theater; and shapes the music library’s collections in music and performing arts.

Brigitte Galauner has accepted and started a new faculty position as the Collections & Content Strategies Librarian (Assistant Professor of Bibliography) at the University of Akron. She is excited to further her career in academic librarianship, and have the opportunity to contribute to the field through professional research, teaching, and service.

Left to Right: Marsha (Simpson) Williams ‘99, Lindsay (Gross) Wilkinson ‘00, Polly (Hunt) Mendoza attended ‘95/‘96, Ayanna (Williams) Blue ‘99. Picture taken July 2024 in Brooklin, Maine.

Margaret Wasielewski passed away January 8, 2024, in Chicago, after a long fight with Alzheimer’s.
Born Margaret Anita Michael in Stamford Connecticut in 1945, she had extensive family history in Indiana and the Midwest and returned to those roots when she attended Wooster College where she graduated in 1966 with a Bachelor of Arts in History and German.

After Wooster, Margaret was accepted to Yale University, where she received a Masters Degree in International Relations, and met and married her future husband, Paul Wasielewski.

The young couple moved to Michigan to start their careers and family. Margaret taught school at first, and then chose to be a stay at home mom for her three children. When they entered school, so did she – first getting a Masters degree in Education so she could become a teacher again, and later adding a Masters Degree in Library Science. Margaret combined her love of children, education, and literature by being a school librarian in the Dearborn Michigan Catholic School System. Margaret was passionate about history, she loved to travel with her family, was a wonderful cook and baker, an artist, an actor who enjoyed community theater, and a gorgeous singer.

Margaret retired with her husband to the City of Chicago, where she enjoyed traveling the world, figure skating, synchronized skating, singing in her church choir, attending the symphony and opera, hiking, cycling, and spending time with her grandchildren.

Margaret leaves behind three children: Karen (Mike), Lynn, Carl (Idilia), and three grandchildren: Will, Mathilda, Nicola. She was predeceased by her lifelong partner and husband, Paul.

Margaret will be deeply missed by family, friends, and all who were lucky enough to know her.

Mary Lynne Cleverdon of Springfield IL passed away peacefully on July 10, 2024 with her son Joseph by her side. Lynne was born on September 13, 1941 to Arne and Mary Larson in Concordia, KS. She grew up in Kansas, Montana, and New Jersey and attended The College of Wooster in Wooster, OH, 1959 – 1963. At Wooster, she was a member of Pi Kappa,  aka “Peanuts.”

Lynne was a devoted mother and friend. While she was an active volunteer and single working mom, her children Carol and Joe came first. She always had time to make lunches, design Halloween costumes, drive carpools, and host sleepovers. She was close to her extended family, sending greeting cards and traveling to be with family whenever possible.

She also found time to be a friend to so many, helping however she could, always ready to listen and be present. Just days before her death, Lynne was still seeing friends, listening intently, and sharing her love and concern.

She was generous and philanthropic, supporting a wide range of causes including civil rights organizations, museums, performing arts, veterans, environmental organizations, food pantries, and children in need.

As a volunteer, Lynne held leadership roles with Westminster Presbyterian Church, Presbyterian Women, the Illinois Presbyterian Home for the elderly, Church Women United, P.E.O., and the Academy of Lifelong Learning. She was President of the Board at Kemmerer Village, a residential treatment campus for young people sponsored by the Presbyterian Church.

She married David Cleverdon in 1962. During the summer of 1963, the couple traveled by motorcycle from Ohio to California to New Hampshire, finally settling in Chicago IL where David attended the University of Chicago and Lynne worked in the university’s library.

Lynne and David were involved in the Freedom Summer of 1964 in Mississippi focused on helping Black Americans register to vote. After Mississippi, Lynne taught at Reaves Elementary School on the South Side of Chicago. Her daughter Carol was born in 1968.

Lynne and David became active in Chicago and Illinois politics, including the campaign which brought Governor Dan Walker to office. They moved to Springfield IL in 1973 and a few months later their son Joseph was born. Lynne was a homemaker and David worked in the Walker administration.

After her divorce in 1976, Lynne became the Director of Christian Education at Westminster Presbyterian Church where she was a member. In 1978 she became the Business Manager for the Medical Humanities Department at SIU School of Medicine.

While at SIU, Lynne received a Masters degree in Counseling from University of Illinois Springfield. Her role expanded to include counseling individuals, teaching and evaluating medical students in interpersonal skills, and offering other electives as an adjunct faculty member. She also managed the SIU Pearson Museum. She retired from SIU in 2007.

Lynne dedicated herself to a life of service and will be missed by so many family members, friends, and everyone who knew her. May her memory inspire all of us to be more kind and generous.

Lynne is survived by her son Joseph Cleverdon, her daughter Carol Booth (David Booth), her grandchildren Joshua, Naomi, and Maytal Booth, and her siblings Arne Larson, Kristen Carlson, Timothy Larson, and Elise Sprague and their families. She is also survived by a large extended family of cousins, nieces, nephews and their children, all of whom she loved very much.

The memorial service for Lynne will be on Monday, August 26, 11:00AM, at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Springfield, IL.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Lynne’s memory may be sent to Kemmerer Village in Assumption, IL (www.kemmerervillage.org) or Contact Ministries in Springfield, IL (www.contactministries.com).

Kevin Henry Harris
52, of Harrison, New Jersey, formerly of Smithfield, Ohio, passed away on November 19th in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania. He was preceded in death by his father, Gene Henry Harris and a sister Bertha Mae Harris. He was a 1982 graduate of Buckeye North High School In Brilliant, Ohio, and excelled at football for the College of Wooster, being Named All-conference 2 years consecutively. He continued his career for the semi professional New Jersey Giants football club. His athletic passion continued to flourish throughout the rest of his life through his love for the Ohio State Buckeyes and Pittsburgh Steelers and his daughters’ basketball teams. He is survived by his mother Anna L. Harris of Smithfield, Ohio; former wife, Susan Clydesdale Harris and daughters Heather Harris (20) and Jessica Harris (13) of Harrison, New Jersey; 5 sisters, Gloria (Larry) Spires of Boardman, Ohio; June Harris of Boulder, Colorado; Gina (James) Bowley of Clinton, Maryland; Stacey Harris Watkins of Weirton, West Virginia; Hillary Harris of Smithfield, Ohio; and 2 brothers: Gene (Carol) Harris of Atlanta, Georgia and William “Bengy” (Dawn) Harris of Painesville, Ohio; special aunt Ruth (Hugh) Pendergrast of Weirton, West Virginia and a host of nieces and nephews. He was a General Manager for the Philadelphia office of Electronic Merchant Systems, where he was considered by his co-workers to be a “professor of the trade”. This position was the culmination of a tremendously multifaceted sales and management career.
He was a proud father, who considered his most impressive accomplishments to be his daughters Heather and Jessica.
The visitation will be Tuesday, November 22, 2016 from 4-8pm at Thiele-Reid Family Funeral Home, 585 Belgrove Drive, Kearny, New Jersey.
The funeral service will be held on Wednesday November 23, 2016 at 10am at First Presbyterian Church of Arlington, 663 Kearny Avenue, Kearny, New Jersey.
The family asks instead of flowers that donations be made to the American Diabetes Association.

Born in Jefferson, Ohio on Jul. 22, 1964
Departed on Nov. 19, 2016 and resided in Harrison, NJ.

Cemetery: Arlington Cemetery

Kate Longo (’18) and Jason Solinsky (’17) were married in Washington, DC, on June 29th, 2024. Pictured from left to right Elizabeth Brewington (’17), Ryan Kish (’15), David Westcott (’19), Will Wojtkiewicz (’15), Taylor Thorp (’15), Jackie White (’17), Patrick Scanlon (’17), Lincoln Plews (’15), Michael Terribile (’14), Jason Solinsky (’17), Kate Longo (’18), Derrick Marshall (’15), Luke Hutchings-Goetz (’14), David Brew (’14), Meg Heller (’18), Danielle Muster (’18), Laura Leventhal (’18), Dan Coplin (’17), Megan Beal (’17), Nancy Valverde (’17), Emily Reid (’17), and Ginelle Doerr (’17).

Alison Rogers ’08 married Zach Gardner on July 3, 2022 in Millersburg, OH.

Picture- left to right back row- Lindsey Cramer ’08, Jean (Sloan) Yost ’08, Emily (Seling) Kockler ’08, Alison (Rogers) Gardner ’08, Scott Lafferty ’77, Sue (Moore) Lafferty ’77, Sherry (Keevert) Rogers ’77, Rich Drushal ’72  Front row left to right Jasmine (Kolby) Stumpp ’09, Vicki (Peterman) Svegel ’09

Caitlin Popa started a new job in May working at The J.M. Smucker Co. as a Sr. Manager, Health, Safety, & Environmental. She previously worked at Smucker for ten years and is excited to be back. Additionally, she moved to a new house in Ravenna, Ohio in June with her dog, Nash.

Mr. Kenneth Reid Harker, Jr. died on Sunday, June 16, 2024, at his home in Nashville, Indiana, about three months after the discovery of esophageal cancer that had spread throughout his body. He was 83 years old. Mr. Harker was born on April 23, 1941, at St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis, Indiana. He was the son of Kenneth Reid Harker Sr. (1910-1979) and Anna Elizabeth (“Betty”) (Beckman) Harker (1915-2014).

Mr. Harker was the first of four children in the Harker family (followed by his brother Thomas, sister Sue, and brother Richard), all of whom grew up together in Indianapolis. He attended Henry Peter Coburn School Number 66 and Shortridge High School in Indianapolis, graduating from high school in the class of 1959. In addition to school, he took pride in working part-time and summer jobs, starting with a paper route at age 8. He also was active in the Boy Scouts and was a camp counselor at both Boy Scouts and Presbyterian church camps for several summers. His family was active in the Tabernacle Presbyterian Church of Indianapolis. In high school, he ran both track and cross country, but had stronger interests in academics. Following high school, he went to Wooster, Ohio, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from the College of Wooster in 1963. While in college, he also had part-time jobs working food services at the college, as a carpenter, playing bass in a jazz band, and pitching logs in a paper mill. Deciding that he would prefer not to be a professional chemist or a chemistry teacher, he next attended the University of Michigan, School of Law, graduating with a Juris Doctor degree in 1966.

