In Memoriam

(to be published in the Summer 2010 Bulletin)

1929
George Chandler Tillotson, Tiffin.

1934
Dr.  Roy Whistler, West Lafayette, Ind., died Feb. 7, 2010. He was a pioneer and leader in carbohydrate research and applications, and was emeritus Hillenbrand Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry at Purdue University. Following his graduation from Heidelberg in 1934, he earned his master’s degree from The Ohio State University and his Ph.D. degree from Iowa State University. He began his career at Purdue in 1945.
 
He contributed to many aspects of carbohydrate chemistry, but was best known for pioneering research on polymeric carbohydrates known as polysaccharides, and for promoting their industrial applications, including the development of the guar gum industry. He also perceived the industrial potential of starch amylase and with a corn geneticist colleague, developed the first high-amylose corn, now a valuable commercial crop. He was a leading consultant to the corn-starch industry during its major development in post World War II years.
 
For his scientific contributions, Dr. Whistler was awarded 10 major national and international awards. He was instrumental in the founding of several international organizations related to his field and was the recipient of four honorary doctorate degrees. He was a consultant to 20 companies and the author of a book on polysaccharide chemistry. A major international award, the Roy L. Whistler Award of the International Carbohydrate Organization is named in his honor, as is the Whistler Center for Carbohydrate Research at Purdue.

Raymond Kagy, Copley, Ohio, died Feb. 28, 2010. Raymond was the president and owner of Advanced Air Equipment in Copley. He also was a charter member and former president and secretary of the La Sertoma Club and a founding member and trustee of the Akron Sertoma Foundation. Raymond is survived by nieces and nephews.

1936
Helen Good Summer Holcomb, Tiffin, passed away Feb. 9, 2010. Helen began her 55-year career as an educator in Plymouth, Ohio, and then taught Latin, French and English at Southeastern High School in Ross County. She returned to teaching in 1967, teaching grade school, language arts, the gifted program and serving as librarian and enrichment teacher at Tiffin St. Mary’s School. Helen volunteered at the school until her retirement in 2007. She is survived by three daughters, Helen Holcomb, Vanessa Thomas and Lisa Woodland; a sister, Lois Ludwig; five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

1941
“Beatrice” Elizabeth (Stephens) DeRose, Huron, Ohio, died Aug. 31, 2009. Beatrice worked as a teacher, first at Lacarne Elementary in Ottawa County, and later at East Junior High in Tiffin. She is survived by her son, Joseph; three grandchildren and two great-granddaughters.

Hazel (Mosser) Decker, Bellevue, Ohio, died Oct. 18, 2009. Hazel spent her career as a teacher at Thompson and Bellevue schools. She is survived by two daughters, Etta Meisner and April Bickel; a sister, Helen Hutchison; 16 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren.

1945
Edith (Finnell) Waytula, Chicago, died Oct. 28, 2009. She is survived by her husband, Edward; two sons, Edward Jr. and Joseph; one daughter, Ellen; and two grandchildren.

Elizabeth (Fabian) Brodman, Tiffin, passed away Feb. 26, 2010. After earning her degree in music, Elizabeth taught at Bettsville and New Riegel schools for several years. She is survived by five sons, Frank, Phillip, Tom, Mike and Richard; eight daughters,
Gwen Achen, Fran Genet, Linda Valko, Janet Fisher, Patti Wigton, Susan Scholl, Barbara Weinandy and Ellen Nedlik; 45 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.

 1946
Lois (Kissler) Bordner, Louisville, died June 16, 2009. Lois was active in volunteer work. She was a member of Friends of Locust Grove, the National Historic Association, the National Association of Historical Researchers and the National Trust of Historic Restoration, among others. In 2000, she was named a Louisville Millennium Maker for her training of volunteers associated with museums and historical buildings. She is survived by her daughter, Corine Bordner; and a son, Wayne.

1947
Richard “Dick” Lutterbein, Edgerton, Ohio, died Dec. 15, 2009. He was the owner of the Lutterbein Lumber Co.  He helped lead the company in building the American Homes in the Japan project, which was a pioneering effort for American companies. He is survived by three daughters, Barbara Lutterbein, Diana Imbrock ’72 and Susan Buck; a brother, Edward ’50; a sister, Marian Rohrbaugh ’49; and five grandchildren.

1948
Donna Jean Iden, Carroll, Ohio, died Dec. 25, 2009. Donna was a member of the Columbus All Breed Training Club and was also active in the American Kennel Club. She is survived by her husband, Charles; a son, Timothy; and three grandchildren.

1950
John A. Bole, Meadville, Pa., died Nov. 1, 2009. He was owner and operator of Bole’s Office Supply and Equipment for 39 years. He is survived by his wife, Jeanne; two daughters, Barbara Stewart and Patricia Armstrong; a son, John Jr.; and three grandchildren.

Joan (Richards) Noonan, Altoona, Pa., died Feb. 4, 2010. She taught health and physical education in Tiffin, then at the Altoona Area School District for 25 years. She is survived by two sons: Donald and Richard; and a sister, Marguerite Bottorff of Warren, Ohio.

1951
Alice Arlene (Laughlin) Shoub, Tiffin, died Oct. 3, 2009. Alice was a dedicated volunteer in the Tiffin area. She is survived by two daughters, Elizabeth Moyer and Jennifer Shoub; a son, David; a sister, Marian Zechiel ’46; six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

1952
Paul Witner, Salinas, Calif., passed away Nov. 4, 2009.

1953
Mary (McKee) Ritter, Canandaigua, N.Y., died Jan. 6, 2010. Mary worked for Gannett Newspapers in Rochester and Xerox and also the Evening Tribune newspaper in Hormell. She was a pollster, census taker and animal census taker. Mary is survived by a step-daughter, Lisa Montes; and a step-son, William Ritter.

1954
Mark Royer Friedley, Wadsworth, Ohio, died Dec. 23, 2009. He was employed as a purchasing agent for the Ohio Boxboard Co. and as a sales representative for the Brewer-Chilcote Paper Co.  He then purchased the Larson Insurance Agency in Wadsworth and worked in the insurance business until his retirement in 1995. Mark served as a Heidelberg University trustee for 30 years, and was honored with the Alumni Citation in 1989. He also served as president of the Heidelberg National Alumni Association. Mark is survived by his wife, Mary; three daughters, Holly Clark, Sarah Johnson and Alyce DeChant; one son, Jim; a brother, George; and seven grandchildren.

1955
William E. Mansfield, Fostoria, Ohio, died Nov. 26, 2009. William was a former professor of music at Tarklo College in Tarklo, Mo. He later retired from the Gray Printing Co. Following his retirement, William was employed by Fostoria High School as a choral accompanist. He is survived by his sisters, Joyce Hayes and Shirley Knisely.

Judith (Eisenhart) Hughes, Albuquerque, N.M., died Oct. 21, 2009. Although primarily a homemaker, Judith held several administrative positions in Albuquerque. She is survived by her husband, Duane; a daughter, Cynthia Hatley; a son, Doug; a sister, Mary Ellen Roberts; a brother, David Eisenhart; and five grandchildren.

1960
John Rinehart, Atlanta, died Aug. 4, 2009. John taught piano and composition at Heidelberg in the early 1970s. He later became the chair of the music department at Antioch until his retirement in 2004. All the while, he composed works which earned performances in the U.S., Europe and Asia.

1962
William Petry, Lansing, Mich., died Aug. 25, 2009. Bill was a professor of mathematics at Lansing Community College for 36 years. He also was a tireless advocate for peace and social justice dating back to his participation in the Civil Rights movement in Atlanta. He is survived by his wife, Julia (Rahib) ’66; and a son, Hisham.

Ruth (Barlow) Shult, Seattle, died April 19, 2009. Ruth worked as an assistant professor and lecturer in English at Heidelberg, Ohio Northern University and Ohio State University. She is survived by her husband, Donald; two daughters, Dana Buckley and Megan Zalkan; a brother, retired Heidelberg faculty member, Dr. George Barlow; and three grandchildren.

1963
Michael Pecsenye, Houston, died Sept. 6, 2009. Mike was retired from Mobil Oil Co. in 1996, and from the Harris County Hospital District in 2003. He is survived by his wife, Donna; a daughter, Gayle Martinez; a son, John; and a brother, Don.

1964
James “Jim” Sessions, Safety Harbor, Fla., died Nov. 19, 2009. Jim was a teacher before earning his doctorate at the University of Toledo, where he was an assistant football coach. He also was a professor/football coach at Defiance College before becoming assistant football coach at Marietta College. Jim finished his teaching career in St. Paul, Minn., where he was a professor and head football coach at Hamline University. Afterward, he worked in the surgical products orthopedics division at 3M, later moving to Santa Barbara, Calif., where he worked at Bristol Myers-Squibb for 17 years. Jim is survived by his wife, Janet (MacMillan) ’66.

1965
Cynthia Lynne Garver, Raleigh, N.C., died suddenly on Nov. 10, 2009, from an accidental fall. Cynthia had worked as a freelance copy editor for scholarly books from several university presses. Although she spent many years freelancing for many publishers, she worked in-house at Holt, Rinehart and Winston’s foreign-language division in Corte Madera, Calif., and in Cary’s office of Oxford University Press. More recently, Cynthia was a reservations agent for American Airlines. She is survived by her son, Jay Rodriguez; and a brother, Steven Garver.

1966
Regina Courtney, Tiffin, died Oct. 30, 2009. Regina began her career as a teacher in Indiana and Michigan before returning to Tiffin, where she worked at the Tiffin Developmental Center until her retirement in 1991. She is survived by a daughter, Jane Mann; a sister, Leona Einsel ’52; four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

1967
Susan (Stevens) McKay, Atlanta, died Nov. 18, 2009. Susan pursued a career in marketing and medical research, the latter including a long stint at the University of Pennsylvania. She is survived by her husband, Donald; and a sister, Carol Sormrude.