After a brief time in private practice as a lawyer with Kunz and Kunz in Indianapolis, Mr. Harker enlisted in the United States Navy’s Officer Candidate School in 1966. His first posting as an Ensign was aboard the USS Bennington (CVS-20) where he served during two combat periods as a Signals officer in the Gulf of Tonkin during the Vietnam War. During this time, he held an extraordinarily high security clearance, related to special duties to which he was assigned. While serving on the Bennington, he was promoted to Lieutenant Junior Grade. His second posting was aboard the USS Wright (CC-2) based in Norfolk, Virginia. While posted on the Wright, he was also given special duties of defense counsel for sailors facing courts martial or other disciplinary actions. During his time in the Navy, Mr. Harker was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, the Viet-Nam Service Medal, and a Meritorious Unit Commendation.

Mr. Harker met his first wife, Erma Louise Shirk (1943-2004), in Long Beach, California while attending church on his first shore leave after returning from combat in Vietnam. They were married in Norfolk, Virginia, on September 27, 1969. After he was discharged from active military service at the end of his enlistment in October, 1969, they moved to Indianapolis where he resumed working as an attorney for Kunz and Kunz, making partner with the firm two years later. They had two children (Kenneth and Kathryn). Deciding that corporate legal work might provide a greater variety of experience, he left private practice and pursued a career as a corporate attorney for companies in the rapidly-changing telecommunications and high technology industries. His work resulted in moving the family from Indiana to Glen Ellyn, Illinois, then Edina, Minnesota, and finally to Garland, Texas. During this time, he and Erma were both active members and elders of Canyon Creek Presbyterian Church in Richardson, Texas, and they were both active with World Vision. In 2001, they funded the construction of a primary school in a rural village in Nicaragua, which was named honor of Mr. Harker’s mother Betty who accompanied them to the school’s dedication. After a more than 20-year tenure at Nortel, Mr. Harker was able to retire before the age of 60. Including some post-retirement side work, his legal career spanned over 50 years.

Mr. and Mrs. Harker had purchased land in Brown County, Indiana, just outside of the small town of Nashville. Shortly after he retired from Nortel, they began working with an architect and contractor to build their dream home in the woods. They moved there in 2002 and began enjoying life in the forest. Erma passed away unexpectedly from a heart condition in February 2004. They had been married for 34 years. After Erma’s passing, Mr. Harker met his second wife, Janet (“Jan”). Jan had moved to Nashville to take an executive leadership position with the Brown County YMCA, where they met. They were married on September 3, 2005 and enjoyed 17 years of married life before Jan passed away in April, 2022 from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. During his retirement, Mr. Harker enjoyed reading, enjoyed vacationing in Europe, was very active in Rotary International, was a supporter of Indiana Heritage Arts, and was an active member of both the Brown County Presbyterian Fellowship and later the Grace Reformed Church of Nashville.

Mr. Harker is survived by his son and daughter, Kenneth Harker (Jen) and Kathryn Tillman (Stuart). He had three grandchildren: Ryan Tillman, James Harker, and Anna Tillman. He also leaves behind two beloved brothers and a sister: Thomas Harker (Young), Sue Claphan (Michael), and Richard Harker. He is survived by brother-in-law Larry Shirk (Rita), nephews and nieces Lani Matthes (Rich), Daniel Claphan (Sara), Andrew Claphan (Jen), Linnea Roy (Jeremy), Dionna Baggaley (Christian), Richard Harker (Angela), and Kristin Harker. He is predeceased by his wives Erma Louise (Shirk) Harker and Janet Marie (Rickey) Harker, sisters-in-law Donna Jean Shirk, Jennifer Harker, Debra Ann (Thornton) Harker, and his nephew Todd Hardin.

On Friday, June 28, 2024 from 4:00 to 8:00 PM there will be a viewing at Bond-Mitchell Funeral Home, 1682 IN-135, Nashville, IN 47448. Per Mr. Harker’s wishes, there will be no funeral services. Burial will be at Crown Hill Cemetery, 700 West 38th St, Indianapolis, IN 46208 at 2:00 PM on Saturday, June 29, 2024. In lieu of flowers, consider contributing to Mother’s Cupboard Community Kitchen in Nashville, Indiana.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.BondMitchellFuneralHome.com for the Harker family.

I had a novel – my fifth book – published in late 2023. Called OKPsyche, it chronicles the journey of an unnamed trans woman.

Here is the publisher’s page with excerpts of reviews from the Boston Globe, Booklist, and many other places:

https://smallbeerpress.com/books/2023/09/12/okpsyche/

In May the oldest son of Timeka (Thomas) Rashid’99 and Abdul Rashid ‘94 graduated from the US Airforce Academy. The village that supported him for his time in Colorado Springs are fellow Woo grads

Pia (Edmonds) Long ‘97 , Heather (McCone) Hustwitz ‘98 and Ron Hustwitz ‘95

(Updated with funeral details.)

It is with deep sadness that I announce the passing of my beloved Fred. He died peacefully in the early morning of May 19, after days of vigil by our daughter Susan and me, as well as visits from our sons, Rick and Milton, their wives Sadhana and Sara, and our grandchildren, Arjun and Julia. I know Fred was comforted by having his family with him during his final days.

Fred lived a full and adventurous life, always game to meet and overcome challenges. He leaves behind rich legacies. These include his deep commitment and service to the people of North East India, as well as his extensive contributions to theological education at the Eastern Theological College, in Jorhat (Assam, India), and at the United Theological College in Bangalore (Karnataka, India). He also made important contributions as a church historian, by helping to incorporate the history of Christianity in North East India into standard Indian Church History. Significantly, he was an early proponent of introducing and supporting doctoral level research among North East Indian students to study the history of Christianity in their region.

Fred’s humor, wit, and story-telling will be greatly missed. Once, Fred recalled a saying among the hill folk where he grew up in North East India, that “a tiger gives you a great ride…until you fall off!” It has been a wild ride for us in his final days and we managed to hang on … until now. Fred will live on in the lives of those he taught, and in the hearts of those who knew him well.

A memorial service will be held on July 26, 2024 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina (USA). The family will provide further details, including how to watch a live stream of the service, as soon as plans are finalized.

Please join us in celebrating the life of

Dr. Frederick Sheldon Downs

February 15, 1932 – May 19, 2024

Memorial Service

Friday, July 26, 2024, at 1pm

Followed by a reception with light refreshments

Binkley Baptist Church
1712 Willow Drive
Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514

For Fred’s friends and family around the world
the service will be live streamed online
Dr Frederick S. Downs Memorial (YouTube)

Fred’s family invite you to read

The obituary of Fred Downs (mostly in his own words)

In lieu of flowers, donations in remembrance of Fred may be made to
International Ministries General Fund

(choose: “dedicate my donation in the memory of someone.”)

If you are overseas or have questions, please contact

imdonorservices@internationalministries.org

RSVP appreciated

FredMaryDownsFamily@outlook.com

Virginia Sauerbrun Everett’s ’61,  Grandson-in-law,  Jacob Hailperin-Lausch ’17,  has been appointed to the City of Mentor,  Ohio  Board of Building and Zoning Appeals.

A seven member Board appointed by the City Council that determines whether or not to grant variances from the Building and Zoning Code.

After nearly 14 years in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, I am returning to Ohio for a position in the Oberlin College Libraries. I am living in Westlake, Ohio, and looking forward to reconnecting with Wooster classmates.

Wayne Cornelius ’67, Distinguished Professor emeritus of Political Science at UC San Diego, has received the 2024 Career Achievement Award of the American Political Science Association, for outstanding scholarly publication, teaching, professional service, and public scholarship that has advanced the understanding of immigration and citizenship in political life. The award will be presented at APSA’s 120th annual meeting in Philadelphia, September 6, 2024.

Jacob Hailperin-Lausch and Katharine Everett were married on September 9, 2023 at the Mayfield Club in Cleveland. They met at the College of Wooster and both graduated from the class of 2017. At their wedding they were joined by several Wooster alumni: the grandmother of the bride, Virginia Everett; the groomsmen, Alex Pearson and Marc Manheim, also from the class of 2017; and the mother of the groom, Kristen Hailperin-Lausch.

Rikers: An Oral History authored by Graham Rayman ’88 and Reuven Blau, was named a finalist last month for the Gotham Book Prize, which recognizes the year’s best books about New York City.

On April 6, John Mayfield (Wooster College, Class of 1963) married Carlene Miller (Smith College, Class of 1965) in Saint Edwards Episcopal Church, San Marino CA. Both were previously widowed, and currently live in MonteCedro retirement community Altadena CA where they met.

David M. MacMillin, 94. Died Dec. 26, 2023 Class – Wooster 1951x BS degree Northwestern University in mechanical engineering.Married for 72 years to Mary Billett, Wooster class 1951. Three children, seven grandchildren, two great-grandchildren.

Martha (Gazlay) Conley, Beth Parmenter, Polly (Wood) Dean and Susie Yoder reconnected for an early 50th alumni reunion in Charlottesville, Virginia. Susie‘s daughter needed someone to dog sit for a month, she volunteered, and invited her friends to join her. We talked constantly, looked at pictures, went sightseeing, and had an amazing time together. It is never too late to reconnect with your friends who have shared experiences with you. We were sad we couldn’t find some of our friends to join us, but there’s always another year. Regarding the picture, we thought the woman taking the photo at Monticello, didn’t think too kindly of Thomas Jefferson.

For her pioneering and decades-long body of work on the psychological impacts of prejudice and discrimination, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) has elected Brenda Major, a distinguished professor emerita in UC Santa Barbara’s Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences. For a scientist, NAS membership is among the highest honors worldwide.

“I was blown away, overjoyed, shocked and thrilled,” Major said about receiving the news on a morning call from the academy. “It’s a highlight of my professional life.”