Larry J. Kelly, Marion, Ohio, died June 6, 2009. Larry began his career working with his father at the J.C. Kelly & Son Oil Co. He then owned and operated the Big K Kork & Kap Drive Thru and also ran the Endzone in Bucyrus. He is survived by a son, Joe.

1969
Pamela (Paderewski) Beurmen, Tempe, Az., died Feb. 9, 2010. She worked at Turf Paradise for more than 35 years and also ran the off-track site at Skip & Jan’s in Chandler, Az. In her early years, she worked at the Phoenix Greyhound Park. Pam is survived by her husband, Rudy.

1970
William Lyman Huffman Jr., Rocky River, Ohio, died Sept. 20, 2009. William had a long career in the banking industry. He started at Central National Bank, also worked for banks such as Provident and was most recently working as senior vice president of commercial banking for First Merit Bank. He is survived by his wife, Ann; two daughters, Elizabeth and Leslie Huffman; a son, William III; a sister, Betsy Brower; and a brother, David.

1986
Joey Jay Rudy, Sidney, Ohio, died Nov. 28, 2009. He was the owner and operator of 1157 designconcepts, a firm that designs and manufactures recognition awards for various companies. He is survived by three brothers, James, Jeff and Jon.

1989
David Lohmeyer, Waterville, Ohio, died suddenly Nov. 19, 2009. David worked in the mortgage industry for various firms in the Toledo area and in California, and also was self-employed in the home remodeling business. He is survived by his wife, Melanie; three sons, Jaxson, Aiden and Quinn; a daughter, Kaelynn; his father, Henry; a brother, Brandon; and two sisters, Pamela Jennings and Debbie Burch.

1994
Nancy (Traunero) Kiser, Tiffin, passed away Sept. 20, 2009. Nancy was an administrative assistant at Mercy Hospital, a teacher at Calvert High School, a visiting teacher for Tiffin City Schools and a teacher at Tiffin Columbian High School. She was most recently attendance officer for the Tiffin City Schools. Nancy is survived by her husband, Jerome; two daughters, Monica Dawicke and Erica Kiser; two sons, Gregory and Matthew; her father, Robert; three sisters, Susan Rupert, Janet Fudge and Marla Lang; three brothers, John, Paul and Richard.

2000
Christopher Andrews, Plainfield, Ill., died Jan. 4, 2010, following complications from heart surgery. He had been working for a startup computer software company. He is survived by his wife, Rachel (Hunsdorf), ’00, and two sons, Josh and Gabe.
Friends

FRIENDS
Ralph Balmer, Findlay, Ohio, died Nov. 4, 2009. Ralph is survived by a daughter, Karen Balmer; a son, William; three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
 
Betty Biller, Tiffin, passed away Dec. 7, 2009. She was retired from Heidelberg, where she had worked as a custodian for 32 years.
 
William Henry Gibson, Tiffin, died Feb. 7, 2010. He was a professor of organ and piano at Heidelberg for 42 years. He is survived by two daughters, Julie Cox and Emily Ow; two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Agnes Hertzer, Naples, Fla., died Feb. 10, 2010. She is survived by her husband, Donald Hertzer, ’52.

Max Hillmer, Tiffin, died Dec. 25, 2009. Max taught psychology at the University of Washington, Illinois State and Waterloo Lutheran University before coming to Heidelberg University. He retired from Heidelberg in 1976. He is survived by his wife, Patricia ‘76; and two daughters, Felicity and Jennifer.

Robert Joyce, Tiffin, Dec. 30, 2009. Bob was a professor of English and an administrator at Heidelberg. He is survived by his wife, Gayle; a son, Sean ‘93; and two grandchildren.

J. DeWitt Lewis, Findlay, Ohio, died Dec. 24, 2009. He is survived by his wife, Gwen (Shepherd) ’59; a son, Clay; two daughters, Coleen Kiesel and Deanna Pankhurst; and nine grandchildren.

Retired religion and philosophy professor Dr. David Noss, Tiffin, died Jan. 7, 2010. He began teaching at Heidelberg in 1950 and continued his work well beyond his retirement in 1989. He is well known for his authorship of A History of the World’s Religions, a textbook used on college campuses throughout the United States. Dr. Noss is survived by a daughter, Jeanne Kline; a son, Roger Noss; and seven grandchildren.

Richard Noss, Westerville, Ohio, died unexpectedly Oct. 12, 2009. He was the son of retired Heidelberg professor, Dr. David and Elizabeth Noss. He is survived by his wife, Mary; two daughters, Amy McCourt and Charlotte Noss; and a son, John.

Helen L. Swartz, Akron, passed away March 16, 2009. She is survived by two daughters, Linda O’Brien and Nancy Harder; a son, John; seven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Claude Young, Green Springs, Ohio, died Nov. 3, 2009. He is survived by his wife, Carolyn; three sons, Trustee Dr. Wade Young ’79; Bret and Todd; 12 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
 

 
 
Use obituary notes to submit information you would like to share with classmates.