Major is one of the world’s experts on the psychology of stigma. Her distinguished achievements in the field include research, writing and teaching about the psychological and physical impact of being a target of prejudice and discrimination. Traditionally, psychological research on prejudice focused on understanding its causes; why, for example, some people are disliked and discriminated against because of their race, gender or religion. Major took a different and initially unconventional approach, studying people on the receiving end of prejudice — how they perceive and cope with being a target of social stigma and discrimination and the impacts on their psychological well-being and physical health.

“That has been the focus of my work throughout my entire career,” she said, adding that she has also written extensively about factors that shape perceptions of fairness more generally, as well as the psychological effects of practices to reduce discrimination, such as diversity initiatives and, more recently, anti-bias policies.

“All of us at UC Santa Barbara join in congratulating professor Major on this well-deserved honor and milestone achievement,” said Chancellor Henry T. Yang. “Election to the National Academy of Sciences is a testament to Brenda’s renown among her colleagues, and affirmation of her pioneering research contributions. We could not be more proud of her accomplishments and career commitment to advancing scientific knowledge, notably in the areas of the psychology of stigma and psychological resilience.”

Many of Major’s theoretical and empirical contributions have become seminal works in the field, noted Shelly Gable, department chair and professor. “Her work is noted equally for its intellectual rigor and societal importance. We are thrilled to have her as a colleague, and the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences is incredibly proud to congratulate her. This prestigious honor recognizes her scientific contributions and commitment to making our society a better place.”

Established as an Act of Congress signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863, the NAS is a private nonprofit institution. Its members serve as pro bono advisors, “providing independent objective advice to the nation on matters related to science and technology [and] scientific advice whenever called upon by any government department.”

Major was among the 120 new domestic members added this year after a formal process of nomination, vetting and election by existing members. Overall, the academy consists of more than 2,600 U.S. citizens and more than 500 nonvoting international scientists. Counting living and deceased, Major is the 50th member of NAS affiliated with UCSB as their primary institution.

Major joined UCSB in 1995 and retired from teaching in 2023. She continues to write and is currently working on a paper about how anti-bias norms affect perceptions of the authenticity of praise to members of marginalized groups.

Raleigh, NC – May 21, 2024 – LeadingAge North Carolina, a leading advocate for continuing care retirement communities in North Carolina, is pleased to announce the election of two new at-large members to its Board of Directors. These new board members bring a wealth of experience and diverse perspectives that will help steer LeadingAge North Carolina towards continued growth and innovation in the coming years.

“Our new board members bring exceptional expertise and unique insights that will be invaluable as we navigate the opportunities and challenges ahead,” said Tom Akins President and CEO of LeadingAge North Carolina “Their proven leadership will greatly enhance our strategic direction and commitment to excellence. We are thrilled to welcome them to our team.”

Libby Bush is President and CEO of Deerfield Episcopal Retirement Community in Asheville, NC. Prior to joining Deerfield in 2022, Libby was the chief executive officer for Vinson Hall Retirement Community in McLean, Virginia. Prior to that, she was chief operating officer for Ingleside, a multi-site senior living organization in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia region. Over the last thirty years, Libby has served in multiple administrative positions in Life Plan Communities. Richmond, Virginia, was home for 20-plus years, where Libby spent her professional life at Westminster Canterbury Richmond. Libby completed evaluator training for the Continuing Care Accreditation Commission, and has served on community and association boards, most recently as Chair of LeadingAge Virginia. Libby attended the College of Wooster for undergraduate studies and received her master’s degree at the University of Maryland at the Erickson School.

Marianne Ratcliffe is President and CEO of Carol Woods Retirement Community in Chapel Hill, NC. She joined Carol Woods in 2021 after a career in senior health services, most recently with Piedmont Health Services, Inc. where she developed Piedmont Health SeniorCare, a Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly. PACE is a full-risk model of care providing frail seniors with comprehensive medical and social services needed to age safely in their community. Prior to Piedmont Health, Marianne worked as a program manager for the Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation and was a program officer for the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust. In both roles she focused on initiatives supporting healthcare access for vulnerable populations. Marianne is a graduate of Skidmore College and earned her master’s degree in healthcare administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Gillings School of Global Public Health. She is an adjunct professor at the UNC Gillings School of Public Health.

LeadingAge North Carolina is an association of member retirement communities across North Carolina, including continuing care retirement communities (also known as life plan communities) and affordable housing providers. It serves as the state affiliate of the national LeadingAge, based in Washington, D.C.

LeadingAge North Carolina leverages the collective voice of its members to advocate for the needs of older adults in North Carolina. Its mission is to catalyze the development of innovative communities dedicated to promoting healthy aging in society.

A key aspect of LeadingAge North Carolina’s mission is linking expertise with communities to empower their members for success. Through collaborative efforts, LeadingAge North Carolina organizes continuing education opportunities to help staff of retirement communities maintain their professional licensure and certification. These efforts culminate in the Annual Conference and Expo held each May.

In addition to education, LeadingAge North Carolina fosters a statewide support network for staff through a leadership academy, leadership retreats, and other gatherings.

Nicholas Neary ’11 and Emily Williams Neary ’13

Waverly Hart ’20 and Albert Darling ’16 were married at Trinity Episcopal Church in Columbus, OH on May 4, 2024. Pictured from left to right are Zoe Covey ’21, Sabrina Helck ’22, Nick Shiach ’20, Julia Garcia-Marshall ’16, Patric Marshall ’16, Miki Rae ’20, Noelle Rotte ’20, Albert Darling ’16, Jackson Todd ’21, Waverly Hart ’20, Sam Casey ’21, Aedan Pettit ’20, Connor O’Keeffe ’19, David Westcott ’19, Simon Weyer ’19, Grace O’Leary ’20, Kayla Bertholf ’22, and Emma Busch ’21. Not pictured are Ruku Borah ’16, Daniel Boyce ’16, Rebecca DeWine ’09, Mark DeWine ’09, and Andrew Gold ’19.

She was born in New Jersey on March 27, 1943. She married Gary N. Mock, her high school sweetheart and was a mother of three sons; Kevin Gary Mock (wife Frances, sons Jackson and Quince), Darin England Mock (wife Shannon, children Stephen and Martha Anne), and Brian James Mock (children Grady, Roman, and Peri). She is also survived by her sister, Carolyn Elizabeth “Carolib” Baughman (husband Jim).

An educator with a Bachelor of Music Education from the College of Wooster, she taught band and chorus for 27 years in public schools. Her last 20 years were as band director at Apex Middle School, building the band almost from scratch to an accomplished ensemble with Superior ratings (the highest) at competitions for 16 years. She also taught music education courses at Clemson University, UNC-CH, and Meredith College and taught oboe privately for over 45 years. With a Master of Music in Oboe Performance from Converse College, she played oboe professionally and for fun until age 80 including many years in the Second Wind Quintet. She loved conducting at Glenaire for ten years and would direct any choir that would let her.

As a member of White Memorial Presbyterian Church, she was an Elder, a member of the Sanctuary Choir, bell choir, founder and director of the brass choir for 25 years, pianist, Sunday School teacher, and general music stand mover. She volunteered to sing and play oboe for Transitions Life Care (hospice) patients for 12 years.

Her athletic endeavors began by making the All-Star field hockey team in high school and included excelling at tennis in the Senior Olympics, whitewater canoeing, driving every manner of boats with precision, and water skiing every summer from the age of 5 to age 80.

A woman of many talents, she could operate a backhoe, cook, bake, sew, knit, braid rugs, refinish furniture, re-cane chairs, paint, garden, and keep meticulous family records. She often took matters into her own hands, including getting a CDL to drive the activity bus for the Apex Middle School band.

Her summers were spent on an island on the Delaware River (Thomas Island) where her family first camped over 100 years ago. Accessible only by boat, the family cabin was a retreat filled with endless projects, Hellgrammiting (catching a clawed centipede for fishing) and her dominating competitive games of Scrabble, Spades, Bridge, and Pinochle. When the day was done, her favorite pastime was to sit on the front bank with Gary and watch the sun set on the river.

She was a force of nature and the winds at Lake Gaston, Thomas Island, and Raleigh will surely be quieter without her.

A Witness to the Resurrection service will be held at White Memorial Presbyterian Church, 1704 Oberlin Rd., Raleigh, NC 27608, on Thursday, May 9th. Special music will begin at 1:30 PM. The service will begin at 2 PM, with a visitation to follow at the church.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Transitions LifeCare, 250 Hospice Circle, Raleigh, NC 27607.

Arrangements by Brown-Wynne, 300 Saint Mary’s Street, Raleigh.

Grand Haven, MI – Thank you to all who joined [the Grand Haven Chamber] Thursday evening for our Annual Chamber Celebration. This celebration welcomes the Chamber’s new board chair, serves as the official graduation ceremony for Leadership Connect, and awards individuals in our community for their significant contributions to Northwest Ottawa County.

Congratulations to Ashley Latsch from the City of Grand Haven, awarded the Dr. Elizabeth Curtis, Young Professional Award. Congratulations to Chris Streng of Great Lakes Financial Insurance Agency, awarded the Spirit of Community Award. Congratulations to Tom Reinsma of Scholten Fant, awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award.

“We are fortunate to have such incredible leaders in our community as we have in Ashley, Chris and Tom” says Chamber President, Mark Allen. “The Chamber thanks them for their past, present and future contributions to Northwest Ottawa County.”

John Francis Rudge, 80, of Cumming, died Monday afternoon, November 21, 2022, at his home following an extended illness. John was born on April 9, 1942, in Youngstown, Ohio, the son of Edson Fieldhouse and Corrine Louise (Dodd) Rudge. John was raised in East Palestine, Ohio, and graduated from East Palestine High School. He received his bachelor’s degree in chemistry and history from the College of Wooster. He graduated from the Ohio State University College of Dentistry in 1969. He met his wife, Esther, and they were married on June 20, 1969. He enlisted in the army and was stationed at West Point, New York, where John worked as a dentist for the United States Military Academy. After John and Esther enjoyed living in West Point, they returned to Canfield, Ohio, where John ran a private dentistry practice for over thirty years. John served as a dentist in the Air Force Reserves for 20 years. He served in Desert Storm in Arkansas as a dentist for the Air Force Reserves. Near the end of his military service, he worked as the commander of the medical corps at the Air Force Reserve Base in Vienna, Ohio. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel with the Air Force Reserve. John enjoyed traveling, snow skiing, music, gardening, boating, and waterskiing on Berlin Lake and Lake Lanier. He taught his children, grandchildren, and friends to waterski. He spent many hours completing genealogical research to fill in gaps in his family tree. John was a member of the Canfield Presbyterian Church, where he served on the session and various committees. He later joined Alpharetta Presbyterian Church. In retirement, he served as an English as a Second Language teacher to adult students and enjoyed serving the community. John is survived by his wife Esther; three children, Dr. Laura Peterson of Roswell, Georgia, Dr. Kristin Delahanty of Alpharetta, Georgia, and Brian Rudge of Dublin, Ohio. John also leaves his sister, Carol Ann Cicconetti of Portland, Oregon; his sister Janet Lynn Parker of Ashburn, Virginia; eight grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews. The military honors will be completed in Canton, Georgia, at the Georgia National Cemetery. Funeral services will be held at Alpharetta Presbyterian Church in Alpharetta, Georgia, on December 9, 2022, at 2:00 pm.

David “Dave” Jordan, a resident of Wake Robin in Shelburne, VT passed away peacefully on April 19, 2024, after complications from a fall. Dave is survived by his wife of 62 years Nicola H Jordan as well as son Dean Jordan and his spouse Adriana and grandson Ryan and son Bret Jordan and his spouse Jennifer and grandchildren Madeleine, Charlotte, and William. Dave was born in Ashtabula, Ohio on August 19, 1937. He attended grade schools in 10 cities across the country from Chicago, IL to Richland, WA, because of his father’s work on the Manhattan Project. He finished high school in Wilmington, DE and in 1959 graduated from the College of Wooster in Ohio before earning a PhD from Ohio State in 1965. After college Dave became an organic chemistry professor at SUNY Potsdam in Potsdam NY where he lived and taught for over thirty years before retiring in 1996 to devote more time to his passion for building, fixing, and painting, as he was skilled in both woodworking and watercolors.

He also spent many hours researching genealogy and set up a website focused on specific parishes in Finland, through which he maintained contact with relatives and friends.

Dave was enthusiastic about tennis and golf throughout his life and had a lifelong love of the Adirondacks that began with family vacations in his youth and continued with support for environmental causes as a resident of “northern” New York for many years. Known for his sharp mind and dry wit Dave will be dearly missed by his family and friends.

ST. ALBANS – Margaret G. Hydorn, 99, passed away peacefully on March 15, 2024, surrounded by her loving family. She was born on October 29, 1924, in Franklin, NJ, the daughter of Millard and Frances Goldsmith. She graduated from Newton High School in 1941 and the College of Wooster in Ohio in 1945. Margie’s love language was music. She would regularly gather her family together to sing around the piano and encouraged them all to make music a part of their lives. She had a lovely voice, played piano beautifully, and was the organist and music director at Grace Linn Methodist Church in Hartland for many years. Margie was a teacher all of her life. She taught her children to sew, to bake, to identify the birds and wildflowers, to garden (though she was always the best gardener of them all!), and to put food by. She led 4-H clubs, gave piano lessons, and taught 6th grade in public schools in New England and in New Mexico, including on the Navajo Reservation. In her later years she taught English as a Second Language and led a Bible study into her 90s. Margie had an abiding faith in God and expressed that not only through her music, but also in the generous support she and her husband Bill gave to many charitable organizations and by extending hospitality to anyone who needed a cup of tea, a meal, or a place to stay. So many have received this hospitality and all will remember her fondly. She is survived by her daughters: Mary Jane Sorensen and husband Earl, Elizabeth Gagnon, and Sarah Hydorn and husband Peter Armstrong; daughter-in -law Donna Farrell; 13 grandchildren; 22 great-grandchildren; nieces and nephews and many friends. She was predeceased by her loving husband, William Hydorn; her daughter Susan Hydorn; her son, Thomas Hydorn; her son-in-law, George Gagnon; and two sisters, Mary Struble and Amanda Farrell. A memorial service will be held at Grace Linn Memorial United Methodist Church, 8 Seekins Street, Hartland, at a date to be determined. A committal will be held by the family at the Maine Veterans Blue Star Memorial Cemetery, Augusta. The family wishes to express their heartfelt thanks to the staff of Tissues Country Estate in Athens for the loving care they gave Margie in her last months. In lieu of flowers the family suggests a donation to your favorite charity in Margaret’s honor because she strove to make the world a better place by supporting worthy causes her entire life. To leave a message of kindness or to share a memory, please visit www.shoreynichols.com. Care has been provided by Shorey-Nichols Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Pittsfield. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Margaret, please visit our floral store.

Went to my first ever masters swim meet in Auburn, Alabama wearing my Wooster swimming & diving t shirt and end up talking to fellow Swim Team mate Ted Hammond for 5 minutes before asking when he graduated (1976) and then ask his name before finally realizing exactly who he was & that we were swim team mates at Wooster! Ted traveled from neighboring Georgia & then set a national USMS record for 100 free in 70-74 age group at this meet! I had another Wooster swim team shirt with me that I gave to Ted !

The Reverend Thomas E. Johnson, Jr. May 4, 1955 — April 13, 2024 The Reverend Thomas E. Johnson, Jr. died April 13, 2024, at Canterbury Place of heart failure following a stroke. He was 68. Born May 4, 1955, to Thomas E. and Dolores Johnson, he grew up in Wilkinsburg. His parents raised him with a strong belief in the power of education and sent him to Shady Side Academy, where he graduated in 1973. “At Shady Side,” he recalled, “I learned to read well, write well, speak well, and think well, all so that ultimately I could live well.” After his graduation from the College of Wooster in 1977, Reverend Johnson returned to Shady Side, where he served over the course of many years as an English teacher, coach, dorm parent, counselor, and trustee. As the head varsity boys’ lacrosse coach, Reverend Johnson instilled in his players a sense of sportsmanship, integrity, and other life lessons, and he led them in volunteering regularly at Rainbow Kitchen. His iconic pre-game rallying cry says it all: “Take care of yourself, take care of your teammates, and the rest will take care of itself!” With a looming presence and a booming voice, he continued to offer inspiring invocations and benedictions at Shady Side events until his death. Reverend Johnson later earned a Masters of Divinity degree from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. It was there that he formed his sense of vocation and met Jodie Moore, his partner and dearest friend, with whom he co-founded The Neighborhood Academy in 2001. Over the course of two decades, with their shared passion for educating underserved youth and breaking the cycle of poverty, they built the school from a small program for a handful of students in a renovated warehouse to a beautiful new facility in Garfield for more than 150 middle and high school students. “He and I were the most important people in one another’s lives,” says Mrs. Moore. “We believed that we were called to be together, not just to found the school but to complete one another in some way.” At his core, Reverend Johnson was a profound thinker, philosopher, and empathetic man with a deep and abiding faith formed in the crucible of African American struggle and spirituality. His faith and his relationship with God informed everything he said and did, whether he was preaching, teaching, coaching, or just talking with a friend. Never one to allow obstacles to get in his way, he was fond of saying, “God hasn’t brought us this far to kick us to the curb.” An ordained pastor in the United Church of Christ, he served at Allegheny United Church of Christ and East Liberty Presbyterian Church before turning his attention to become Head of School at the Neighborhood Academy. Even as he led the school, he continued to serve the congregation at the Community of Reconciliation. At the time of his death, Reverend Johnson was in the process of starting another school, the Mon Valley Boys’ Academy, where he had already worked with the first cohort of students in a summer academy and a subsequent tutoring and mentoring program. A transformational educator and leader, Reverend Johnson was recognized for his accomplishments with the Andrew Matheson Award from FAME, a Distinguished Alumnus Award from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, the General Synod United Church of Christ Excellence in Teaching Award, the New Pittsburgh Courier’s Man of Excellence Award, and an honorary PhD from Bethany College. Reverend Johnson is survived by his partner and dearest friend, Jodie Moore, and her family, and by his cousin, Helen Ford, and her children John and Sonya Ford, along with the hundreds of individuals to whom he was a treasured pastor, teacher, coach, mentor, and friend. While he never married or had children of his own, he is also survived by countless students who cherished him as a father figure, from the summer programs he ran in the 1990s, to Shady Side Academy, the Neighborhood Academy, and the Mon Valley Boys’ Academy summer program that he launched in 2023. Friends will be received Wednesday, April 17 from 3:00 to 7:00 pm at John A. Freyvogel Sons Funeral Home at 4900 Centre Avenue, Pittsburgh. A funeral service will be held Thursday, April 18 at 11:00 am at Third Presbyterian Church, 5701 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh. Following a private interment, friends are invited to a reception at The Neighborhood Academy, 709 North Aiken Avenue, Pittsburgh. Memorial contributions in Reverend Johnson’s honor may be made

My husband and I visited Nancy and Bill Huffman last month in Naples Florida for a Spring Season baseball game and some shopping. Always fun to catch up with Wooster Friends.

Christine Schneider Smith, 72, of Fremont passed away Monday, April 8, 2024 at Banner Medical Center in Tucson, AZ. She was born August 27, 1951 in Bucyrus, the daughter of Frank A. and Jeanette A. ( Hall) Schneider. Christine was a 1969 graduate of Fremont Ross High and went on to earn her Bachelor’s Degree from College of Wooster in Spanish Education and a Master’s Degree from University of New Mexico. She taught locally in the area schools. She was The President and founder of CASS Enterprises. She married Mark Smith on December 28, 1979 at Trinity United Methodist in Fremont. Christine was a member of Grace Lutheran Church, and served several years with Kairos Prison Ministry, and a founding member of Sandusky County Positive People and the Fremont Ross Alumni and Friends Scholarship Fund. Surviving is her husband Mark of Fremont; sons Chad (Sarah) Gulf Breeze, FL and Ryan Elyria OH grandsons Andrew (Emma Lee Segura) Fremont and Kyle (Samantha) Rossford, Great Grandson Cooper, brother Bruce (Sher) Schneider of San Antonio, TX and sister Carol (Tod) Mazzocco of Orlando, FL and several nieces and nephews. Memorial contributions may be made to Grace Lutheran Church, Fremont Alumni and Friends Scholarship Fund or Donor’s Choice. Memorial Services will take place at Grace Lutheran Church in May.

Shirley Walker ’76 will be one of 100 buglers performing in the Gettysburg Cemetery on June 8, 2024, as part of 100 Nights of Taps.

She has a Master in Music degree from Cleveland State University, a Bachelor of Music Education from the College of Wooster, and with an Associate in Arts from Cuyahoga Community College. She remains the conductor of the Historic Medina Symphony Orchestra/Symphonia of the Western Reserve continuing her third decade leading the organization.

Mrs. Walker, a trumpet professional, has taught general music, band, and strings in the Ohio Public Schools. She is retired since 2019. She has also taught at the ACSI Association of Christian Schools International Conventions and was Humanities Adjunct Faculty in Humanities for Indiana Wesleyan University. Shirley was named into the Who’s Who of Professional Business Women of America, and was honored to be a Torchbearer for the Salt Lake City, Utah 2002 Olympics. In September of this year, she will proudly accept the induction into the West Technical High School of Cleveland, Ohio Hall of Fame.

Mrs.Walker has been honored for her volunteerism, dedication, and community service for the Military. She was designated as an honorary member of The Medina County Marine Corps League in 2001. Mrs. Walker is proud to have served closure for soldiers and families through TAPS since she was aged fourteen.

She is proud to serve through Taps for Veterans and formerly, Bugles Across America. As a civilian bugler for the military, Mrs. Walker performed with forty buglers at Arlington National Cemetery for the 100th celebration of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Dr. Susan Clayton was my undergraduate advisor at The College of Wooster, and she played a major role in my decision to pursue a PhD. I’m now an assistant professor of anthropology at Southern Utah University (SUU), and I love my job. SUU recently invited Dr. Clayton give the keynote speech at our annual Festival of Excellence, which showcases research and artistic accomplishments by the campus community. It was great to hear an update on Dr. Clayton’s research on psychology and climate change, and we even squeezed in a short hike at Zion National Park!

Lillie Elizabeth Trent, also known as Madame Lillie Jackson, passed away on Tuesday March 19,2024 in Martinsburg, WV. Born in Harlem, NY, Lillie grew up in Lambertville, NJ and received two master’s degrees, one from the Sorbonne University in Paris, France, and another from Middlebury College in Vermont. She taught French at South Hunterdon Regional High School in West Amwell Twp. for 20 years. She was also an adjunct professor at two colleges in the Washington, DC, and Virginia areas. A scholarly person and valedictorian of her high school (Lambertville High School) and college (Wooster, Ohio), Lillie loved teaching French and interacting with her students. She was a pillar of her community and the first teacher in Hunterdon County to initiate trips overseas for her students during Easter breaks. She also enjoyed classical music, the opera, playing her piano and doing crossword puzzles form the NY Times. She lived in Paris, France for a total of 16 years where she was a bi-lingual secretary for the Liberian Embassy. She lived in Washington DC for 26 years before moving to Martinsburg, WV in 2020, where she lived with her daughter Evelyn. Daughter of the late William H. Trent and Evelyn Haynesworth Trent, she is survived by her daughter Evelyn L. Jackson, two sisters Barbara H. Trent, Ruth Ann Trent, her brother William R Trent, several nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews. Although she suffered with dementia and other medical issues, she enjoyed her life to the fullest and will be terribly missed by family and friends. Those we love don’t go away; they walk beside us every day. Unseen, unheard, but always near, still loved, still missed, and very dear. “l will always love and miss you mom for you were the light of my life. Until we meet again. Rest ln Peace.” Rena

David M. MacMillin, 94, passed away peacefully while surrounded in the love of his family at RiverMead Lifecare Community in Peterborough, NH.

David was the third of four children to Howard MacMillin and Corinne (Miller) MacMillin and was born and raised in Mt. Gilead, OH, later relocating to Wilmette, IL. He attended the College of Wooster in Wooster, OH where he met, Mary. He transferred to Northwestern University in Evanston, IL where he received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering. Dave and Mary were married in 1951.

Dave, Mary, and their children lived in Evanston and Wilmette, IL while he designed motion picture cameras at Bell & Howell. In 1966 they moved to Ridgewood, NJ when he worked for Becton Dickinson as a director of new product development until 1985. In the early 1970’s they began vacationing in New Hampshire in the New London area and built a second home near Twin Lake Village.

After his retirement, Dave followed his passion for the design and construction of energy-efficient buildings. After training at Yestermorrow Design/Build School, he designed and built a new home on Cape Cod in Chatham, MA where he and Mary moved in 1986 and another home on Little Lake Sunapee in New London, NH where they lived full-time starting in 1998. He also designed and oversaw construction of buildings for the American Youth Foundation in Tuftonboro, NH and the New London Historical Society. Dave and Mary moved to RiverMead in Peterborough, NH in 2016.

Dave, along with Mary, was always deeply involved in the church, especially the choral music ministry, including church choirs at First Baptist and St. Andrew’s Episcopal churches in New London. Their love of singing also led them to participate in numerous other choruses. They enjoyed their devoted group of life-long friends from college, church, music, and tennis. Dave was also an accomplished woodworker and photographer, enjoyed golf, sailing, and being a DIY’er, and was an avid ping pong player.

What brought Dave his greatest joy was the cacophony while being surrounded by his entire family at the beautiful homes he built on the Cape and in New London. He was affectionately known as “Mac” to his grandchildren. He had a wry sense of humor that he maintained until the very end.

David is survived by Mary Billett MacMillin, his wife of 72 years. He is also survived by his son, Scott MacMillin (Kristine) of Plymouth, MA and his daughters, Martha MacMillin (George Plesko) of Sharon, MA and Katherine Thomas (Michael) of Springfield, NH. David had seven beautiful grandchildren including Eric MacMillin, Brian MacMillin, Stephen Plesko, Corinne Plesko, Dean Thomas, Clay Thomas, and Andrew Thomas and two great-grandchildren of whom he was very proud. He was predeceased by his sister and two brothers.

A memorial service will be held in New London at a date to be determined in spring of 2024.

Donations may be made in memory of David to the American Youth Foundation [ayf.com].

Dr Frances J Johnston Obituary We regret to announce the passing of Frances Johnston on November 3, 2023 at age 84. Frances suffered from a brief illness before being moved to Casey House hospice facility in Rockville, MD where she passed peacefully. Frances was predeceased by her mother Margaret and her father Joseph. She is survived by her sister Mary H Smith, nephew David L Smith (spouse Kristin L Smith nee Kratochvil), nephew Mark C Smith, and grandnephew Christian J Smith. Frances was a long time resident of Rockville, MD and was very active with her condominium association at Grosvenor Park. She also served as a long time donor to her Alma mater at Wooster College. After a long career at ASHA (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association), she often volunteered at the Music Center at Strathmore as well as Anderson House museum in Washington DC. She had a vast appreciation for the arts and history, and was an avid tour guide for visiting family and friends within the greater Washington area. A private family service will be held at a later date.

Roy James McCorkel Jr died at home on February 3rd surrounded by family. He was 84. The third generation “Roy McCorkel,” he went by Jamie in his childhood and then by Jim. Jim was a lifelong sociologist both by hobby and by profession. He was fascinated with and delighted by people, often turning around to watch the audience instead of a movie, and attending the circus right into his older years. He made friends quickly and easily, and had a knack for letting his friends know how much he enjoyed and appreciated them.

Jim was born in Philadelphia and grew up in Swarthmore, PA. When he was one year old his parents bought a small woodlot in central Pennsylvania and named it the McCorkel Tree Farm. His family shared this Quaker summer community with family and lifelong friends. He spent time at the Tree Farm nearly every year of his life, in his later years devoting significant efforts towards removing invasive species. His children and grandchildren inherited his devotion to the Tree Farm, spending time every summer on the land that has been tended to by five generations of McCorkels.

His early life was shaped by exposure to other cultures. His father’s international non-profit work led Jim and the family to spend a year in Switzerland when he was in middle school and a year in India in high school. Jim attended the College of Wooster and spent his junior year of college in Ghana immediately following Ghana’s independence from Britain. He climbed mountains and whitewater rafted in Nepal, Tanzania, and North Carolina. His daughters’ childhoods were made richer by his stories (and slideshows) of his many adventures.

Jim became politically engaged while pursuing his PhD in medical sociology at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, where he led the student organizing effort to repeal the Speaker Ban Law. He was also an active member of Students for a Democratic Society. He remained politically active throughout his life, particularly around feminist and environmental issues, attending marches in Washington DC and locally, donating to progressive political candidates, and keeping up on current events.

Early in his career Jim taught sociology at Lake Forest College (Lake Forest, IL) and at Meharry Medical College (Nashville, TN). He then focused his career on graduate medical education at teaching hospitals such as Mt Sinai Medical Center (New York, NY), Winthrop University Hospital (Mineaola, NY), Jersey Shore Medical Center (Neptune, NJ) and Inova Fairfax Hospital (Falls Church, VA). He was especially proud to be a pioneer in training doctors on how to talk to patients about sexuality.

After Jim’s first marriage to Christine Hasenmueller ended in 1975, he married Jan Kline and they started a family together on Long Island, NY. Although he didn’t become a parent until age 45, becoming a dad brought out his youthful side. He was a wonderful, playful, and engaged dad. He entertained his daughters Charlotte and Hunter over long car rides with stories and songs, read them books, took them on adventures, and provided an example of gentle, steady, and tender parenting that they both model in their own parenting today.

Jim moved to central New Jersey after his divorce from Jan in 1995 and began to build the relationships that would define the final decades of his life. He worked on local environmental rights issues through Citizens for Informed Land Use, picketed for abortion access, helped preserve the famous Eero Saarinen Bell Labs building from demolition, and dug deep into many precious friendships. He was an involved member of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Monmouth County, at times chairing the Social Action Committee and the Dialog Committee. It was through UUCMC that he met his wife and the love of his life, Elizabeth Spellman Dean.

Liz and Jim first lived together in a house that Jim passionately renovated, incorporating elements of his favorite architect, Frank Lloyd Wright. They then moved into Liz’s 1840s farmhouse in Holmdel, NJ, which they enjoyed together until they moved to Shadow Lake Village in Red Bank in 2015. In all of these homes they loved hosting friends and family, gardening, cooking, and bird watching.

In his retirement Jim started practicing qi gong and quickly decided to become an instructor. He credited qi gong with keeping him healthy through his 60s, 70s, and early 80s. He practiced every day, usually outdoors, and he loved sharing qi gong with friends and family. He taught for many years at senior centers, cancer survivor groups, parks, and around the pool at the McCorkel Tree Farm. During his treatment for stomach cancer in 2017, he practiced qi gong during his chemo infusions.

He loved visiting with family in Cape May Point, Maine, Nova Scotia, Boston, Vermont, Philadelphia, Central PA, Seattle, Pasadena, and Colorado. Vibrant and delicious family gatherings always included walks, arts, cooking, reading, spending time in nature, and doing qi gong together.

For all of his adventures, Jim was a creature of habit. He ate cereal with blueberries every morning for breakfast. He ate salad with lunch and dinner every day. He went for a long walk every day the weather allowed and often spent his walks catching up with his sisters or daughters over the phone. He had a predictable sweet tooth and a secret chocolate stash. He valued simple living. He had a relentless optimism that carried him through life’s challenges with a contagious upbeat attitude.

Jim was an exceptionally lovely man. We are fortunate to have had him in our lives.

He is survived by his wife Liz Dean; his sisters Mary Lou Rozdilsky and Betty Ann Jansson; his daughters Charlotte McCorkel and Hunter McCorkel; Liz’s children Debby Dean, David Dean, Abby Dean, and Libby Dean; and their families.

A Celebration of Life will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Monmouth County in Lincroft, NJ, on April 6, 2024, at 2pm.

Budd, Helen E. “Betty” (nee: Guinther), 98, of Lebanon, passed away on December 15, 2023 at Otterbein Lebanon. She was born in Akron, Ohio and graduated from the College of Wooster, like her parents, Larry and Helen (nee: Morgan) Guinther.

She worked in Cleveland as a chemist and executive secretary, before meeting Walter Renwood Budd Jr. They moved to Parma, Ohio and had sons Larry and Bob. She retired as a school librarian and traveled the world, including Italy, Switzerland, Germany, England and France, as well as the Middle East, Australia, China and Japan. She moved to Lebanon, Ohio, to live near her granddaughters, Lisa, Allison and Morgan. She was active with the Red Hat ladies and attended Lebanon Presbyterian Church before moving to the Otterbein retirement community.

Preceded in death by Ren and her parents.  She is survived by her sons and their wives, Larry and Martha Budd of Lebanon, OH and Bob Budd and Dee Hall of Beverly, MA, as well as her granddaughters and grandson Ryan Budd.
Visitation, Tuesday, December 19, 2023 from 10 AM until 11 AM with funeral service immediately following, all at the Otterbein United Methodist Church Chapel. Interment will be on Wednesday, December 20, 2023 at 11:00 AM in the Fairview Cemetery in Galion, OH. Any memorial contributions could be made to Otterbein SeniorLife, 585 N. State 741, Lebanon, OH 45036 or to Hospice of Dayton. Arrangements by the Oswald-Hoskins Funeral Home.

Dr. Stephen “Steve” McClellan, 83, of The Villages, Florida, died peacefully on Saturday, July 15, 2023, under Hospice care with his wife, Jill, by his side. Steve was born February 12, 1940, in Fostoria, Ohio, to Charles and Faye McClellan. A stand-out student-athlete, Steve lettered in multiple sports at Fostoria High School and went on to play baseball and football at The College of Wooster. For many years, Steve was the all-time leading rusher for the Scots and was inducted into The College of Wooster Hall of Fame in 1974. It was in Wooster that Steve met the love of his life, Jill. They were married in 1962 and celebrated their 61st wedding anniversary in June. Steve completed his Doctorate in Higher Education at Michigan State University in 1967 and then began his first career working in University Administration at several higher education institutions, including Tulane University, University of Texas, and Florida State University. Steve and Jill returned to their Ohio roots and moved their family to Findlay in 1979 where they owned and operated Indian Lake Manor which began Steve’s second career in Health Care Administration. He would go on to work in a number of hospital systems including Mount Carmel in Columbus, Ohio, Catholic Medical Centers of Brooklyn and Queens, New York, and Kalida Health in Buffalo, New York. Steve and Jill initially retired to Apple Valley in Howard, Ohio, before moving to The Villages, Florida. For Steve, family was everything and he was the biggest fan of his children, Scott, Chad and Robyn; never missing an athletic game or dance recital. Regardless of the event, Steve was always there supporting and encouraging his kids. Steve was a lifelong learner and a voracious reader. From history to business, fiction to nonfiction, Steve could always be found with his beloved books and paper and pen by his side. He was a great writer of poetry, having many poems published in The Villages Daily Sun newspaper. Jill was his favorite muse and the inspiration for many of his poems and writings throughout his life. Left to forever cherish Steve’s memory are his wife, Jill; son, Scott (Melinda) McClellan of Hillard, Ohio; son, Chad (Melissa) McClellan of Tallahassee, Florida; daughter, Robyn McClellan of Seaford, New York; grandchildren, Devon McClellan, Kayla McClellan, Graham McClellan, all of Hilliard, Ohio; Cole Hennessy and Braden Hennessy both of Seaford, New York. Steve was preceded in death by his parents and sister Bonnie Mutzabaugh. A Celebration of Life will be planned for the near future.

Robert (Bob) M. Weinberg passed away peacefully with loving family around him on June 17, 2022 in Seattle, Washington. Bob crept into retirement starting with his move to Seattle in 2003. While most of his Seattle time was spent in a volunteer capacity working on various civic issues, he could be referred to as the ‘Sentry’ for the universal public good. Bob was a man of extraordinary talent whose professional career, supported by his MBA and JD from Harvard, was primarily in Boston. He did however, begin his public service career working at the Executive Office of the President under the Johnson Administration. When that assignment was complete, he moved to Boston and became the head of the public policy staff of former mayor, Kevin White. Bob used his keen strategic instinct and progressive values to skillfully navigate between the political and business worlds of the city. He continued to serve Boston as the Founding Director of Public Management and professor at Boston University. Before leaving BU, Michael Dukakis appointed him as Chair of the Massport Board. But perhaps one of his most lasting legacies will be Post Office Square Park, an urban oasis for the enhancement of the urban public realm. The qualities that once made him one of the city’s most impactful civic leaders remain in abundance. If one visits Boston and “take(s) a walk downtown, through the Leventhal Post Office Square Park, to the concessions at the restored South Station and then across the Seaport District to the harbor, with Logan Airport in the distance, you would be experiencing the work of many people, but much of it exists because of the inspiration and drive of one man: Bob Weinberg”, as written by author, James Aloisi. Post Office Square could be thought of as Bob’s signature piece in his immense professional portfolio. Bob was the first president of Friends of Post Office Square, a position he held for 22 years. During that time, he became involved with the national organization, City Parks Alliance, and served in various Board positions. In recognition of his many years of service and his personal commitment to improving urban communities through parks and green space, the Alliance has created the Robert Weinberg Scholarship at City Parks Alliance for a graduate-level student majoring in urban policy with applicants drawn from universities through the US including HBCUs. This will make it possible for the scholarship recipient to attend the Greater & Greener 2024 conference in Seattle. It’s yet again, an example of his legacy living on. Bob is survived by his loving wife, Jeannie Butler, daughter Katy Weinberg, son David Weinberg, and daughter by marriage, Jill Butler. He will be sorely missed by all who knew him but his influence will be felt by many for years to come. A private Celebration of Life will be held in Boston at a later date.

My memoir-in-essays, Unarmed: An American Educator’s Memoir, won the Washington Writers Publishing House 2024 nonfiction prize. It will come out in October.

Stemming from the terrible aftermath of surviving a school shooting, the book interrogates the illusions of safety we all live with in our public and private lives.

Bailey Bowers ’17 and Jordan Shusterman ’17 were married on August 13, 2023 at Jorgensen Farms in Westerville, Ohio. Pictured (from left to right) are Claire Trescher ’16,
Stephen Schreiber ’17, Jason Rhee ’17, Michael Whitaker ’17, Jackson Groat ’17, Bailey Bowers ’17, Jamie Lackner ’17, Jordan Shusterman ’17, Skylar Ruprecht ’17, Cat Fiorito ’20, Conor Maley ’17, Bailey (Williams) Pituch ’17, Emily Hatcher ’17 and Sarah McGrath ’17. Jack O’Neill ’17 was also in attendance. The wedding festivities were marvelously photographed by Jessica Love ’04.

Dan Shortridge x’02 has coauthored his third local interest book about Delaware, this one a history book titled “Lost Delaware.” Published by The History Press, it chronicles more than 70 vanished places, businesses, and institutions from First State history, including stories of a neighborhood wiped out by flooding, a nightclub turned into a children’s museum, a closed synagogue, and multiple mansions lost to fire or development. The coauthor is his wife, Rachel Kipp, and this is their third book together.

It is my great pleasure to let everyone know that my third novel, Don’t Falter, is officially released and available in the UK, Ireland and USA, published by Black Spring Press.

Many thanks to fellow alumni Paul Gunning (92), Pete Kostos (91) and George Bell (79) for sending their congratulations. And many thanks, as always, to my IS advisor, Prof Debra Shostak, for her guidance, her encouragement (and her patience, one suspects) when I first began writing at Wooster.

Don’t Falter is the story of Anna Fetlock, a schoolgirl learning to spy in a surveillance-heavy UK. Her parents, unbeknownst to Anna, belong to a secret underground sheltering a pair of environmental protestors fleeing prosecution. When the harboured couple are driven from a hidden room at the Fetlocks’ house, Anna faces an impossible decision – does she choose her family or the state?

With thanks and best wishes – and happy reading
Chris

Linda (Barth) Craft (1970) and Rick Craft (1969) joined my husband Bruce Johnson and me on a trip to France this fall.  We spent several days in Strasbourg where Linda and I had spent the summer of 1969 with other Wooster students as part of the Wooster in Strasbourg program.  The four of us found the school, College Lucie Berger, where we had lived during our time in Strasbourg, and we reconnected with a French woman with whom we had become friends in 1969.  What fun we had reminiscing about the summer of 1969.  The Crafts and the Johnsons have remained dear friends since our college days!

Friends Anna (Fleming) Kegel, Natalie Offen and Erin (Powell) Hickey met up in Gig Harbor, WA in March 2024 (all 2009 alums)

Rachel Eby, 89, died in her sleep at the Wake Robin retirement community in Shelburne on Tuesday, June 20, 2023. She was born on July 28, 1933, in North Adams, Mass., to Edward Morris Collins and Francis Fairley Collins. She was the middle of three daughters who were followed by a son. Her father was a college professor who built a camp on Crescent Beach at Lake Willoughby the year she was born. Rachel was predeceased by her parents; her older sister, Ann; and Ann’s daughter, Susan. She is survived by her husband, John Eby; her younger sister, Mary Collins Eby (married to one of John’s brothers); her brother, Donald Collins; her five children, Kenneth Mitchell-Eby of Barton; Eileen Eby of Daventry, United Kingdom, Paul Eby of Powhatan, Va., Eric Eby of Amesbury, Mass., and Brian Eby of Haverhill, Mass.; five grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews. Rachel graduated from high school in Granville, Ohio, where her father was teaching at Denison University, and then entered Wooster College in Wooster in the Class of 1954. There she majored in biology and played French horn in the marching band where she met John Eby. They were married at the end of their junior year, taking advantage of married student quarters on campus, which were no longer in use by students in the GI Bill of Rights. The next year she was invited to the Phi Beta Kappa Society and graduated with high honors. Her graduation gown served well as a maternity outfit, and Kenneth was born in July. The next five years were spent in Rochester, N.Y., where John worked on a doctorate in physics and Rachel produced two more children. Then they rented a house in Marblehead, Mass., for a year while John went to work for Sylvania Lighting Products. They bought a house in Ipswich, Mass., the next year where they lived for 37 years. Two more children were born, the last on New Year’s Day in 1965. Rachel joined the church choir in Ipswich and started taking singing lessons from a local teacher. A little while later she joined the Tanglewood Chorus, the vocal music branch of the Boston Symphony. She was dropped after three years because her voice didn’t blend well with the other singers and was advised to study with a professional singer. So, she did, and she joined the Newburyport Choral Society, a large local community chorus, and Cantemus, a serious vocal ensemble. For the rest of her life singing was a passion and she was an outstanding member of community choruses and church choirs wherever the family lived. In Ipswich she also served as a Sunday school teacher and a group leader for Brownies as well as knitting and taking up quilting in a serious way. After enjoying the Collins family camp on Lake Willoughby almost every year of her life, in 1991 she fulfilled a long-time desire to own property in Vermont when a renovated farmhouse from the 1840s came on the market in Irasburg. This was used for weekends and vacations, particularly when Rachel joined the annual celebration of music at the Barton United Church. When John retired from Sylvania in 1997, the couple moved to Irasburg house, and in 1998 the house in Ipswich was sold. In 2006 the decision was made move to Wake Robin in Shelburne. The pattern for the next 12 years was six summer months spent in Irasburg, followed by six months as snowbirds in Wake Robin. In Irasburg, Rachel continued to participate in church work and choir at the Barton Community Church. She also worked with the Northeast Kingdom Chorus and the Old Stone House Museum as well as creating a torrent of knitting, quilt design and construction projects. At Wake Robin she joined the chorus, enjoyed English country dancing, took oil painting classes and worked with the fiber arts committee on knitting and quilting projects. On two occasions she had a show of her quilts on the walls of the Gentry Gallery. She also sang in the Shelburne Methodist Church choir and participated in worship and study there. The loss of her memory was a decades-long process and testing showed no medical causes other than senile dementia, with no path to recovery. Gradually she was stripped of the experiences of a lifetime and of her artistic outlets until all she had left was her voice and her memory of tunes that let her participate in singalongs. For the last four years of her life, she was confined to Wake Robin’s memory care unit where the constant care and attention of the staff was marvelous, particularly through the time of the COVID-19 epidemic. She died just three days before her 70th wedding anniversary and now is waiting, with her personality restored, for the remainder of the family to join her. Celebrations of her life will be held on Saturday, July 29, 2023, at 1 p.m. in the Barton United Church, as well as on Sunday, Aug. 6, 2023, at 2 p.m. in the meeting room at the community center of Wake Robin in Shelburne. All are welcome, and donations in lieu of flowers can be made to Doctors Without Borders.

March 5, 1928 – May 19, 2023

Aldridge, Alfreda Diggs ~
Passed away quietly on May 19, 2023. Born in Chicago, IL to Dr. N. Alfred Diggs & his wife Carrie Simpson, Alfreda was educated in the public schools of Chicago. Matriculated at Wooster College in Ohio, Graduated from Roosevelt University in Chicago and received her MA in English and Drama from New York University.

After attending the American Academy of Dramatic Arts In NYC she toured England in “Anna Lucasta” for a year, ending the run at The Prince of Wales Theater in London. Desiring to work in TV production she found as an African American and a Woman in the “50’s” the greatest challenge was getting hired by a TV station. Despite the obstacles presented and after unbelievable efforts on her part, she finally joined CBS-TV answering fan mail on “The Garry Moore show” in 1953 where she learned the art of Television Production. Alfreda retired after 40 years as a Freelance Associate Director/Producer of mostly live TV shows, many of which took her around the world. Her last career was as a Real Estate Associate Broker with Coldwell Banker Residential in Briarcliff Manor from which she retired in February of 2019.

Alfreda spent over 10 years as a Guide at Kykuit, the Rockefeller Estate and was on the Benefit committees of several local charitable organizations.

She was pre-deceased by her husband Ira F. Aldridge, and her Sister Virginia L. Diggs. Alfreda is survived by her Step Grandson, Oliver Sloman, Cousin, Gina Gunn and her family and many friends. She will be buried with her husband at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Tarrytown, NY.

At her request there will be no service, there will just be a brief graveside gathering.

At age 88 I built this labyrinth myself, out of 18 pound stones, last summer.   30’ each side. Classic 5 round labyrinth in my back yard. Open to public.  RedfieldLabyrinth.com.
It was built in response to Lamentations 3:22-26 and total healing of bladder cancer and covid.
I also received a Masters of Arts in Christian Leadership from Dubuque Seminary in 2022 and now function as a Lay Pastor in the great Presbytery of South Dakota.

Hi – It’s been about 55 years since I wrote anything.  But retired at last, gives some time!  I’ve been living in Deventer, a beautiful old Hansiatic city in the east of the Netherlands since 1984.  Good health is a gift for which I am daily grateful. Since Jan 2022,, when a friend for whom I was caring died, I am leading a very lazy life, enjoying having time to do whatever pleases me;

• that is a lot of gardening – I live in a condo and have for many years taken care of the borders around our block.  We have welcomed newcomers to take a space of the garden, but no takers.  So I get to do whatever I want, and have been experimenting these last 5 years with different methods, sowing and gathering my own seeds, taking cuttings, and being constantly surprised at the beauty of the smallest things. Since I have a lot of time now – the garden has been looking not bad at all.
• teaching my last small painting/drawing class weekly ( all 5 of us are oldies, our elder  being 95, but are going strong).
• cleaning out all my art materials – the big work is finding good ‘homes’ for it all.
•  two weeks in Stockholm and a month in Luang Praabang, Laos visiting my son Arjan, wife and 2 kids who were on a world trip July 22-July23.  How I loved the country!  Enjoyed it totally.
• another month last november in LA visiting them again at home.  I hadn’t been to the States since covid,
• singing in two choirs
• quitting all (well almost) volunteer work
• reading, walking, visiting friends, hanging out…

So let me know if you want a coffee with tart and a walk around an old medieval town. It would be great fun to see any old classmate who happens to remember me.  Or to hear from the old crowd about what is going on in your part of the world.  +1 6 4648 2941. call or app,text or mail.

Anne Willson Eubank Jolliff

Facilitator, Appreciator Extraordinaire!

Anne Willson Eubank Jolliff was born on September 19, 1935 to missionary parents in Chefoo, China. Her family returned to the United States two years later and she spent her childhood as the daughter of a preacher in a series of West Texas towns including Coleman and Menard. She walked roof-tops with her brother, nailed her sundress to a sandbox, and spent her summers living on the Eubank family ranch in Brown County where she taught herself how to drive on the long, narrow dirt lane that led in from the highway. She wasn’t allowed to pull out onto the main road, so boy, could she drive backward!

Anne (with an “e”) attended Brownwood High School for two years, and in 1951, at the age of 15 she took a solo train trip across the country to Massachusetts to attend boarding school at Northfield.

She went on to get a Bachelor’s degree in Geology from the College of Wooster in Ohio. While serving on the student council there, she met James Walter Jolliff, a theater major, who quickly switched majors to pre-med to be a more “eligible” suitor. The two married in 1957 and continued to live in Ohio where Anne got her Masters in Education from Case Western Reserve and taught 4th grade in Cleveland as Jim completed medical school training.

The couple moved to San Diego, California where Anne had their first son, David, in 1965. She almost, but didn’t quite, lose the stroller down the big hill that led to the ocean. Two years later, they moved to Waco, Texas to be near Anne’s parents, her brother, and their beloved family ranch near Brownwood.

Anne had a second son, Rob, in 1967 and a daughter, Jenny, three years later. By then, she’d already become an active parent volunteer at St. Paul’s Episcopal School. She spent her spare evening hours sewing or perusing AAA maps and tour books, plotting out the two-week family driving vacations which took the Jolliffs to all but a handful of states over the course of a dozen years.

When her children moved on to Vanguard Preparatory School, Anne’s energy went with them. She served on the board for many years, including as the head of the Chairperson. In her iconic green (and then yellow) Suburban, she became the much loved unofficial bus driver of countless soccer teams, the Lady Vikings basketball team, and the German Exchange Students. 

Anne was a genuine appreciator and supporter of Waco’s performing arts, regularly attending plays, musicals and symphony performances at MCC, the Civic Theater, and Baylor University. For more than two decades following Jim’s death in 1993, she volunteered as a docent at the Art Center Waco, The Mayborn Museum, and the Historic Village. She was also a “hard hat” supporter of the Cameron Park Zoo during many phases of its construction.

Anne loved to travel. Her globe-trotting journeys with her family and friends took her to five continents and more than three dozen countries including England, India, Chile, Norway, Estonia, Morocco, Switzerland, and, of course, China. She came home with folk art and beads to decorate her walls, and filled album after album with collages of photos from her travels.

Most summers, Anne attended a week-long field school dig sponsored by the Texas Archaeology Society. She delighted in conjecture and speculation, and especially loved to engage young people in mind-bending conversations about books, natural history, and the universal “what if?”

Working with complex spatial relationships came easily to Anne, and she gladly shared her architectural enthusiasm and skills with friends and family. In the 70’s she designed an addition to her own house on Chateau Avenue and remodeled every room to have tons of built-in cabinetry and shelving. She moved on to design a new second floor for her parents’ ranch house plus two remodels for her friends down the street. In the 80’s, she was a key figure in the designing of the Mayborn and Jaworsky Center buildings on the Vanguard campus, and when her son, Rob, built his house a decade later, she was right there, ready to pore over possible layouts with him.

Anne prided herself on her ability to “whip around” and get things done. She mowed her own lawn, cleaned her own gutters, trimmed her own bushes, and used her carpentry skills to build both bookshelves and the attics in which to put them! She had an absolutely astounding ability to sew anything she could imagine. From curtains, bedspreads, pillows, and stuffed animals to tailored suits, formal dresses, Halloween costumes, and reupholstered armchairs, nothing was beyond her. In fact, only a few weeks before she passed, the two most precious things she wanted from her old apartment were her Singer Featherweight sewing machine and her bucket of tools!

Family was always Anne’s priority. She fully embraced her role as “Grannie Annie,” caring for her granddaughters, Emily, Brooke, and Rebecca, many days a week for years and visiting Springer, her grandson in Alaska, every chance she got. She became a second mother to many friends and neighbors as well. Children were always welcome in her yard, in her house, and in her cookie cans (which was a good thing because she had an insatiable sweet tooth and needed their help depleting the resources).

Anne Jolliff died peacefully of natural causes Wednesday, January 3, 2024. We’ve all been so fortunate to have her facilitating and appreciating the good things in our lives. Let’s picture her now, off on her next great adventure, steering her celestial Suburban through the sky!

Anne’s ashes will be strewn in the bluebonnets on the “Aunt Hill” at the family ranch this spring.

Anne was preceded in death by her brother, Joseph Broocke Eubank last fall; and her husband, James Walter Jolliff. She is survived by her son, David Broocke Jolliff, his wife, Kerri (Missy) Bullard Jolliff, and granddaughter Brooke Bailey Jolliff; son Robert Bransford Jolliff, his wife, Michelle Myers Jolliff, and granddaughters Emily Anne Jolliff and Rebecca Marie Jolliff; daughter Jennifer Anne Jolliff, her partner, Ian Moore and grandson, Springer Fenn Moore; and her brother-in-law, David Llewellen Reed.

Please visit this link to see more photos of Anne and add some of your own!

Tidal Echoes Literary & Arts Journal 2023 honored Lin

In 2015, Lin returned to the classroom as a student of creative writing. (Alaskans over 65 can take courses free at the University of Alaska.)  Writing skills learned at Wooster and love of poetry via Professor Raymond McCall and Miss Mateer gave Lin a lyrical way to share her LGBTQ experiences. The 2023 Tidal Echoes Journal featured two queer artists, Chloey Klaak Shaa Cavanaugh, and 80 year-old Lin, proud to share her “Pantoum for Pulse Orlando.” Among other poems, the journal includes her piece about working at Chicago’s Beacon Neighborhood House with a team of Wooster students and Rev. Ray Day.

The U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board are pleased to announce that Sarah McCrea of Warrensville Heights High School in Ohio has received a Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms Program award.

As a Fulbright recipient, McCrea will share knowledge and foster meaningful connections across communities in the United States and abroad. Fulbrighters engage in cutting-edge research and expand their professional networks, often continuing research collaborations started abroad and laying the groundwork for forging future partnerships between institutions. Upon returning to their classrooms in the United States, they share their stories and often become active supporters of international exchange, inviting foreign scholars and educators to their school or campus and encouraging their colleagues and students to go abroad. As Fulbright alumni, their careers are enriched by joining a network of thousands of esteemed scholars, many of whom are leaders in their fields. Fulbright alumni include 60 Nobel Prize laureates, 89 Pulitzer Prize recipients, and 40 who have served as a head of state or government.

The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program and is supported by the people of the United States and partner countries around the world. The Fulbright Program is funded through an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations, and foundations around the world also provide direct and indirect support to the Program.

For over 75 years, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 400,000 participants – chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential – with the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas, and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns. For further information about the Fulbright Program or the U.S. Department of State, please visit http://eca.state.gov/fulbright or contact the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Press Office by e-mail ECA-Press@state.gov.

Left to right: Austin Russell ’19, Harper Jones ’19, Marco Sapien ’17, Mariel Ward ’19, Lauren Pugliese ’17, Andrew Klein ’19, Julia Rothschild ’17, Emily Donato ’16, Jared Berg ’17, Adam Richert ’19, Matt Witt-Kelly ’17, Maria Witt-Kelly ’17, David Coen ’82, Claire Smrekar ’19, Onyx Marosi ’17, Chrissy O’Grady ’17, Michael Berg ’84

My hubby Keith and I moved in 2021 to the Florida panhandle (near Destin!!) so that I could take an MBSE Systems Engineering position with the USAF. I love the job, the people and the mission. The only downside is that I miss living close to my kids. We travel frequently back to Ohio and try to catch up with Wooster friends when we do.

James Austin and Brigitte Galauner (both Class of 2018) were married on October 14th, 2023, in Olmsted Falls, OH. Alumni in attendance were (from left to right): Nathaniel Längle-Moore (’18), Jackson Groat (’17), Becca Hotz (’18), Janel Romagnoli (’18), and Dora Snow (’17).

On November 23, 2023, Barbara Ann Honhart passed away peacefully at her home. She was 81. Barbara was born February 15, 1942, in Anderson, Indiana.

Barbara grew up in Hanover, Indiana, and attended The College of Wooster in Ohio. At Wooster, she earned a B.A. in psychology, and met her husband, Fred. The couple celebrated their 57th anniversary last August. She later earned an M.A. and PhD from the University of Iowa. Professionally, Barbara taught psychology at both Lansing Community College and Baker College in Owosso and Flint, Michigan. She moved into college administration at Baker, eventually becoming Vice President for Academics for the Baker College system.

Barbara was heavily involved in the community and her church. She enjoyed reading, traveling, going to shows, watching sports, playing with her grandchildren, and spending time with her pets. She is survived by her husband, Fred, her sister, Marilyn, her sons, David and Stephen, daughters-in-law Jena and Niki, and her grandchildren, Elizabeth, Abby, Katherine, and Matt. Services will be held at Gorsline Runciman Funeral home in East Lansing, Michigan on Saturday, December 9th, with a visitation from 10 am to 12 noon and the service at 12 noon. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to The Davies Project or The Greater Lansing Food Bank.

Judith (Judy) Cornell McFarland was born on December 10, 1942 in Glens Falls, New York and died on September 7, 2023 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Judy was the only child of Richard (Doug) Walter Cornell and Ruth Colvin Cornell. Although her parents were not college educated, they worked in payroll management and bookkeeping and encouraged their daughter to pursue higher education. Her parents’ love of numbers and order rubbed off, and she graduated from the College of Wooster with a degree in mathematics. She met her husband, James (Jim) Thomas McFarland, at the College of Wooster, and they married on June 13, 1964.

Before she became a mother, Judy worked as a math teacher to support her husband’s graduate education. Once her children were of school age, she returned to part-time teaching as a substitute teacher, math lab coordinator, tutor, and adjunct university instructor. She loved helping people overcome the fear of math and gain confidence in their ability to calculate percentages, make sense of word problems, and solve for the value of x.

When her husband of twenty-five years died in 1990, she went back to school to get a master’s degree in computer science. She built a second career for herself with ProServices, a medical billing firm. She retired early, at 63, and that second career provided her with financial security for the rest of her life.

As a mother, Judy nurtured, protected, and proudly loved her children. She helped them with homework, baked them the best chocolate chip cookies in the world, taught them to drive, and walked with them as they faced the ups and downs of their lives as adults. Judy considered her children to be her greatest legacy.

Judy loved travel, particularly long adventures by train. She loved the beauty of the Oregon coast. She loved talking with her friends and entertaining acquaintances with her sharp wit. She loved to read and think. And as evidenced by her interest in everything from hybrid vehicles to sock knitting, she loved learning. She loathed bad grammar and the film The Wizard of Oz.

Judy is survived by her daughter Colleen Rademaker and son-in-law Robert Rademaker of Bowie, Maryland; her son Kevin McFarland-Porter and daughter-in-law Theresa McFarland-Porter of Rochester, New York; and by three grandchildren David, of Denver, Colorado, Ross, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Elizabeth of Vienna, Virginia.

Her family is particularly grateful for her companion and helper, Christa Runde, and for Susan Borkowsky at Alexian Village who helped her to maintain as much of her fierce independence as possible in her later years as she encountered more health challenges.

A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, October 28 at 11:00 AM at Immanuel Presbyterian Church, 1100 N. Astor St., Milwaukee, WI 53202. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to Immanuel Presbyterian Church or Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin.