2005 spring edition

The University of SPRING 2005

ToledoALUMNI MAGAZINE

PLACES IN THE ART

T he bookcase in my office is topped with a sculpture I bought at Art on the Mall a few years back. The base of the piece is a chunk of rough-hewn sandstone out of

which poke four thin metal bars. A silvery wire netting twines through the bars, and a sinuous piece of clear blown glass slithers across the whole thing.

It’s not a big sculpture or a colorful one, and people who pass through the office tend to overlook it. If they do notice, the response is often half-puzzled, half-apprehensive: “You bought this? Huh. So — you like it?”

Well, yeah.

If I had to analyze the attraction, I’d say that I like the contrast between the plain poles and the delicate netting, between the gritty rock and the highly polished glass, but the simpler truth is that the sculpture reached out and “spoke to me.” There’s nothing high-falutin’ or mystical about it; I was drawn to it, I liked the heft of it, the tactile feel of it, the overall “it” of it.

And for the 95 percent of us who have no formal training in art theory, isn’t that what art should be about? A personal connection — sometimes visceral, sometimes intellectual — that engages us, makes us (as one of the artists profiled in our cover story suggests) an active participant in the artistic process.

This issue’s series of artist-alumni profiles is meant to inspire some of that active participation, giving us a taste of the joyous passion these folks feel for their art. And if the stories bring people into my office for another look at that sculpture on the bookcase, so much the better!

In any case, I hope to see you this summer at Art on the Mall (see our back cover) for an even closer encounter with UT’s community of the arts. It’s a day when a whole lot of us are happily susceptible to those silent but insistent “Take me home!” calls from the art being displayed.

As Whistler said in one of his vociferous lectures, “Art is upon the town!” And what a terrific invasion that is!

Cynthia NowakEditor, Toledo Alumni Magazine

THE UNIVERSITY OF TOLEDOALUMNI ASSOCIATION OFFICERSAND TRUSTEES

PRESIDENTTheodore T. Hahn ’65, ’67

FIRST VICE PRESIDENTBirdel F. Jackson ’68

SECOND VICE PRESIDENTBarbara Berebitsky ’91 SECRETARYJames W. White Jr. ’76, ’79

TREASURERConstance D. Zouhary ’81

PAST PRESIDENTKaren L. Fraker ’84

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Dan Saevig ’84, ’89

ONE-YEAR TRUSTEESRomualdo Brown ’92Mary Pilkington Hills ’53, ’79Richard N. Longenecker** ’86, ’88George E. Robinson ’02Mark A. Urrutia* ’88Sally M. Castillo ’89, ’01

TWO-YEAR TRUSTEESWalter “Chip” Carstensen ’72, ’74Jon R. Dvorak M.D. ’80Marc D. Folk* ’98Lynn Hutt ’95Jay Pearson** ’91Stacey Scharf* ’89, ’98Dr. Robert J. Schlembach ’49Suzanne Wambold PhD, RN, RDC* ’85, ’91, ’02

THREE-YEAR TRUSTEESDavid D. Dobrzykowski ’95, ’99Gary J. Corrigan PhD ’70, ’77Susan Gilmore ’89, ’93Donald L. Warner ’74, ’76

STUDENT REPRESENTATIVEBrian Fisher (appointed by Student Alumni Association)

*Appointed by the affiliate committee** Chapter representative

fore words

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on the cover: Toledo icon gets the Warhol makeover

RECYCLED PAPER

featuresGilded Toledo

othertradtional & un

class notes

book reviews

cover storyArs longa

THE UNIVERSITY OF TOLEDOALUMNI ASSOCIATION OFFICERSAND TRUSTEES

PRESIDENTTheodore T. Hahn ’65, ’67

FIRST VICE PRESIDENTBirdel F. Jackson ’68

SECOND VICE PRESIDENTBarbara Berebitsky ’91 SECRETARYJames W. White Jr. ’76, ’79

TREASURERConstance D. Zouhary ’81

PAST PRESIDENTKaren L. Fraker ’84

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Dan Saevig ’84, ’89

ONE-YEAR TRUSTEESRomualdo Brown ’92Mary Pilkington Hills ’53, ’79Richard N. Longenecker** ’86, ’88George E. Robinson ’02Mark A. Urrutia* ’88Sally M. Castillo ’89, ’01

TWO-YEAR TRUSTEESWalter “Chip” Carstensen ’72, ’74Jon R. Dvorak M.D. ’80Marc D. Folk* ’98Lynn Hutt ’95Jay Pearson** ’91Stacey Scharf* ’89, ’98Dr. Robert J. Schlembach ’49Suzanne Wambold PhD, RN, RDC* ’85, ’91, ’02

THREE-YEAR TRUSTEESDavid D. Dobrzykowski ’95, ’99Gary J. Corrigan PhD ’70, ’77Susan Gilmore ’89, ’93Donald L. Warner ’74, ’76

STUDENT REPRESENTATIVEBrian Fisher (appointed by Student Alumni Association)

*Appointed by the affi liate committee** Chapter representative

EDITORCynthia Nowak ’78, ’80

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSPaul HelgrenVicki Kroll ’88

DESIGNERMeredith Thiede

PHOTOGRAPHERSTerry FellBill HartoughDan Miller

Toledo Alumni is published three timesa year in Fall, Winter and Spring by The University of Toledo Offi ce of Alumni Relations.

ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT/PUBLISHERDan Saevig ’84, ’89

DIRECTOR, ALUMNI PROGRAMMINGEric Slough ’95

ASSISTANT DIRECTORSAnsley Abrams ’92Renee Elliott ’96

OUTREACH COORDINATORBrian Weinblatt ’02, ’04

SEND CHANGE OF ADDRESSINFORMATION TO: Toledo Alumni, Offi ce of Alumni Relations, Driscoll Alumni Center, Mail Stop 301The University of ToledoToledo, OH 43606-3395

Telephone 419.530.ALUM (2586)or 800.235.6766 Fax 419.530.4994

The University of Toledo is committed toa policy of equal opportunity in education, employment, memberships and contracts, and no differentiation will be made based on race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, veteran status or the presence of a disability. The University will take affi rmative action as required by federal or state law.

contents Spring 2005 | Volume 52, Number 3

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2 Toledo Alumni Magazine | Spring 2005 www.toledoalumni.org

Toledo: traditional & un

Boldly initiating where no initiavtives have gone before

Economic tides are unpredictable at best, but colleges and universities in Ohio might be

wise to look for higher ground for some years to come — so ran the thrust of UT President Dan Johnson’s State of the University Address in January. Given the decreased state funding for higher education, he said, “To continue to do business as usual in these rapidly changing times seems to me to be almost irresponsible.” As part of the effort to proactively address the current and coming challenges, Johnson presented five initiatives for change. In speaking of collaboration, he noted with pride that “our three universities here in northwest Ohio are leading the state in inter-institutional partnerships. There is no question: The University of Toledo, the Medical College of Ohio and Bowling Green State University have broken new ground and are creating a new model for collaboration among universities.” The second goal, the Toledo

Science and Technology Corridor, was begun two years ago, he said. “I outlined an initiative that would leverage the University’s research programs on behalf of the city and region, and would stimulate economic development through high-wage job creation, new business spinoffs and high-tech startups from our research.” Prioritization of programs and services was the third initiative Johnson proposed, saying, “We must know and understand our institutional priorities in this era of shrinking resources. We cannot and will not try to be ‘all things to all people.’ “The purpose of prioritization is to lay the foundation for moving badly needed but increasingly scarce resources to high-priority programs — programs that are in great demand, that are central to the University’s mission, and that have the potential for gaining regional, state and even national recognition.” The fourth area of change would involve a genuine paradigm shift, Johnson said: “Could we, should we

become a ‘national public-private metropolitan university?’ In addition to serving our community and state as a metropolitan university, UT could become more of a ‘national’ metropolitan university, attracting more students from across the nation and worldwide to a new type of institution.” This would involve a break with the old models, he explained: “In the new paradigm, UT, while remaining a state-assisted public university, would operate more like a private entity or public/private partnership institution with multiple sources of support.” Johnson’s final proposal — linking tax reform with tuition reform — caused the greatest stir. Dubbing it “the power of a penny,” he explained its mathematics: “There are approximately 200,000 undergraduates who are Ohio residents attending our public universities. Assuming an average tuition rate of $7,000, the total cost for tuition to our students and their families is $1.4 billion. “A one-cent sales tax in our state generates $1.4 billion. In other words, a one-cent sales tax dedicated to higher education tuition reform would be virtually enough to allow all 200,000 Ohio undergraduates to attend a public university tuition-free! “The revenue from a half-a-cent sales tax dedicated to tuition reform would give our legislators the ability and resources to cut university tuition rates in half or by $3,500 a year.” Johnson closed his address by noting that universities were facing times like no others; to help UT with the decisions ahead, he urged active participation and constructive suggestions.

www.toledoalumni.org Toledo Alumni Magazine | Spring 2005 3

“T he time is now” — and the place is everywhere. The Campaign for The University

of Toledo extended its message to alumni and friends of UT across the globe when Thetimeisnow.utoledo.edu struck up the bandwidth in April. “This is the fi rst major UT campaign with which we can fully utilize the potential of the Internet,” said Vern Snyder, vice president of Institutional Advancement. “While our development offi cers and campaign volunteers are doing an excellent job of reaching the public, the new Web site exponentially increases the number of people we can connect with.”

Git along, li’l Texas doggies. Winter brought a stampede of Tony Packo parties to the Lone Star state. In Houston, Walt and Carrie Szczesny were two of the many UT alums sampling the grub. Their daughter, Anna, seems less than thrilled at having her dinner interrupted.

Thundering Rockets. June Hickman and Kytari Chapman practice ThunderStix technique at the Dallas alumni chapter’s MAC Championship watch party, held at Buffalo Wild Wings.

Megabytes for mega-message

He added, “We know that there are many people who support UT, but they haven’t thought about playing a part in the University’s future. This is a way for them to see exactly what they can do, and the big difference they can make.” The site offers a comprehensive yet concise summation of the effort. A fl ash movie brings viewers onto campus for the real-time energy and excitement of an ambitious campaign that’s setting the pace for UT’s future. The Campaign for The University of Toledo: Thetimeisnow.utoledo.edu.

Reducing those hefty student loansThe UT Alumni Association/Nelnet team continue to offer student loan consolidation. Qualifying borrowers who choose to consolidate can lock in a very low rate forthe entire life of the loan and dramatically reduce their monthly payment. Nelnet,a national leader in education fi nance,brings more than two decades of experience funding education. For more informationon consolidating student loans, call 1.866.4CONSOL(426.6765) or visit their Web site at www.alumniconsolidation.nelnet.net.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Peter Yarrow of famed folk group Peter, Paul and Mary takes the stage at Doermann Theater, courtesy of the College of Education and its alumni affi liate, to introduce local school kids to Operation Respect. Yarrow led the children in a chorus of “Don’t Laugh At Me,” the emblematic song for classroom curricula promoting a respectful climate for students and teachers. More information at www.dontlaugh.org/.


Toledo: traditional & un

Opposing tyranny in Nigeria. Saving lives with stem cell research. Writing books to share family

stories on the struggles faced by blacks before the civil rights movement. These are a few ways UT graduates are making a difference. Their stories and others are featured in The University of Toledo Alumni Who Have Changed the World. Published in December, the 77-page book spotlights nine people who spent some time on the UT campus before blazing trails in their respective fi elds. “When I fi rst suggested the idea for the book, it came out of the growing realization that The University of Toledo has produced an abundance of world-changing alumni — and their stories are fascinating,” UT President Dan Johnson said. “Collecting those stories and sharing them with a wider audience seemed like a worthy and exciting project.” Cynthia Nowak, editor of Toledo Alumni Magazine, put together a committee to help select those to be included in the book. The group focused on fi ve areas: science and technology; arts and humanities; business and professional; public service; and social service. Highlighted in the book are:• Olatunji Abayomi (Law ’79), an attorney and chair of Human Rights Africa who is fi ghting for democracy in Nigeria;• Dr. Nancy Heffner Collins (A/S ’69, MS ’74), director of the Cytotherapy Laboratory at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York whose work to improve grafts for stem cell transplantation is improving the success rate of that medical procedure;• Jon Hendricks (attended 1949-1950), UT Distinguished Professor of Jazz, considered the father of vocalese — the art of setting lyrics to established jazz arrangements;

• Dr. Julius Jacobson II (A/S ’47), director emeritus of vascular surgery and Distinguished Service Professor of Surgery at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, who is credited with inventing microsurgery thanks to designing the double binocular microscope called the diploscope;• Foy Kohler (attended 1924-1927), President John F. Kennedy’s U.S. ambassador to the Soviet Union who played a pivotal role in achieving a peaceful resolution to the Cuban missile crisis;• Dr. David Liddle (PhD ’72), Silicon

Valley virtuoso who helped accelerate the computer revolution while working in research, development, management and entrepreneurship at several high-tech companies in western California;• Dr. Nina McClelland (A/S ’51, MS ’63), former president and CEO of National Sanitation Foundation in Ann Arbor, Mich., who championed public health issues and raised purity

standards for public drinking water;• John Neff (Bus ’55), high-fi nance legend who beat the market 22 out of 31 years while managing Vanguard’s Windsor Fund at Wellington Management Co. in Philadelphia, and a prime mover in the Philadelphia Scholars Program for low-income students; and• Mildred Taylor (Ed ’65), author of Rollof Thunder, Hear My Cry (1976), which won the 1977 Newbery Medal for the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children, and other novels for young readers.

Book showcases ‘world-changing’ UT alumni

the book, it came out of the growing

Johnson said. “Collecting those

a wider audience seemed like a

select those to be included in the book. The group focused on fi ve

and professional; public service;

Highlighted in the book are:

• Dr. David Liddle (PhD ’72), Silicon Valley virtuoso who helped accelerate the computer revolution while working in research, development, management and entrepreneurship at several high-tech companies in western California;• Dr. Nina McClelland (A/S ’51, MS ’63), former president and CEO of National Sanitation Foundation in Ann Arbor, Mich., who championed public health issues and raised purity

Nowak wrote most of the alumni biographies, which were paired with a personal message penned by each honoree. The book’s design was done by Meredith M. Thiede, who also designs Toledo Alumni Magazine. “The book will go to the University’s closest friends and then be used as we travel around the country and as ‘leave behinds’ at prospective donor calls,” said Vern Snyder, vice president for institutional advancement. “It reminds us in a very real way that UT is a special place and within a very few pages makes the case. The quality of an institution is demonstrated by the accomplishments of its graduates.”

— Vicki L. Kroll, Offi ce of Marketing and Communications

Art of glass. The Visual & Performing Arts Alumni Affi liate ready for a guided walk-through of the Toledo Museum of Art’s new Glass Pavilion, in the form of a maquette. The fi nished pavilion, made entirely of glass and scheduled to open in 2006, will be a 76,000-square-foot facility housing the museum’s renowned glass collection and cutting-edge glassmaking facilities.


Alternative energy shone at a regional conference held at UT in October, with 150 researchers from UT, Bowling Green State University, Owens Community College and related local businesses pooling their expertise. The completion of a 1.2-kilowatt photovoltaic solar array added a fi gurative ribbon-cutting event to the conference’s schedule, and the structure stands on campus near McMaster Hall as an electrically kinetic reminder of solar energy’s potential. The array, funded mainly by Northwest Ohio’s Partnership for Alternative Energy Systems, is made of 20 used solar panels donated by Ohio’s Department of Development Offi ce of Energy Effi ciency. Passersby can consult the array’s digital readout that provides its electrical capabilities, or they can visit a kiosk with information on photovoltaic usage and research. Two more arrays are planned for this year.

Unruly sun put to work

Nine new bright lightsfor Varsity T Hall of Fame

The University of Toledo Varsity T Hall ofFame inducted nine former student-athletes and coaches into its Hall of Fame in February. They are:John Brandeberry The late Brandeberry was the fi rst head coach in UT football history, leading a group of 15 young men into battle in the inaugural 1917 season. He also served as the Dean of the College of Engineering from 1943-53, and was a long-time member and one-time chairman of the UT Athletic Board of Control. Bill Bronikowski Bronikowski was one of the all-time great sluggers on the baseball team, ranking fi rst in career home runs with 30, seventh in RBI with 122 and eighth in total bases with 288.He was named fi rst-team All-MAC as a designated hitter in 1995 and 1997, and as a catcher in 1996. Kim D’Angelo-Jones A vital part of women’s basketball teams that went 100-25 and played in three NCAA Tournaments from 1995 to 1997, D’Angelo-Jones was a four-year letter winnerwho was named honorable-mention All-MAC as a senior and made the 1997 MAC All-Tournament Team. Andy Fisher Fisher was a three-time Academic All-MAC selection on the men’s basketball team. He earned fi rst-team All-MAC honors as a senior in 1988-89, leading UT in points, free-throw percentage, rebounds, blocked shots, steals and fi eld-goal percentage. Ranking 18th in career scoring at UT with 1,273 points, he also has 645 career rebounds. Ryan Huzjak Huzjak was the Rockets’ quarterback on the undefeated team in 1995 that won the Las Vegas Bowl. He was voted second-team

All-MAC in 1995 and 1996, and was a two-time Academic All-MAC selection. He holds UT career records for pass completions and passing attempts, and is second in touchdown passes and passing yardage. Kim Knuth-Klaer Considered by many observers to be the greatest women’s basketball player in UT history and perhaps the best ever in the Mid-American Conference, Knuth-Klaer was a two-time MAC Player of the Year, a three-time fi rst-team All-MAC selection and the MAC Tournament MVP in 1999. She was named honorable mention All-America as a senior, and is the MAC’s all-time leading scorer with 2,509 points. Ted Ossoff A three-time All-MAC selection on the men’s golf team, in 1973, 1974 and 1975, Ossoff wasthe Rockets’ leading scorer for three seasons, and fi nished in the top 15 at the MAC Championship Tournament three times. Bob Rose Rose was a fi rst-team All-MAC defensive end on undefeated football teams in 1970 and 1971 that ranked No. 1 in the nation in total defense both seasons. Rose, who played on the offensive line as a sophomore on the undefeated ‘69 squad, was part of the Rockets’ teams that went 35-0 and won three consecutive Tangerine Bowls. Mel Tucker Tucker was a two-time All-MAC selection in football and a fi rst-team All-MAC pick in baseball, playing defensive end on the football team. He was All-MAC in 1967 and 1968. He played just one season on the baseball team, and led the team in home runs and RBI, and had back-to-back grand slams in a 19-3 victory over Detroit.

— Paul Helgren, athletic media relationsHomecoming Oct. 8, 2005

www.toledoalumni.orgwww.toledoalumni.org

in 1884, the sons of Jesup W. Scott donated the assets of the defunct Toledo University of Arts and Trades to the city of Toledo. The university had been created by their father in 1872 through an endowment of land. But the university struggled in its early years, unable

to secure adequate funding and unable to develop a curriculum to train the city’s young people as Jesup Scott had desired. The university closed its doors in 1878. When the sons donated its assets to the city, they did so on the condition that the money be used to create a manual training school. Manual training schools were an important force in educational reform from 1880 until the fi rst decade of the twentieth century. While often confused with trade and vocational education, manual

training had very different goals — goals that epitomized the philosophy of the then-popular Arts and Crafts Movement. Like the Arts and Crafts Movement, manual training schools taught that a skillful hand was required to produce a cultured mind. Dr. Calvin M. Woodward, dean of the Polytechnic School at Washington University in St. Louis, developed the manual training school curriculum, which included industrial arts as part of a liberal education. At the St. Louis Manual Training School that he founded, students divided their time between traditional academic subjects and training in skills such as pattern making, wood turning, joinery and iron forging. With this combination of manual and liberal academic instruction, students would unite their head and

Toledo’s manual training school and the Arts and Crafts Movement

the noble craftsman we promote:

6 Toledo Alumni Magazine | Spring 2005

faculty essayby Barbara Floyd, professor of library administration and director of the Ward M. Canaday Center for Special Collections

The Toledo Manual Training School, built as annex to Central High School

www.toledoalumni.orgwww.toledoalumni.org

their hands to become well-rounded citizens. As Woodward’s school stated its mission, “Hail to the skillful, cunning hand! Hail to the cultured mind! Contending for the world’s command, Here let them be combined!” By training both head and hand, Woodward believed, boys would stay in school longer and mature intellectually, as “the education of the hand is the means of more completely and effi caciously educating the brain.” Students would have a choice of occupations and if they chose an intellectual profession over a trade, they would have respect for the dignity of labor. If they chose a trade, they would be elevated from the “brute, unintelligent labor” of their counterparts. The roots of Woodward’s manual training idea can be traced back to the Philadelphia Exposition of 1876. It was here that the United States was exposed to ideas that included those of European artisans infl uenced by the Arts and Crafts Movement. This movement began in the 1870s among British intellectuals such as Thomas Carlyle and John Ruskin as a reaction to the Industrial Revolution. Because of industry’s emphasis on the speed of production, craftsmanship was being supplanted by machine-produced goods. Carlyle and Ruskin believed this led not only to degradation in the quality of products, but also in the life of the worker, who was dehumanized and removed from nature. William Morris took these ideas and translated them into a theory of design and a far-reaching intellectual initiative that came to be known as the Arts and Crafts Movement. Morris urged workers to fi nd in nature the inspiration to craft simple, beautiful objects that celebrated the essence of natural materials. By doing so, they would not only improve society, but also their own lives by once again uniting the work of their hands with the imagination and creativity of their heads. This esoteric Arts and Crafts philosophy was applied to the thousands who attended manual training schools. When the Toledo Manual Training School was established in 1884, fi rst-year students typically took two hours of woodshop, one hour of mathematics, one hour of science, one hour of Latin or English, and completed their school day with one hour of drawing (both mechanical and freehand). Shop classes and academic classes were interspersed throughout the school day. The second-year curriculum included shop work followed by physics, Latin, drawing and mathematics. The third year included instruction in the machine shop, geometry, science, drawing, and history and literature. Civics was also included. In the school’s 1905 catalog, its mission was succinctly expressed by Mary H. Barkdull, an

instructor of woodworking, as “the noble craftsman we promote.” This nobility of the craftsman lay at the heart of the Arts and Crafts Movement. The popularity of manual training schools led to their establishment in many other cities. Similar schools were created in Philadelphia, Baltimore, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and New Haven, Conn. Unlike vocation schools, manual training schools stressed the value of balance between academic and manual training. But manual training came under increasing criticism in the fi rst decades of the twentieth century, with pressure to re-envision it as vocational education. Groups like the National Association of Manufacturers were unhappy with the slow growth and limited results of manual training, and sought trade schools to train the great army of industrial workers that were needed. The laboring class also began to demand vocational education in order to improve their economic status. Just as they evolved together, the Arts and Crafts Movement and the manual training school movement began to wane together. Toledo’s curriculum began to fade around 1900, and manual training eventually became one department of the larger Toledo University. World War I accelerated the process, as a booming industrial economy fueled by war required only trained hands. Even Woodward’s St. Louis school closed in 1917. By the 1920s, those manual training schools still in existence became vocational and trade schools. Sadly, since that time, the mind and hand have been largely separated in America’s educational system.

Toledo Alumni Magazine | Spring 2005 7

Students in metal-forging class, circa 1890


Art is at least partly in the eye of the beholder, so no one should blink at a definition of artistry that includes the ability to scale a mountain or create a rosemary-infused foccacia. Here are the eye-opening achievements of fourteen UT alum artists who may widen your view of art. Some have well established careers in art, others are still launching. All are passionate about what they practice. For them,

THE ART HASITS REASONS by Cynthia Nowak


The nationally recognized Ralph Behrendt fi rst blew into the glass scene in 1989, dating his interest from a large collection of art glass that came into his gallery/frame shop. “I went to see a glassblower — James Yarrito — at the Toledo Museum of Art,” he says. “I hung around watching for a few weeks and he fi nally asked if I wanted to try it. I ended up working with him for a year.” Behrendt and his wife, glass bead artist Gini, work out of Gallery B, one of those rambling old downtown Toledo buildings whose interiors seem to go on forever. Art displays snake around the fi rst fl oor. On the lower level, a teaching center shares space with glass furnaces that run 24/7. “Glass is immediate. Instant gratifi cation,” he says. “You start it and you fi nish it within a reasonably short time. Something always changes from your original idea, too. Those surprises have led to some of the best thingsI’ve done.”

back in those pre-Food Network days. “Thirty years ago, the only Italian entrees people knew were spaghetti and pizza. Ours was the fi rst restaurant in Toledo to offer veal marsala, veal scaloppini and veal piccata. It was a struggle sometimes, but as people’s tastes became more educated, we thrived.” With Trattoria Sofo, he’s thriving still: “I always dreamed of owning an intimate little place like this. At Casa, I had two chefs from Italy, but now I do all the cooking myself.” He prides himself on knowing most of his clientele by name, though new customers will fi nd a warm welcome and what Sofo terms a dining experience. He explains, “Americans are always in hurry, and they tend to want all the food at once rather than in courses. Here you come in and have a relaxed evening that can last two or three hours.” In spite of his own hurried schedule, he stays relaxed by loving what he does: “I’ve been thirty years in this business, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

When it comes to name recognition in Toledo, Carl Sofo equals Italian epicurism. With his sister, Maria, he ran Casa de Maria, a popular Point Place restaurant, for 26 years until her death in 2001. These days, you can fi nd him in Sylvania at his Trattoria Sofo, a cozy brick-lined nookery where he’ll often break from his chef’s duties to mingle with his delighted patrons. Would you believe that he began his working life as an orthopaedic technician? “That was at St. Vincent Hospital, while I was attending UT,” he says. “After graduating from UT with a degree in French and Spanish, I began teaching at Central Catholic High School. At one point, in fact, I was teaching, working at the hospital and going to law school at UT!” Although his background was redolent with Italian cuisine — he grew up in Calabria, a small Italian town — it wasn’t until a neighbor offered Sofo a job that he ever considered food as a career. “I became a manager for Frischs, and that’s how I got into the kitchen.” The kitchen was hot with challenges. One was American dining preferences

Culinary artist: Carl Sofo (Ed ’73)

The chef at work, putting fi nishing touch on smoked salmon salad

Artist of glass: Ralph Behrendt (Bus ’77)

One of Behrendt's sea crystals


His signature piece — the “sea crystal,” reminiscent of a nautilus shell — began as one of those surprises, he says. “I happened to see some color techniques when I was fi rst starting in glass, tried them myself and came up with the sea crystals. They’ve evolved a lot over the years.” Behrendt maintains a full-time assistant, but is adamant about making certain that each piece bearing his name is his own work. And the work isn’t easy, even apart from working inches away from a furnace that tops 2,000 degrees. “Glassblowers have a higher loss ratio than other artists,” he says. “If something’s going to go wrong, it usually happens right at the end of the process, too. It keeps you fresh, though.” He’s forthright about the dangers: “You can get hurt in this business. Things in here are either hot or sharp or both. There are two kinds of glassblowers: those who have been burned and those who haven’t been — yet. I’ve laid hot glass against my palm because I became absent-minded. I’ve had glass bumped into me and had welts on my forearm.” A little scar tissue, though, is a small price for the daily chance to work with what Gini calls “art of the moment, frozen motion.” “I’m still learning,” Behrendt says. “If you love this, you never stop learning.”

the magazine that would run my story. I said fi ne and went to school the next day looking for signs of guilt in my students. I mean come on — April 1 and Peter Heck? “But in ten days, there was a big envelope in the mail waiting for me. I can’t tell you how overjoyed I was.” Her subsequent books were soon discovered by fans of all ages, and as she says, “The lies for which my mother was always washing out my mouth with soap were now bringing me money!” It wasn’t easy, she admits. “When you’re grading papers, you don’t write at regular times. I wrote over Thanksgiving break, over Easter, during the summer at the beach.” Dennis, who says she never aimed her books at a specifi c audience, surmises that readers like her careful characterizations. “My dragons have problems. For instance, Fafnoddle is hypochondriac, pacifi st vegetarian. My newest dragon, Agrondil, came home and found his mate killed and all but two of their dragon eggs destroyed. “My fantasies are suitable for children. I kill off characters, but I don’t stand there with blood dripping from a knife,” she says. Happy to share her skills, she teaches creative writing for adults at two Texas colleges. She was a teacher sponsor at Rice University in Houston for a summer, and is an experienced editor. “I was always encouraging people to write,” says Dennis, who was often honored for her teaching. “About 25 books I’ve edited for other people were published.” With another book at her agent’s offi ce, Dennis is ready to launch more realms of fantasy: “It looks to me like the start of another three-book series!”

Carol Dennis sees dragons. Vegetarian dragons, no less, plus witches, ogres, were-beasts and sentient trees. She sees them in her mind’s eye, a fertile organ that’s produced a series of highly popular

fantasy books, including her Dragon’s Game trilogy and the environmentally themed Guardian’s Gambit. But her writing career came later in the life of the now-retired Texas teacher. “I didn’t seriously start writing until I was 40,” she says. The result was a romance noticed by a publisher. “But they told me to add what they called sensuous scenes,” she recalls. “I called them ‘He patted her this, he fondled her that.’ I was teaching, and had a mental picture of my ninth-graders coming to class, whipping out copies of my book and saying, ‘Gee, Mrs. Dennis, we didn’t know you knew that!’ So I put it away and turned to fantasy.” Her entry into that genre won fi rst prize in a contest sponsored by the Oklahoma Writers Federation, after which her students pushed her to enter a competition sponsored by Walden Books. “The entry form had a logo of a guy with ray gun pointing at the viewer, and behind him was a big dragon. I had to submit a 900-word story about the logo,” she says. The students took charge of mailing in her story. “On April 1, I received a call from a man who called himself Peter Heck. He said I had won, and in ten days I’d receive free copies of Xignals,

Artist of fantasy: Carol Dennis (Ed ’60)

Berhrendt with molten vase-in-progress

www.toledoalumni.orgwww.toledoalumni.org Toledo Alumni Magazine | Spring 2005 11

Molly Strader, whose work in metal and ceramics has been attracting attention from lovers of the fi ne and the unusual, has had some formative experiences by the sea. As a teenager, she studied under a master wood carver in Bali. On Canada’s arctic Baffi n Island, she found inspiration for her designs: “I love native cultures and ancient cultures, their thoughts on religion, the body and the spirit — what different shapes or symbols mean to them.” She even did a turn, helped by her credentials as a technical diving instructor, as the manager of an underwater bed and breakfast in Key Largo, Fla. These days she teaches metalsmithing at Florida Keys Community College, where her recent solo exhibit led to inclusion in a trendy local gallery. She’s willing to be patient in her goal of artistic self-suffi ciency; patience is necessary in her art as well. “I’m a bit of a fanatic when it comes to detail. Metalsmithing is a lot like sculpture, except it’s smaller,” she says. “Being able to concentrate on the small details fi ts me perfectly.

“Celestial Motion” in sterling silver

“Most of what I create begins with disk form. I want to portray the beauty of life, which begins with a seed. Something so small can carry the potential to create a redwood tree or a human being. I want to recreate that thought of potential energy; I use clean lines and sometimes, refl ective surfaces. I also use hollow disk forms to create a bell-like tone that represents the energy inside. “It’s easy to add one too many details so that a piece becomes jumbled. It’s harder to know when to stop.” Strader stays close to the essentials in her life as well, which is centered in Key West. “There’s a large arts community here, and obviously it’s near water, which I fi nd very energizing and relaxing at the same time. “It’s where we came from, after all.”

Artist of jewerly: Molly Strader (MA ’04)

“Central Goodness” in sterling silver, 18K gold


An engineer as a nature photographer? For Chuck Zelms, the Columbus engineer who retired from Lucent Technologies in 2001, it makes perfect sense. “I was doing photography since 1970s, but never had time to pursue it as career,” he says. “Upon retirement, I promised myself to take six to nine months to decide what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. First I considered going back to doing what I had been doing. After a couple of interviews where I came out with my stomach in knots, I decided that it wouldn’t work. Rather than look for a job, I thought I’d start my own.” He hasn’t had any regrets. Pursuing his new career, he says, “I’ve visited most of the United States and Canada, always meeting lots of new people and expanding my network of friends.” Anyway, his avocation isn’t much of an anomaly, he says: “I hang around with some scientists who are pretty artistic.

Besides that, in engineering you’re always looking for patterns; in photography you’re doing the same at a deeper level, plus you’re applying the physics of light.” Currently non-digital, he carries his Minolta Maxxum 600si and gear into every environment. “For me, the standout places are the Maine coast and particularly the Pacifi c Northwest, where you have oceans, mountains and high desert within a few hours of each other. I do day hikes into the mountains out of Banff, Canada. I’ve visited that area summer and winter, even skied in.” He doesn’t count his success in fi nancial terms, though as he notes, “Each succeeding year is seeing better sales of my work.” For Zelms, the focus is quality: of pictures and of life. “I took 3,500 images in 2004 — and I’m still having a blast!” More of Zelms’ work can be seen at www.hometown.aol.com/CMZelms

Artist of the lens: Chuck Zelms (Eng ’73, MEng ’75)

“Big Darby Morning, “ which took fi rst place (non-professional division) in The Nature Conservancy’sBig Darby Photography contest, April 2003

“Daisy and Blue,” Wild Animal Park near San Diego


The binoculars on her kitchen table are a dead giveaway. Another clue is the battered copy of North American Birds within easy reach. Dr. Jan Dixon, now retired from the faculty of Owens Community College, devotes a generous portion of her time to nurturing the winged visitors — feathered and scaled — that come to her property, adjacent to a small creek in Holland, Ohio. A longtime “birder” and a member of the Black Swamp Bird Observatory (BSBO at www.bsbobird.org/), she says, “The research done by BSBO was instrumental in getting the western basin of Lake Erie the designation of ‘Important Birding Area.’ Northwest Ohio is a crucial migration fl yway area for many bird species, and the BSBO, along with the Toledo Naturalists’ Association (www.toledonaturalist.org), keeps track of the birds who visit and nest in the region.” To bring the work closer to home, Dixon began to add bird nest boxes and feeding stations to her yard. “We had bluebirds when I fi rst moved here in 1999,” she says. “They were nesting in their boxes, and I would feed them mealworms. At that time, there were no house sparrows here. Sparrows puncture bluebird eggs and kill nestlings and adults. But when Hoen’s Orchard sold their property for commercial development, the sparrows arrived. They drove the bluebirds away.” Not one to stay discouraged, Dixon keeps up the work necessary for attracting birds to her yard. “I set out oranges and grape jelly for Baltimore orioles in the summer, and they built a nest over the creek,” she says. “A starling killed the female, but the male found another mate.”

Artist of nature: Jan Dixon (PhD ’86)

Her property is lush with bird treats like serviceberry and cranberry bushes (Viburnum trilobum). Gray dogwoods with white berries regularly attract fl ocks of robins and catbirds. A larger project fi lls a gentle slope of her yard, where Dixon created a fenced butterfl y garden to draw the jeweled insects that often act as plant pollinators. “Not every plant butterfl ies favor is pretty to humans; many herbs are host plants for caterpillars,” she says. “The garden includes as many native plants as possible. There are herbs, purple conefl owers, ironweed, boneset, butterfl y bushes and Joe Pye weed. ”Last year I saw 16 different types of butterfl ies here.” Dixon hopes to enlist her neighbors to organize a cleanup project for the portion of the creek that runs through the neighborhood. When asked why she devotes so much time to environmental issues, Dixon, who regularly volunteers with The Nature Conservancy and other groups, says, “I think of the ivory-billed woodpecker, which is now probably extinct. When the fate of a species becomes a crisis, it’s probably too late.”

Dixon (right) volunteering at eagle banding project

Artist of nature: Jan Dixon (PhD ’86)

Artist of the nature: Jan Dixon (PhD ’86)

“Big Darby Morning, “ which took fi rst place (non-professional division) in The Nature Conservancy’sBig Darby Photography contest, April 2003

“When the fate of a

species becomes a

crisis, it’s probably

too late.”

Butterfl y garden in high season


He was one of fi fty American artists commissioned to do an Absolut vodka print ad; his ad featured his signature stones. About those stones. “I’m coming up on a hundred stones paintings,” he says. “It started with a collection of stones that in the early years I did over and over again. They’re very abstract, but they have a kind of reality. The stones have been my most popular works, which is why I keep painting them. I’ve been told that they’re restful, and they often show up as lobby art or corporate art. “Of course, one client told me, ‘I love these, Michael, but can’t you get some new stones?’” He also maintains a busy sideline copying existing paintings; “They’re signed as Sheets, by the way — not as Bouguereau or Matisse,” he says. “If you want to reach out and make contact with an audience, you have to have an understanding of what they can access,” he notes. “Sometimes you wonder, though. Thomas Kincaid and his improbable cottages now appear on greeting cards, clothing and as knickknacks.” Not that Sheets (whose daughter is considering an arts career) hungers for a “Put Sheets on your bed!” sort of renown. “The money track isn’t the one that leads to galleries and eventually to having your work appear in museums.”

It seems appropriate that Michael Sheets’ usual lunch is water with a squirt of lemon juice. Such minimalist noshing complements the Zen look of the simple sea-polished stones in his best-known painting series. However, it would be a mistake to think of Sheets as an artist of the austere. “I was always an artistic realist,” he says. “I decided early on what I wanted to do, even though the style wasn’t favorably looked on by my art instructors, who were from the generation of abstraction. Pop art was in its very early days and some people defi ned photo-realism as a sub-genre of pop art. I almost consciously chose to work in a genre that could be understood within a category — and that’s when I started getting calls from galleries.” Now retired after teaching art in Springfi eld Township Schools, he says that he majored in art education at UT to get more studio time and “sort of slipped into a thirty-year teaching career. Painting became a secondary occupation.” In 1987, though, he bought the former Thrift Weavers building on Adams Street in downtown Toledo. Following extensive renovations, a frame shop takes up the storefront; his studio fi lls the remainder of the vintage two-story building. His work continues to mine reality. “I’m very interested in bringing out texture and surface, creating the illusion of a real texture,” he says.

Sheets in studio

Artist in pigment: Michael Sheets (Ed ’69, MEd ’78)

“I’m very interested

in bringing out texture

and surface.”

“Morning Pie” “Stones #91”


“Printmaking was the MTV of the Baroque,” says Craig Fisher, who ought to know. He’s been making prints — using his own press — for almost thirty years. “Printmaking goes back fi ve hundred years, and Rembrandt is probably the most famous printmaker of all time,” Fisher continues. “He did small copper plate etchings, produced prints that got his work out in front of his audience — and he was famous for his technical experimentation.” These days, the offset press has made possible a mass production of prints that would set Rembrandt’s inks sizzling in their pots. However, Fisher takes pains to explain what traditional printmaking involves. “Offset printmaking is different from intaglio printmaking,” he says. “The former is more like magazine production and allows an artist to run thousands of prints. The latter is a traditional process that uses archival inks and archival paper, and produces prints in very limited editions.” The printmaker who creates his work from copper or zinc plates relies as much on science as on artistic vision, he adds. “You have to know the strength of the acids used to etch the plate, the strength and viscosity of the inks you use, and how different papers absorb inks. Even the humidity on any given day affects the process. “You look for prints that are close to being identical; those are the ones you number and sign. Out of twenty-fi ve,

you might fi nd fi fteen you like. It’s the rare printmaker who can take a print that was made a week earlier and produce an identical copy, because the physical conditions won’t be the same.” Fisher, who maintains a nine-to-fi ve illustrator’s job with Root Learning in Maumee, usually pursues his printmaking on weekends. “I start at eight in the morning and fi nish at six that evening. I can’t come up for meals or much else because my hands are going to be covered with ink.” In short, not a dilettante’s pursuit, but one which Fisher respects hugely. His prints (on view at www.ibispress.org) have been in national and international exhibits, and during a European residence, he found like-minded gallery owners: “They’re more interested in traditional printmaking techniques than the American galleries are. Regardless, I like to think that people will rediscover the value of one-of-a-kind objects like these prints.” But the primary value isn’t monetary, he says. “I have fun doing my prints. I fi nd quirky little ways to weave my philosophy of life into them.” Whether that philosophy includes visual subtexts on the man-machine interface (“The look and feel of our country is sculpted by oil,” he notes) or Biblical references with a twist, Fisher looks toward both past and future as an artist: “I’m experimenting now, somewhere between the digital age and the traditional.”

“Goliath,” left. Drawing done in marker, scanned into Photoshop for additional work. “Another epic Biblical scene, with a gas-masked David taking on a Goliath-like abstract construct made out of RVs, SUVs, oil drums, derricks and the like. I still don’t consider it fi nished.”

“Wachzaamheid.” Colored intaglio etching. “The word means ‘wakefulness’ in Dutch. It was the name of a windmill near the community of Koog ann de Zaan in Holland, where I was a student years ago. The organic nature of windmills intrigued me; I saw them as somewhat foreign to postindustrial Holland, and insect-like in their construction. I took it a bit further and framed the scene with a vine-like foreground element.”

Artist of printmaking: Craig Fisher (A/S ’76)


Allan Williams remembers his brief forays into acting: “It always gave me a stress headache.” Headaches are still there — after all, he’s been in the management end of the theatre business for almost twenty- fi ve years — but as he notes, the work is much more steady. He’s lived in New York City since 1981, where his current long run as general manager and producer continues with Alan Wasser Associates. He explains the work: “The general manager takes care of day-to-day business. Once a producer has an idea of doing a show, the general manager is one of the fi rst people he contracts with. As GM, I negotiate all the contracts for the creative staff, prepare the schedule, budget the show and make the necessary arrangements with the particular theatre. “I’m basically the agent for the producer, to free him from having to deal with all the details.” And if you don’t call that artistry, you haven’t considered the most critical art of all: working with all those theatre egos. “It’s sort of a balancing act, people being people, and people in the arts being perhaps slightly more eccentric,” Williams says. “You simply have to give them the attention they deserve. The best skill to possess is the ability to communicate with the doorman, the producer and everyone in between.” Judging by his resumé, Williams has been communicating very well. Among the productions he’s managed with his partner, Wasser, are Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, Miss Saigon, Fosse, Martin Guerre and most recently, All Shook Up, which was in its Chicago rehearsals when Williams was interviewed. “Right now, we’re working through show beat by beat, lighting it, making things move,” he says. “The actors have been rehearsing in a studio, but they haven’t even put a costume on yet. The crew is working from 8 a.m. until

midnight while trying to catch up with the previous day’s notes from the director, scenic designer, lighting designer and costume designer. There are thousands of elements, and a supervisor for each one. If everyone’s not on the same page, it’sa disaster. “And you’re always working against the clock.” Given that kind of regular pressure, does he still succumb to any of theatre’s sense of wonder? “You mean ‘I wonder why I’m working in the business?’” he deadpans. “Well, when I go to a show I spend more time wondering how they did an effect than in being dazzled by it, but occasionally there’s a moment that reminds me why I’m doing this. “The most recent was in watching a run-through of All Shook Up last week. At the end of the fi rst act, the chorus sings ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’ and I got goosebumps. I don’t remember the last time I had that kind of physical and emotional reaction. “The greatest satisfaction is contributing to something that’s handmade, watching it come together, something that previously did not exist in any form!”

Artist of theatre: Allan Williams (A/S ’79)

Williams with star of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

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A few productions in Williams’ resumé


Mr. Jamison, the archetypical businessman in a suit, puts a paternal arm around a young subordinate and says, “Son, you’re so optimistic and ambitious. It’s my job to beat that outof you.” Welcome to the edgily comic world of “Working It Out,” the cartoon created by Charlos Gary out of his own angst-ridden experiences in corporate America. “I was working as a graphic artist for various newspapers that included the Chicago Tribune, but I was a frustrated editorial cartoonist, with ten years of rejection letters as I tried to land editorial jobs with the news syndicates,” he says. “The good thing was working inside newspapers, learning how they function.” At the time, he said, few print cartoons had a workplace setting. “A friend at the Tribune challenged me to come up with one in a single panel. I decided that most people could relate to bad bosses and good bosses. In fact, I had an oppressive kind of boss at the time. Every time he would do something, I’d write it down and do a cartoon about it, and out of that came Mr. Jamison. “The Trib began running the panel once a week in its business section.” As more people noticed the cartoon, Gary says, “I began to collect their boss stories, too.” The syndicates to whom Gary submitted the new cartoon took notice as well. When the long-hoped-for call came from Creative Syndicate, Gary says, “I literally thought I was dreaming. They said, ‘We love your work, and we’d like you to sign a contract with us,’ and I almost passed out, especially since I took the call coming out of meeting where my boss was again chewing my ass.” “Working It Out” now appears in various newspapers, but Gary says that he won’t be able to leave his graphic artist job with the San Diego Union-

Tribune quite yet. “You need over sixty papers to do that. Now I come home from work and spend hours preparing color cartoon postcards to send to other syndicates.” An African American who grew up Orlando’s inner city, Gary is in a unique position, and he’s taken some heat over the panel: “There are ten or fewer African American syndicated cartoonists out there. I get asked, ‘Why are all those white guys in your strip?’ Because it’s specifi cally about bosses, I say. I look around and see middle-aged white guys in suits in that role. “The Mikey character might have been me when I was single and just starting in the business; he’s the guy who goes to work to look for dates, but usually ends up getting embarrassed.” In reality, Gary met his Argentine wife, Agustina, at the paper where she was an international fellowship recipient. “She’s Number One in my life now,” he says.

Artist of pen and ink: Charlos Gary (A/S ’95)

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“I used to submerge myself in my cartoon. Now I fi nd that it’s funnier when I don’t take it so seriously. I used to let people higher up on the food chain negatively affect me. Now I can smile when I hear or see something idiotic.” Not that he’s in danger of going soft. “I want to look myself in the mirror and know I didn’t sell out,” he says.

Gary, preparing to skewer


Jeffrey Schaarschmidt has never met a rock that he didn’t like to climb. A criminal defense attorney in Chattanooga, Tenn., he got turned on to climbing when he moved to the history-rich city ringed by Appalachian hills. He says, “In 1996 when I fi rst came to Chattanooga and was waiting to pass my bar exam, I worked at a trucking company where a couple of guys went rock climbing. On a whim, I went with them to Lookout Mountain. “About 750 feet up the mountain, there’s a rocky outcrop. That’s Sunset Rock, and that’s where we climbed, on the cliff line. I didn’t want to look nervous in front of friends, so I just pushed on — gradually you get used to it.” Schaarschmidt’s upward progression included the Tennessee Wall, followed by a long stint in bouldering, a high-impact sport often used by climbers as training for steeper ascents. Using short ropes (or none) and focusing on individual climbing moves rather than out-and-out endurance, climbers scale boulders rated by degree of diffi culty. Chattanooga, Schaarschmidt says, has several bouldering sites. “That’s why I advanced so well. Bouldering really improves your climbing skills.” After two years of regular training, he felt ready for Utah’s Zion National Park, whose tricky sandstone cliffs lure serious climbers from all over the world. He and a friend linked up with another visiting

climber to tackle Moonlight Buttress, a climb of some 1,800 feet. Did anyone mention the porta-ledge? “That’s a hammock stretched over an aluminum frame, in which you sleep hanging over a drop,” Schaarschmidt explains. Well versed in the risks, Schaar-schmidt notes, “When you’re climbing, you’re going to fall. You have to trust in your gear and in the people who are climbing with you. “But what I enjoy is the accom-plishment. If you’re stressed out before-hand, as soon as you start climbing you’re so focused on what you’re doing that you forget all about everything else.” Those adventurous accomplishments also include mountaineering (twice on Mt. Rainier) and ice climbing. Back in Tennessee, he’s on his mountain bike nearly every day; he’s a member of the Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association, which plans to create 100 miles of single-track bike trails near Chattanoogaby 2010. “I can sit at home and watch TV, or I can go out and do something. I do miss a college football game or two, but I won’t miss an opportunity to go hang out with friends in some outdoor activity.”

Artist of adventure: Jeffrey Schaarschmidt (A/S ’93, Law ’95)

Ice climbing, New Hampshire

Climbing Moonlight Buttress; Schaarschmidt on left in white helmet


“I have a deeply seated belief that art is an instrument to tempt humans into existing more consciously. The role of the artist is to be a tempter, an instigator of sorts,” says Miguel Romero, who uses sculpture as that particular form of enticement. “What I want to do with my work is to make people wonder about what might be. What one of my pieces means to me is not as important as how intellectually engaged I can get the people who see it.” Relying on a symbolism that borrows from both the personal and the universal, Romero — who fi nished his master of fi ne arts degree at Montana State University last year and now lives and works in New York City — is never anything less than demanding on his audience. “Most of my symbolism is ambiguous — the more so the better,” he says. “As ambiguity increases, the senses of the viewer become more involved.” Thus, viewers of Romero’s art might be confronted with a snail that rocks like a child’s hobbyhorse, or by paper pinwheels that cry out to be set spinning. Do they extend a fi nger or lay a hand on the piece? Romero hopes so: “Most of us have been conditioned to think of art as something from another planet, not to be approached or touched. I hate that notion, about sculpture particularly. It was made by touching and meant to be touched.” The Honduran-born artist sees touching as fundamental on several levels: “People live in a state of alienation,

isolated from each other. Self-knowledge is about feeling comfortable in your own skin, and out of that sense of security and self-assurance — which in our times we lack — comes the willingness to connect with other people. I ride every day in the New York subway, and hardly anyone makes eye contact with others. In public spaces such as subways, galleries and museums, there are certain codes of behavior that I’d like to break down by using art.” His “Censorship Belt,” constructed of steel and stuffed with hay, attempts to do that. “Most people think it has phallic connotations, but I was thinking of a uterus,” he says. “The piece attaches itself to a corner where two walls meet and leaves a negative space behind it. Not many people have dared to step underneath it and go behind it to see the gallery from that vantage point. The symbolism is relatively subtle, but it tempts people to touch it, to movearound it.” For Romero, who also works in paint (he was a force behind the creation of the Moral Revolution Mural, Honduras’ largest such outdoor display), “Everybody is an artist. They might not be the ones making the artwork, but they are the ones interpreting it. “Art isn’t done when the artist fi nishes the work. It’s just begun to enter another stage, when people view it and understand it.”

Artist of sculpting: Miguel Romero (A/S ’01)

“There are certain

codes of behavior that

I’d like to break down

by using art.”

“Inverted Barrel” “Censorship Belt”


there helped arrange his participation in Italy’s New Rome Opera Festival, he explains. “I met a conductor there and ended up singing for an agent. After I went back to New Mexico, I got a call asking if I could be back in Italy in a month. I left everything and made the trip, and I’ve been there ever since, fi rst in Rome, now in Florence.” Although the cultural adjustment was initially tough — “There were several years when I had my dictionary with me all the time” — his professional growth was little short of phenomenal, as he played parts ranging from Ernesto in Don Pasquale to Roderigo in Otello, Bardolfo in Falstaff and Goro in Madama Butterfl y. And he toured. An American tour, in fact, included a real 42nd Street moment. “The tour was I Pagliacci and Cavalleria Rusicana,” he says. “I was planning on being in the chorus, but I was understudy for Pagliacci’s second lead role, Beppe. After the fi rst week, the tenor got sick

Dean Janssens wanted to sing and dance on Broadway. He’s achieved the singing, but he does it as part of the Florence Opera Company. Yes, that’s Florence as in Italy, and opera as in I Pagliacci and Madama Butterfl y. “I’m fi nally fully bilingual,” says the lyric tenor who now makes his home a short drive from Florence. “When I arrived, I didn’t speak a word of Italian. As far as culture shock, I wasn’t readyfor it.” What he was ready for, though, was to sing opera. “At UT, Barbara Rondelli-Perry was my mentor and voice trainer. Thanks to her, I realized how much there was to other singing genre, such as English and Italian art songs, and French chansons. I saw my fi rst opera when I was a student at UT. My voice continued to mature, and I gravitated into opera.” After graduating from UT, he began his master’s degree at the University of New Mexico, where his voice teacher

and went back to Italy. I took over the run and sang twenty-six performances across the country. That was thrilling!” At 33, he’s primed for a long career in his chosen fi eld. “I’m young for an opera singer, and I’m currently studying with a voice teacher. “I’m ambitious. I don’t push, though, as much as I used to — as I get older, maybe I’m getting a bit wiser, so I don’t accept everything that’s offered.” But the thrill never palls, he says. “You grow so much by being on stage with top-of-the-line musicians and singers, including those from the New York Metropolitan. And I sing with the most amazing conductors who walk the earth. The principal conductor for Maggio Musicale Fiorentino is Zubin Mehta. Ricardo Mutti, the La Scala conductor, came in February. I’ve sung solo for Seiji Ozawa. You couldn’t ask for any-thing more.”

Artist of voice: Dean Janssens (A/S ’95)

As Beppe in I Pagliacci

Janssens as Bardolfo in Falstaff


His creations lit up New York’s Studio 54 when disco was king. He crafted a neon guitar for John Belushi and a high-wattage bathing suit that was modeled in Playboy. And if you apply the irresistible adjective “electric” to the neon art of Philip Hazard, you’re in good company; he uses the same image when he says, “An artist always has to be pushing the envelope, then recharging until things become fresh again.” After living in the Big Apple since 1975, Hazard splits his voltage between Toledo and his Catskills farmhouse, refi ning his art and offering his take on a scene that’s almost passed into legend. “The late ’70s in New York were extraordinary — maybe because I was younger and friskier!” he says. It was during his early New York days that a friend clued him into a job: “He told me, ‘Hey, there’s this crazy neon place that needs someone who can draw.’” Working for Let There Be Neon, Hazard put his hand to the medium and was electrifi ed for a lifetime. He saw great potential in the glowing gas-fi lled glass:

Hazard plugged in

“I took neon from advertising to being an artistic medium, bringing it from an outdoor wall into the living space.” When his early neon work hit those inner walls, he says, “People were blown away! Suddenly it was everywhere it had never been — offi ces, department stores and homes.” Those were the days when Hazard’s neon guitar, fi rst made for a poet who used it in his public performances, hit the Soho scene. “As an artist, I said that I was going to break the rules and use neon in a brand-new way.” Characteristically, he refused to rest on his transformer-powered laurels. A move to Tucson, Ariz., (“A better place to raise children,” he says) brought new inspiration and — for the sometime playwright with several Off Off Broadway credits to his name — the production of his feature-length fi lm, Loca Vida. His neon work continued apace. “I began to combine neon with painting or collage — an assemblage of objects to make it more of a personal statement,” he says. “It’s come a long way from being experimental art. Now it’s more serious, fi ne art.” That art has been exhibited on three continents and is part of private and public collections that include the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. His newest exhibit will be at another capital venue — Zenith Gallery through July — but his work can be found locally at the American Gallery in Sylvania. With a career that’s always been something of a collage, he’s also working on a new play, but it’s still neon that gives him the biggest buzz. “Neon transforms any environment. It’s like painting with light,” he says. “I’m moving farther away from just neon, though — art is narrative, and ties in with my plays and fi lm. But neon will always be the frosting on the cake. It’s a magical light; I never tire of looking at it.”

Artist of neon: Philip Hazard (Univ Coll ’74)

“Blue Life”


class notes

’20sHarold Friedman, Temperance, Mich., who attended UT from 1929 to 1932, wrote in to say that he’s still active, even working three nights a week at a local restaurant.

’40sPete Hoffman (Bus ’41), Toledo, was honored at a surprise celebration given by the Great Lakes chapter of the National Cartoonists Society, marking the 50th anniversary of the syndicated strip, “Jeff Cobb,” which he created, wrote and drew. He’s also the illustrator behind the syndicated panel feature “Why We Say.”

’50sGeorge W. Green (Bus ’50, MBA ’51), Dearborn, Mich., wrote an article, “When Plugs First Sparked Detroit in 1910,” that appeared in The Historical Society of Michigan Chronicle. He also had an article, “Collecting Advertising Pocket Protectors,” published in Antiques & Auction News.Thomas Brell (A/S ’52), retired founder of accounting firm Brell, Holt & Co., was named to the Maumee (Ohio) High School Hall of Fame in November. The multi-lettered former football, basketball and track star is an assistant coach for two Toledo high schools.Ron Wyman (Pharm ’56) reports that he hasn’t been able to go “cold turkey” on retirement, continuing to practice pharmacy two or three days a week at Hillsdale Hospital in Michigan, in addition to doing work at Wal-Mart.

’60sSam A. Muller (Ed ’61), a retired teacher, worked for six months last year as a naturalist

for the Genesee County (Mich.) Parks and Recreation Commission, developing children’s nature and horticulture activities that were presented at county parks throughout the summer, funded by a grant from the James A. Welch Foundation.

Muller ’61

Bernie Solomon (Bus ’62), retired businessman and a snowbird whose winter home is Delray Beach, Fla., was honored by the city with an Outstanding Volunteer Award for his work with their holiday event, First Night Delray. Judith A. (Garrison) Helm (Ed ’63, MEd ’84) retired from a teaching career that spanned 30 years, 29 of them in Toledo’s Washington Local Schools. Her husband, Christopher R. Helm (Ed ’64, MEd ’67), is retired from UT, where he was manager of Personnel Services. He recently was awarded the Buz Buszek Memorial Award — the highest award in the anglers’ art of fly tying — at the International Conclave of Fly Fishers in West Yellowstone, Mont.Birdel F. Jackson III (Eng ’68), president and CEO of B&E Jackson & Associates in Atlanta, was chosen as a 2004 Diversity Champion by the Committee on Diversity and Women in Civil Engineering in recognition of his efforts to make the profession more inclusive. He is also serving as first vice president of the UT Alumni Association board

of trustees. Robert L. Johns (Ed ’68), Plymouth, Mich., retired in June from the Plymouth-Canton Community School after 36 years in elementary education. He taught briefly with Toledo Public Schools at Navarre Elementary.

Johns ’68

Judge Judith Ann Lanzinger (Ed ’68, Law ’77) was sworn in as a justice in the Ohio Supreme Court in January. She had served in Toledo’s Common Pleas Court from 1989 to 2003, when she won a seat on the appellate court. Robert Domini (Bus ’69), Perrysburg, Ohio, president of the real estate appraisal firm Continental Valuations Inc., was inducted into the Birmingham Hall of Fame in October at a ceremony held in the historic Toledo neighborhood.

’70sMark Marenberg (Pharm ’72), Antwerp, Ohio, owns four Village Apothecary pharmacies, including his newly expanded and relocated store in Napoleon.Lee D. Wunschel (Bus ’72, MBA ’74), a partner with the LublinSussman Group LLP, a Toledo CPA firm, was elected to the board of directors of the American Institute of CPAs.

Wunschel ’72, ’74

Joseph L. Braker (Bus ’74) joined Tebay Mosley Associates LLC, a Toledo-based public accountancy firm, in the newly created position of chief operating officer.Dr. Gerald Jakubowski (Eng ’74, MEng ’76, PhD ’78), dean of the College of Science and Engineering at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, was picked as vice president and provost for Arizona State University East as the university and its more than 3,500 students make the transition to ASU Polytechnic. Maria Morales (Ed ’74), a mathematics teacher at Toledo’s Waite High School and 30-year educator, received a Diamante Award (Latina adult leadership), which recognizes significant contributions to Latinos in the Toledo area community.Bill O’Hara (Univ Coll ’74) was named to the Huron (Ohio) High School Athletic Hall of Fame, both for his years on the school’s football team and his record at UT where he went on a football scholarship, finishing his collegiate career as one of the leading punters in Toledo and MAC history. A superintendent in the executive risk claims department of Cincinnati Insurance Co., he’s been with them for 26 years. Dale Grocki (Bus ’82, Law ’91) was promoted to vice president senior trust administrator with Reliance Financial Services in Defiance, Ohio.

www.toledoalumni.org Toledo Alumni Magazine | Spring 2005 23Toledo Alumni Magazine | Winter 2005 23

Little did Chris Zimmerman (BBA ’95) realize that his future career would arrive

bathed in marinara sauce, fi guratively speaking. Zimmerman became involved in touch-screen ordering systems, the technological innovation that allows restaurant wait staff to quickly relay patrons’ selectionsto the kitchen. After observing the many challenges and short-comings in various systems,he decided, “There’s got to be a better way to do this.” His decision led to the formation of a new fi rm to provide that better way, and he founded Orbit Technologies in 2003 with four other partners. “Our primary goal is to improve the patron’s dining experience and save the restaurant staff time,” says Zimmerman. Orbit Technologies introduced a software package — the Personal Order Entry Technology (POET) — for use with different hand-held units in the restaurant industry. The package provides the entire menu for the wait staff and walks them through the process of taking each order. The order is sent directly to the kitchen, bypassing the need to write or later place them on a touch-screen system. It even lets the wait staff know when the order is ready. The wireless POET systemsaves time and labor costs, ensures accurate collection of data and pricing, while increasing communication and sales for the restaurant, Zimmerman says. “Our system allows restaurant owners or managers to access it from home or other locationsto add or change informationon it,” he adds. “We provide a complete turnkey solution with

Entrepreneur succeedsin high-tech fi eld

the software, hardware, staff training and customer service.” The fi rm placed its fi rst system at Cousino’s Steakhouse in Toledo and is scheduled for installation in that company’s other restaurants. Orbit recently installed the POET system at Giusseppe’s Bar & Grill, a new Italian restaurant that opened in Las Vegas in January. Orbit also has developeda similar system for use in suites at college and professional sports stadiums. Yes, the Toledo Mud Hens have been approachedas well. After working for a number of companies, for several years, Zimmerman wanted to be in charge of his own schedule, so he looked for other methods of income. “I love being an entrepreneur and in charge of my own destiny,” he says. “There is a whole new set of challenges with a lot more stress but the rewards are higher, too.” — Duane Ramsay A/S ’74

Dr. Ruthann Stetak (Pharm ’74), LaGrange, Ohio, received her doctorate of pharmacy from the University of Florida in August. John Alexander (MPA ’78, Law ’84) was appointed city administrator for Perrysburg, Ohio. Michael Bell (Ed ’78), Toledo Fire Chief, was profi led as one of the “Ohio Heroes” in the November issue of Ohio Magazine. When he was hired in 1990, he became the nation’s youngest fi re chief and the fi rst African American to head a metropolitan fi re department.

Bell ’78

Ron Hoag (MEd ’78), now in his 35th year of teaching physical science at Toledo’s Woodward High School, was inducted into Maumee High School’s Panthers Athletic Hall of Fame in November. He earned fi ve letters in baseball and basketball, and has been coaching in the Maumee Little League for 23 years. Judge Jack R. Puffenberger (Law ’78), who has served with the Lucas County Probate Court since 1991, was elected to the Executive Committee of the National College of Probate Judges, an organization dedicated to improving probate law and probate courts.Dr. Mary Stockwell (MA ’78, MA ’84, PhD ’84), professor of history at Lourdes College in Sylvania, Ohio, received the 2004 Community Service Award from

the Fort Industry chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Dr. George M. Haig (Pharm ’79, MBA ’86), Perrysburg, Ohio, was promoted to associate director of clinical research at Pfi zer Global Research and Development in Ann Arbor, Mich. David H. Rockow (UTCTC ’79) joined the Toledo architectural fi rm the Collaborative Inc. as construction administrator.

’80sJoseph A. Brown (A/S ’80, Pharm ’82), a district manager with GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals, moved to Fort Wayne, Ind. David C. Frazer (Bus ’80) joined the Retail Division ofFifth Third Bank as managerof the bank’s Bryan, Ohio,Banking Center.

Frazer ’80

Greg J. Machnik (A/S ’80), Chino Hills, Calif., who works as a dentist with the California Department of Corrections, received his fellowship in the Academy of General Dentistry.Debra A. Schaefer (Law ’80), vice president of Brooks Insurance Agency, was named corporate secretary. She has been with the Toledo company since 2003 and is in charge of human resources, organizational development, and marketing and communications.

Toledo Alumni Magazine | Winter 2005 23


class notes

Schaefer ’80

Bob Kerek (Pharm ’81) owns the Bath, Ohio, Colonial Pharmacy, which celebrated its 50-year anniversary in 2004.Doug Link (UTCTC ’81, Eng ’83, MBA ’87) was promoted to chief operating officer for Powers and Sons LLC, with responsibility covering two Ohio plants and one in Mexico for the automotive component manufacturer. Denise Niese (UTCTC ’82) was promoted to director of the Wood County Committee on Aging, headquartered in Bowling Green, Ohio. She had served three years as assistant director. Terry Thomas (Bus ’83), Powell, Ohio, became chief financial officer and senior vice president for Dominion Homes, a homebuilding company near Columbus. David Basich (Eng ’84, MBA ’86) was chosen as the associate vice president of business affairs for Owens Community College. He joined the college’s administration in 1999 as director of business services. Dr. Gregory Smith (Ed Spec ’84, PhD ’88), superintendent of Maumee (Ohio) Schools, received an Exemplary Leadership Award from the Buckeye Association of School Administrators, one of 10 recipients in Ohio for 2004. Craig Burnside (Bus ’85) was named director of corporate and community education for the Findlay, Ohio, campus of Owens Community College. He will work to foster partnerships between the school and regional community leaders.

Susan Gibney (A/S ’85), manager of marketing for the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library, assumed the presidency of the board of directors of the Press Club of Toledo.

Gibney ’85

Gerald M. Griffith (Law ’85), a partner and chairman of the heath care department of Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP in Detroit, participated in a panel discussion, “Billing the Uninsured at Charitable Institutions,” at the 11th annual Health Law Institute in March.

Griffith ’85

Margaret Nemeth (A/S ’85) was appointed manager of Citizen Bank’s new branch in Walled Lake, Mich. She joined the Flint-based banking and investment corporation in November.

Nemeth ’85

Jim Puffenberger (Law ’85) was named president and chief executive officer of Arizona Health Care. He joined the Flagstaff-based company in 1999 when he signed on as chief financial officer. Michael E. Ritzenthaler (Pharm ’85), Bay Village, Ohio, completed his MBA in healthcare in August and accepted a position as regional director with Pharmacy Systems Inc. in Dublin, Ohio.Patricia Wise (Law ’85), partner with Wise and Dorner Ltd., a Toledo employment law firm, received a Making a Difference Award from the St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center Auxiliary. In addition to her work with Wise People Management Inc. and her many community service activities, she is also vice president and founder of the Chance for Change Foundation, which provides opportunities for low-income young people and their families.Karen Bradley (A/S ’86) married Ken Rhinehart in August. They live in LaVerne, Calif., where Karen works as an obstetrics nurse. Alan Ceepo (A/S ’87, MBA ’93) was hired as vice president of sales in the Network Solutions Division of Century Business Services Inc. in St. Louis.Kent E. Roth (Bus ’87) was named vice president/risk manager at the Farmers & Merchants State Bank. He has been with the bank, headquartered in Archbold, Ohio, since 1987.

Michiale Schneider (Ed ’87, MEd ’89), Toledo, accepted a position as account executive with United Student Aid Funds, a national guarantor for student loans, with responsibility for Ohio and West Virginia. Dr. Stephen D. Cain (MS ’88), Gaithersburg, Md., completed his PhD in science education at the University of Maryland. He serves as dean of community education at Montgomery College.Marsha (Rabideau) Drees (A/S ’88), Toledo, a licensed social worker and certified chemical dependency counselor, was promoted to director of corporate services with Harbor Behavioral Healthcare, where she has worked for eight years.Dr. Eugene R. Kubitz (Ed ’88, MEd ’95), who practices podiatric medicine and surgery with Northern Ohio Medical Specialists in Sandusky, achieved board certification status with the American Society of Wound Management after passing the National Board Certification Examination for Wound Care Professionals. He is the only certified wound specialist in north central Ohio. Kathleen Tollison (Bus ’88) was hired by First Insurance & Investments as a certified financial planner/adviser, working through First Federal Bank offices in northwest Ohio. Mark Urrutia (Bus ’88) was appointed to serve northwest Ohio’s Rotary District 6600 as assistant governor. Mark, who serves on The University of Toledo Alumni Association’s board of trustees, also received the All-Lines Leader award from the American Family Insurance Group, with which the Mark A. Urrutia Agency is affiliated, in February.

www.toledoalumni.org

Urrutia ’88

Dr. Liz Athaide-Victor (PhD ’89), professor of criminal justice and psychology at Ohio’s Tiffin University, was promoted from associate professor in the fall. She has been on Tiffin’s faculty since 1989.

Athaide-Victor ’89

Cesar Hernandez (Univ Coll ’89), who has been with the Office of Enrollment and Advising at Owens Community College for 24 years, was honored with a Diamante Award in September for Latino adult leadership. Tomas Sanchez Jr. (A/S ’89) is working in Detroit as an agent with the FBI after making a transition to the bureau from the U.S. Army.Mark Vanderaar (MEng ’89) is chief executive officer and co-founder of Efficient Channel Coding Inc., a design and component provider for the wireless and satellite communications markets, based in Brooklyn Heights, Ohio. Natoya J. Walker (A/S ’89), Garfield, Ohio, is deputy executive director of resident services, HOPE VI/real estate

development, and marketing for the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority. Prior to joining the Cleveland organization in 2003, she worked for eight years in Washington, D.C., largely in the nonprofit sector.

’90sGireesh V. Gupchup (MPharm ’90, MPharm ’93) relocated from Albuquerque, N.M., to accept the position of professor and associate dean for student affairs at the Southern Illinois University School of Pharmacy in Edwardsville. John K. Stipancich (Bus ’90) accepted the position of general counsel for Rubbermaid/Irwin Tool Group. He and his wife, Amy (Bus ’89), live in Davidson, N.C., with their two sons.Douglas R. Trenkamp (Eng ’90) was promoted to product platform manager at Cooper Tire & Rubber in Findlay, Ohio. Joanna Wilson (A/S ’90, MA ’92), a freelance writer living in Campbell, Ohio, had her first book, Television for Bad Girls: A Rebellious Look at TV’s Female Characters for the Hip and Modern Girl, accepted for publication by Hot on Cool Publishing.

Wilson ’90, ’92

Douglas A. Fenbert (Bus ’91), most recently a quality assurance manager with Cooper Tire & Rubber, Findlay, Ohio, was named a product platform manager.Rachel (Boyer) Hunyor (Ed ’91), Sylvania, Ohio, joined the

W hen David Andrzejewski (A/S ’54) traveled from

Orange Park, Fla., to Toledo for Homecoming last fall, he wasn’t expecting anything more than some great football and the pleasures of his Class of 1954 reunion. The former Rocket quarter-back, though, ended up with a triple win. He made it to the Glass Bowl field before the game to meet with former UT Coach Frank Lauterbur, he caught up after 31 years with former classmate John Neff, who was being honored by the College of Business Administration, and he ended up winning $1,500 in a 50-50 raffle at the game!

Reunion on the50-year line

Andrzejewski and Lauterbur

staff of Toledo’s Central Catholic High School as a junior religion teacher.Dr. Bill Ivoska (PhD ’91), vice president of student services at Owens Community College, received the Advocate of the Year Award from the Wood County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board for his contributions toward improving drug awareness and substance abuse education.Perry N. Lease (Bus ’91), who has been with Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. since 1996, was named a territory sales manager for the Findlay, Ohio, manufacturer’s southern region. He lives in O’Fallon, Mo.

Lease ’91

Sandra M. Nolte (A/S ’91, MBA ’95) joined Fifth Third Bank, Toledo, as a mortgage loan originator.

Nolte ’91, ’95


class notes

Keith Ramsdell (A/S ’91, MEd ’95) and his wife, Tina, of Toledo, announce the birth of their first child, Olivia, in April. Keith is director of programming at CrossRoads Community Church in Temperance, Mich., and also teaches theatre at The University of Toledo.D. Chris Cook (Law ’92), who operates a private law practice in Avon Lake, Ohio, was appointed prosecutor of Sheffield Village.Mary Ann Harvey (Law ’92), a family law magistrate in Bryan, Ohio, was the 2005 recipient of the Athena Award, a national award that recognizes women’s professional achievement and community service. It was sponsored locally by the Bryan Area Chamber of Commerce.Don McCallum (UTCTC ’92), co-founder of Nemsys, oversaw the recent relocation of the technology support business to downtown Toledo. Jon Cooper (MBA ’93) was promoted to associate vice president for operations for Norton Suburban Hospital in Louisville, Ky. He also retains his position as associate vice president of imaging services. He and his wife, Sandy, have two children.

Cooper ’93

Cindy (Arredondo) Geronimo (Bus ’93, A/S ’96, Law ’99) was appointed systems administrator for the Lucas County Recorders Office. Jane M. Rahe (A/S ’93), Temperance, Mich., joined Fifth Third Bank as a private banking

relationship manager, working out of the company’s Financial Center in Sylvania, Ohio.

Rahe ’93

James M. Walling (Bus ’93) joined Fifth Third Bank as a mortgage loan originator working out of three of the bank’s Toledo offices.

Walling ’93

Dr. (Yunyi) Adam Zou (MEng ’93) joined the Cleveland engineering and architectural firm of R.E. Warner & Associates as a senior bridge engineer. Tim Guitteau (Ed ’94) was named vice president of Brooks Insurance Agency. He has been active in the insurance industry for more than 15 years and recently assumed the leadership of Brooks’ operations in Bowling Green,.

Guitteau ’94Beverly (Swoish)

Hammerstrom (MPA ’94), who is serving her second term in the Michigan State Senate, representing the 17th district, received Adrian College’s Distinguished Alumni Award at the Michigan college’s homecoming in October. She also served three terms with the Michigan House of Representatives.Gregory Reichenbach (A/S ’94, Law ’04) opened a new law office in Mansfield, Ohio, focusing on consumer protection. Heidi L. Troxel (Ed ’94), a teacher in Trumbull County, Ohio, married Keith Spicher in October. Lauri (Engel) Cooper (Law ’95) joined the Medical College of Ohio as general counsel. She had previously been assistant general counsel for three years at The University of Toledo.

Cooper ’95

David D. Dobrzykowski (Bus ’95, MBA ’99) received a 20 Under 40 Leadership Award for outstanding leadership. Founder of 3D Properties Development LLC — an investment property firm — he also serves on many community boards, including the UT Alumni Association board of trustees.Michael Elegeer (Bus ’95) joined PNC Bank in Cincinnati as vice president and business adviser in the commercial banking unit. Brad Emmons (A/S ’95), Vero Beach, Fla., was inducted into the Norwalk (Ohio) Athletic Hall of Fame for his achievements in golf

and tennis. He played the latter sport at UT, placing second in the MAC Tournament and being named first-team all-conference.Dr. Rose Marie Kuceyeski (PhD ’95), professor in the School of Business and Information Technology at Owens Community College, received the college’s first President’s Choice Outstanding Faculty Award. She joined Owens in 1985. Steven D. Leamy (Bus ’95), who has been with Signature Bank N.A., Toledo, since 2003, was promoted to assistant vice president, responsible for business development.

Leamy ’95

Gagan Tandon (MEng ’95), Canton, Mich., and his wife, Mili, announce the birth of their son, Grishm. Kara Yokum (MBA ’95), Waterville, Ohio, who has worked for 14 years in the banking sector, was promoted to senior vice president with KeyBank, Toledo.

Yokum ’95

Jason R. Bartschy (Bus ’96), Toledo, joined Fifth Third Bank as an analyst in the bank’s Commercial Division.


Julie Fischer-Kinney (Bus ’96, MEd ’02), academic program coordinator for chemical and environmental engineering at The University of Toledo, was awarded the 2005 National Academic Advising Association Region 5 scholarship grant, to be applied toward doctoral coursework she is taking through Kansas State University.Rodney Bostick (Bus ’97) joined GenoaBank, the northwest Ohio community bank, as a commercial loan offi cer.Angelita Cruz Bridges (UTCTC ’97, A/S ’97, Law ’00), a staff attorney at Bowling Green State University, is taking a hiatus from politics. She stepped down as president of the Hispanic/Latino Democratic Caucus of Lucas County in January to spend more time with her family and, as she said, to give others a chance to become actively involved in the political process. Matt Choma (A/S ’97, Eng ’97, MEng ’03) was named American Society of Civil Engineers Young Engineer of the Year for the city of Toledo.Jennifer A. (Baum) Cogan (Ed ’97) and her husband, David, announce the birth of their second child, Benjamin William, in December. He joins sister, Haley Ann, and the family in Wesley Chapel, Fla., where Jennifer teaches fi fth grade.

Cogan ’97

Physicians making house calls? That sort of thing went out with the horse

and buggy, didn’t it? Wrong. House calls are alive, well and — if Toledo family practitioner Florence Elgar M.D. (A/S ’88) has anything to say about it — a good idea whose time has come around again. She should know; the member of Flower Hospital’s Family Practice has been making house calls since her residency days. “In Flower Hospital’s residency program, house calls were a requirement. I found them very rewarding,” Elgar says. “And I had the example of Dr. Jeanine Hutner, who practices in geriatrics. She takes the same approach on house calls that you take with patients in nursing homes: very comprehensive.” Because patients on the receiving end of Elgar’s house calls are usually confi ned to their homes, comprehensiveness begins immediately, she says. “Patients are homebound for various reasons; they’re bedridden or maybe they’re psychologically unable to leave home, as with agoraphobia. Or some may be temporarily homebound following surgery. Home evaluations might be necessary to see why falls are occurring, for example. “You really do view patients holistically and see portions of their lives that you wouldn’t see in an offi ce setting. The holistic approach incorporates what we call bio-psycho-social approach to patient care. One factor is just as important as another; sometimes a patient’s medical problem may be less serious than a social factor,” she explains, citing the case of a

home where a family member’s substance abuse problem was affecting the patient’s well-being. “It was apparent as soon as I entered the home,” Elgar remembers. “I wouldn’t have known about it from an offi ce visit.” But aren’t such “site visits” the purview of nurses, social workers and therapists? Will any other physicians embrace house calls as enthusiastically as Elgar has? “I do not believe there would be resistance from physicians,” she says. “There are factors that have taken the M.D. house call out of the picture, things like the size of doctors’ caseloads and other demands that take time away from patient care. It’s not about the way doctors view themselves or view their patients.” With the exception of certain procedures that require specialized equipment, she notes, physicians can perform most types of treatment in the home. “I give injections and immunizations, and can bring equipment to perform diagnostic testing. We can even order x-rays in the home,”she says. “Cost enters into it, too. It’s much less costly to treat people in their homes than to have them in nursing homes for extended periods.”

Physician follows higher calling

Besides, she adds, people naturally prefer to be treated in their own homes. Her own practice is the proof; solely through word of mouth on her house calls, her offi ce has received so many patient inquiries that there’s now a waiting list. While acknowledging that house calls are time-intensive, she believes that more physicians will gradually fi nd ways to adopt them. “I hope that the time for this hasn’t passed — I hope it’s cutting-edge.”



class notes

What in the world are you doing?Your UT Alumni Association is interested in what you’ve been up to since graduation. Information about births, marriages, new jobs and recent promotions, and educational or professional accomplishments is published in Toledo Alumni. (Professional news reported directly to your college is automatically forwarded to Toledo Alumni.)

Please complete the information below and attach a brief description of your news. Mail to: The University of Toledo Alumni Association, Driscoll Alumni Center, Toledo, OH 43606-3395.

NAME: Last First Middle Former

Address: City State Zip Code

E-mail address: Phone: ( )

Year of UT Graduation: Degree: College:

What in the world are you doing?

Brian Gorrell (Bus ’97, Law ’02), Paulding, Ohio, joined the law fi rm of Cook, Troth & Burkard Ltd. as a member partner.Matthew Krill (Ed ’97, MEd ’04), a social studies and government teacher for the Edgerton (Ohio) school district, joined the village’s police force asa part-time offi cer. Khary Carson (A/S ’98) was hired as manager of Vistula Manor, a Toledo housing community for adults with severe disabilities.Mary Beth Gratop (Univ Coll ’98) was named manager of Toledo’s Locke Branch Library. She has been with the Toledo-Lucas County Public Librarysince 1969.

Gratop ’98

Dr. Jennifer (Wellman) Miltner (Pharm ’98), Medina, Ohio, and her husband, Ryan, announce the birth of their daughter, Jessica Christine, in September. In August, Jennifer, who works at Joint Township District Memorial Hospital in St. Marys, Ohio, earned her doctorate in pharmacy at Ohio State University.Aaron J. Stanley (Univ Coll ’98) married Jean-Nicole Wood in November. They live in New Orleans, where Aaron works with Andersen Consulting. Craig L. Teamer (Bus ’98) joined the Business Banking

Group of Fifth Third Bank, working with Toledo area businesses.Dr. Matthew Horn (A/S ’99), Port Clinton, Ohio, graduated from Logan College of Chiropractic in St. Louis, with a doctorate of chiropractic. Connie Torrey (Ed ’99) was promoted to executive director of the Jewish Community Center of Toledo/Sylvania Branch YMCA.

’00sWilliam Hayes (Ed ’00, MEd ’04) accepted the position of band director at Central Catholic High School in Toledo. While a student at UT, he worked as the graduate assistant director of bands.Rev. Jennifer Lucas (HHS ’00) joined the pastoral team at Faith Community United Methodist Church in West Chester Township, Ohio.Dr. Saravanan Peelamedu (PhD ’00) and his wife, Selvi, Warren, Mich., announce the birth of their son, Mikul, in February.

Jay Burkholder (Eng ’01) married Megan Wyse in January. They live in Archbold, Ohio.Brian Daeger (Ed ’01, MEd ’04) joined Coldwell Banker King Thompson in Hilliard, Ohio, as a real estate agent. Gopinath Marappan (MEng ’01) joined EMC Corp., a U.S.-based information management company, as an associate software quality engineer working out of offi ces in Bangalore, India.Dr. Rhea Partyka (MA ’01, PhD ’04) began working at the North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women as a psychologist. Her study, “Coping on Death Row,” was accepted for presentation at the 2005 national convention of the American Psychological Association. Jeremy Bechtol (Eng ’02, MEng ’04) accepted a position with Nissan Research and Development in East Liberty, Ohio.Brent A. Denny (Eng ’02) married Lindsay K. Durst (Ed

Alums can now update, search and network in a fl ash. Check out the Alumni Online Directory at www.toledoalumni.org

www.toledoalumni.org Toledo Alumni Magazine | Winter 2005 29

In the Company of FriendsJim Findlay (Bus ’48)

In a familar city whose history is peppered with bootstrap success stories, this auto-

biographical chronicle of the life of local businessman Jim Findlay certainly qualifi es as a genuine Horatio Alger tale. Now in an expanded edition, the book follows Findlay from childhood on Toledo’s Lincoln Avenue all the way to the honorary doctorate he received from UT in 2002 as a tribute to his leadership in the community and at his alma mater. In between, Findlayserved in the U.S. Air Corps,worked his way through college, founded the company — Impact Products Inc. — that would become synonymous with his name, and helped defi ne The University of Toledo through service, scholarships and the establishment of the Center for Family Business. He also married Celia Koontz (Ed ’49), the former UT Home-coming Queen who shared both an eventful life and a passion for service. Sadly, she died last July.

A Toledo story

NAME: Last First Middle Former

Address: City State Zip Code

E-mail address: Phone: ( )

Year of UT Graduation: Degree: College:

’03) in June. Brent is a systems engineer with TRW Automotive in Livonia, Mich., and Lindsay teaches third grade at George A. Phillips Academy in Toledo.Eric Scheaffer (Bus ’02) was promoted to director of information technology services with the Collaborative, a Toledo-based architectural/planning/design fi rm.

Scheaffer ’02

Joshua D. Simms (Eng ’02) and his wife, Kelley, Gallup, N.M., welcomed a daughter, Jadyn Madison, born in December. Joshua is a staff engineer with the federal Division of Sanitation Facilities, Navajo Indian Health Service.Leann M. Clymer (Pharm ’03) works in the regulatory affairs department of a pharmaceutical company in New Jersey, and wrote in to note, “For any grads looking to join the industry, Jersey is the place and has garnered the nickname of ‘Pharmaceutical Belt.’”Marivi (Maria V.) Cuartin (A/S ’03) relocated to Phoenix after graduation and is working for the Phoenix Suns, a National Basketball Association team, as a multicultural group sales coordinator.Joseph Fantozzi (Law ’03) joined the Sandusky, Ohio, law fi rm of Reno, Bogden & Ferber Co. as an associate.Patrick Giammarco (MBA ’03) joined The University of Toledo‘s Offi ce of Marketing and Communications in April

as marketing specialist, client services.

Giammarco ’03

Rahul Parab (MEng ’03) is working as a water resources engineer for Taylor Engineering Inc. in Jacksonville, Fla.Seaman Mark Rauschart (A/S ’03) completed U.S. Navy basic training at Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Ill.Seaman Romelle Weeden (HHS ’03) graduated from the U.S. Navy’s Operations Specialist School in Virginia Beach, Va. Joan Anderson (Eng ’04) joined British Petroleum (BP) as a process engineer.Nathan Boyd (MBA ’04, Law ’04) was admitted to the Ohio State Bar at a special session of the Ohio Supreme Court in November. He practices with Anspach Meeks Ellenberger LLP in Toledo.Chris Clark (Law ’04) was admitted to the Ohio State Bar in November. He works at the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Offi ce in Columbus.Mike Finkler (Pharm ’04) married Andrea Woolley (Pharm ’04). They’re living in Baltimore. Paul Heil (Eng ’04) joined Tenneco Automotive in Milan, Ohio, as a program engineer. Brian Holub (A/S ’04) married Heidi Atkin in October. They live in Woodville, Ohio. Christopher Marcinko (Law ’04) was sworn in after passing the Ohio State Bar exam and is practicing with Thomas DeBaccho in Port Clinton.

Findlay’s book is a localhistory travelogue, a primer for entrepreneurs, and a heartfelt love letter to Celia and his family, all in one. Could Mr. Alger do better?

Drew J. Mihalik (Law ’04) accepted an associate position with Fitzgerald Law Firm in Findlay, Ohio. Rebecca Shell (MBA ’04) joined the University of Findlay as a public relations offi cer. She had previously served as media relations coordinator at The University of Toledo.Emily Ault Turlo (Law ’04) joined the Mansfi eld, Ohio, law fi rm of Brown, Bemiller, Murray, McIntyre, Vetter and Heck LLP.

Alums can now update, search and network in a fl ash. Check out the Alumni Online Directory at www.toledoalumni.org

30 Toledo Alumni Magazine | Spring 2005 www.toledoalumni.orgwww.toledoalumni.org30 Toledo Alumni Magazine | Winter 2005

biblio-files

The preliminary bout of the book is a quick-hitting, no-punches-pulled history of race relations during the early years of boxing. This history focuses on the progress of African American boxers to positions of prominence in the sport. The author draws parallels and comparisons to other sports such as baseball and football. The main event of the book draws on a large database of heavyweights’ boxing records from 1949 to 1983. This impressive array of information is used to test the notion that some fighters received undeserved opportunities or special preference for championship fights, based on their race. Lindsay examines over twenty variables from boxing records, among them the number of fights, average winning percentages, knockout times to first championship bout from entry into Ring Magazine’s top ten, overall records, age of the fighter and other pertinent records. The author’s conclusions about the role of race as a determinant or detriment in the heavyweight championship lead to a view that may surprise the reader. A good read. A heavyweight thought-provoker. — Gary E. Cooke, UT professor emeritus of curriculum and instruction

100 Things I Wish I Knew in My Baby’s First Year (Paragon House, 2004)Randy Dean and Lorri Gorno (Law ’91)

Dean and Gorno, self-described “proud parents of three joyful toddlers,” based their book on

their own experience as parents; their three children were all born within the space of 12 months. While no one should mistake the 170-page paperback as an exhaustive guide to the complicated art of parenting, first-timers in the game should find plenty of advice that’s concise, practical and imbued with a sense of fun. Diaper rash, burping, baby monitors, how to form good sleep habits — it’s all there, along with ideas about fostering self-development without stifling individuality. Each topic is covered in a brief chapter no longer than two pages; again, the approach is chatty and companionable rather than all-inclusive. In fact, the best time to consult the book might well be long before the baby arrives — parents-to-be are likely to find that Dean and Gorno have anticipated and explained many of the little details about child-rearing that can sound so terrifying before the first close encounter.

Jim Courtright of Fort Worth: His Life and Legend (Texas Christian University Press, 2004) Robert K. DeArment (A/S ’52)

When reading the latest book by DeArment, the words of a country-western song came to

mind: “Well, do you want it to be interesting or do you want it to be true?” The response: “So far it’s neither.” That’s what the first half of this book was like. Not to say that DeArment wrote untruthfully, but he and Richard Selcer, a Fort Worth, Texas, historian who wrote the book’s forward, noted the absence of documentation that might help to paint a clear and complete picture of Jim Courtright. Courtright was a gunslinger a notch below the likes of Bat Masterson, Wild Bill Hickok or Billy the Kid. His beat was Fort Worth during the town’s cattle-drive days, when he was beloved for keeping the peace amid cowboy carousing and gambling. Sadly, no concrete examples of his skills appear in the book. The second half of the book becomes more interesting, though. Courtright joins a band of thugs and fatally shoots a cattleman. He flees, gives himself up and with the help of unnamed friends, gets the drop on U.S. marshals thanks to two six-shooters hung on nails under a table. As he flees again, it’s through a throng of a couple of thousand cheering townsfolk. Courtright made a fatal mistake, though, when he tried to extort protection money from a gambler, who killed Jim in the kind of gunfight that satisfies fans of classic westerns. Fort Worth mourned his death, but again, reasons for Courtright’s popularity would have made for a more complete picture. For Old West enthusiasts, this book makes good reading because it sheds light on one of the little-known characters of that storied era.— Dennis Bova, assistant news editor, The Blade

Boxing in Black and White, A Statistical Study of Race in the Ring, 1949-1983(McFarland Publishing, 2004) Dr. Andrew Lindsay (PhD ’02)

Lindsay’s book, based on his dissertation work, is thorough and scholarly. It is readily apparent

that the author has paid the full price of academic tedium and perseverance. The result of his persistence and scholarship is an interesting journey into the days when the heavyweight boxing championship fight was considered the main event by America’s sports fans.

30 Toledo Alumni Magazine | Winter 2005

www.toledoalumni.org Toledo Alumni Magazine | Spring 2005 31www.toledoalumni.org

in memoriam

’20sRobert W. Pocotte M.D. (A/S ’29), Chicago, died Jan. 24 at age 98. A lifetime member of the UT Alumni Association, he lettered in basketball in 1927, 1928 and 1929, and was inducted into the Varsity T Hall of Fame in 1989.Dana Towers, Toledo, who attended UT from 1929 to 1931 and from 1935 to 1937, died Nov. 3 at age 92.

’30sJean A. (Sigler) Brinley (Ed ’30), Toledo, died Nov. 26 at age 96. She was a member of Psi Chi Phi.Myron A. Rosentreter, Oak Harbor, Ohio, who attended UT from 1930 to 1932, died Feb. 11 at age 100. He was a lifetime member of the UT Alumni Association. Karl Reiser (A/S ’31), North Baltimore, Ohio, died Oct. 12 at age 95. An article on his passion for roses ran in the Winter 2001 issue of Toledo Alumni Magazine.Myrtle Gross (Ed ’32), Toledo, died Feb. 15 at age 96. She was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha. Dale E. Heffner, Sylvania, Ohio, who attended UT from 1932 to 1935, died Jan. 6 at age 90. He and his cousin, William Smith, were the first students to live on campus in the building now known as Libbey Hall. Rosalie (Elsperman) Hirzel (Ed ’32), Pemberville, Ohio, died Jan. 4 at age 94. She was a lifetime member of the UT Alumni Association. Berniece F. Husted (Ed ’32), Toledo, died Nov. 7 at age 94. She was a member of the UT Alumni Association.Marian (Smith) Larson, Sylvania, Ohio, who attended UT from 1932 to 1935, died Nov. 28 at age 92. She was a member of the UT Alumni Association and received a lifetime achievement award from the American Association of University Women. Florence (Gerwin) Massoni, Parma Heights, Ohio, who

attended UT from 1932 to 1936, died in November at age 90. Betty J. (Corey) Smith, Mesa, Ariz., who attended UT from 1933 until 1936, died Nov. 9 at age 89. She was a lifetime member of the UT Alumni Association.Helen (Davis) Klein (Ed ’34), Ottawa Hills, Ohio, died Nov. 1 at age 91. She was a member of the UT Alumni Association.Rev. Charles T. Klinksick, Ashland, Ohio, who attended UT from 1934 to 1936, died Feb. 16 at age 88. Harriett M. (Wise) Murdock (Ed ’35), Perrysburg, Ohio, died Jan. 14 at age 92. She was a member of Beta Tau Delta. Bob “Brownie” Stollberg (A/S ’35, Ed ’36), Davis, Calif., died Dec. 19 at age 89. He and the book he co-authored, YMCA Storer Camps, were profiled in the Spring 1998 issue of Toledo Alumni Magazine. A lifetime member of the UT Alumni Association, he and his wife established UT’s Robert and Noreen Stollberg Award in physics and astronomy. Mary-Frances Goodall (Ed ’36), Toledo, died Oct. 26 at age 90.Ruth L. (Lichtenstein) Klapfish (A/S ’37), Stockbridge, Mich., died Dec. 16 at age 89.Willis E. Brown Jr., Toledo, who attended UT from 1939 to 1941, died Sept. 24 at age 82. He was a lifetime member of the UT Alumni Association and a member of Phi Delta. Helen M. Ramey (A/S ’39), Toledo, died Dec. 5 at age 87. She was a member of Chi Omega.

’40sDavid M. Hayes, Toledo, who attended UT from the 1940s to the 1970s, died Feb. 17 at age 81. Geneva V. (Hall) Wheaton, Mansfield, Ohio, who attended UT from the 1940s to the 1960s, died Dec. 9 at age 94. Milton H. Davis (Bus ’40), Memphis, Tenn., died Jan. 20 at age 87. He was a member of the

Blue Key National Honor Society. Irene Kemp (Ed ’40), Toledo, died Nov. 28 at age 87.Malcolm J. Snyder, Albuquerque, N.M. who attended UT from 1940 to 1941 and from 1946 to 1949, died Nov. 23 at age 81. She was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon. Alvin N. Zachrich, Defiance, Ohio, who attended UT from 1940 to 1943, died Jan. 27 at age 84. Melvin E. Geisert (Eng ’41), Jensen Beach, Fla., died Sept. 29 at age 85.Dorothy C. (Burkhart) (Dettinger) Koch (MS ’43), Holland, Ohio, died Jan. 22 at age 95. She was a member of Delta Kappa Gamma. John R. Sinkey M.D. (A/S ’43), Toledo, died Oct. 26 at age 83. He was a lifetime member of the UT Alumni Association.Robert M. Butler (Eng ’44), Tampa, Fla., died Nov. 16 at age 83.Everett D. Hull Jr., Toledo, who attended UT from 1944 to 1945 and from 1947 to 1949, died Dec. 3 at age 77. Rosemary (Carter) Mack (A/S ’44), Media, Pa., died Nov. 28 at age 81.Barton W. Albring, Perrysburg, Ohio, who attended UT from 1946 to 1950, died Jan. 31 at age 76. He was one of the founding members of the UT chapter of Theta Chi.Benjamin Mercer Jr., Sylvania, Ohio, who attended UT from 1946 to 1947 and from 1972 to 1974, died Nov. 12 at age 84. Benjamin J. Sliwinski (Pharm ’47), Toledo, died Nov. 25 at age 84.Glen W. Grainger Jr. (Eng ’48), Haskins, Ohio, died Jan. 19 at age 82. He was a lifetime member of the UT Alumni Association. Richard L. Brazzil (Bus ’49), Toledo, died Nov. 3 at age 86. He was a member of the UT Alumni Association.William D. Bridenbaugh (A/S ’49), Ashland, Ohio, died Nov. 23 at age 77.

Myron Karp (Bus ’49), Toledo, died Dec. 6 at age 77.

’50sWarren H. Bock (Bus ’50), Sylvania, Ohio, died Oct. 18 at age 80.Lawrence D. Good (Ed ’50, MEd ’61), Brownsburg, Ind., died Jan. 18 at age 79. He was a member of Kappa Delta Pi.Joesph S. Krause (Ed ’50), Utica, Mich., died Oct. 7 at age 82. Richard G. Reisbach (Eng ’50), Toledo, died Nov. 9 at age 77. He was a member of Alpha Sigma Phi and a lifetime member of the UT Alumni Association. Daisy E. (Crawford) Takacs (Ed ’50, MEd ’64), Port Charlotte, Fla., died Oct. 7 at age 76. A lifetime member of the UT Alumni Association, she received the association’s Blue T Award in 1985 for outstanding service, and served as president of Phi Delta Kappa’s Toledo chapter in 1982.Marshall F. Bartley Jr. (Bus ’51), Toledo, died Oct. 29 at age 77.Marlene H. (Szymanski) Cisowski, Toledo, who attended UT from 1951 to 1954, died Nov. 26 at age 71. She was a member of Alpha Omicron Pi. Jack E. Dotson (Eng ’51), Yorba Linda, Calif., died Jan. 14 at age 79. He was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon and a member of the UT Alumni Association. Harold N.L. “Larnell” Liggens (A/S ’51), Cleveland, died Dec. 24 at age 78. He was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha and Delta Phi Delta. John H. Rightmyer (Eng ’51), Sarasota, Fla., died Nov. 22 at age 76. While at UT, he was president of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, and he was a lifetime member of the UT Alumni Association.John Skibski (Bus ’51), Toledo, died Jan. 27 at age 75.Francis J. “Bud” Pacer (Bus ’52), Toledo, died Nov. 30 at age 74.


in memoriam

John L. Scott (Bus ’52), Sarasota, Fla., died Oct. 10 at age 76.Nancy L. (Gettum) (Hill) Tod (A/S ’52), Toledo, died Feb. 7 at age 74. She was a member of Delta Delta Delta. Dr. John P. Clancy (Ed ’53, MEd ’56), Laguna Woods, Calif., died Dec. 2 at age 84. He was a member of the UT Alumni Association. Richard C. Howe (Eng ’53), Sylvania Township, Ohio, died Oct. 21 at age 79. Phyllis M. Ketterman (Ed ’53), Toledo, died Nov. 5 at age 73. She was a member of Zeta Tau Alpha.Guy R. Williams (Law ’53), Sylvania, Ohio, died Dec. 19 at age 93. William F. Bye (MEng ’54), Monclova Township, Ohio, died Oct. 19 at age 77. He was a member of Phi Kappa Phi. Leland C. “Pete” Goggans Jr. (Bus ’54), Franklin, Tenn., died Oct. 3 at age 73. He was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon.Arlene (Hoffman) Hendren (Ed ’54), Toledo, died Dec. 12 at age 72. She was a member of Alpha Omicron Pi.Donald D. Kasch (Bus ’54), Port Charlotte, Fla., died Dec. 15 at age 73.Eugene S. Ozarzak (Eng ’54), Liberty Center, Ohio, died Oct. 18 at age 74. He was a member of Blue Key Honor Society. Donald J. Ankenbrandt (Bus ’55), Gulf Shores, Ala., died Dec. 7 at age 72. He was a member of the UT Alumni Association.Terry G. Park (Bus ’55), Auburn, Ind., died Jan. 11 at age 73.Helen W. Gordon (Ed ’56, MEd ’60), Toledo, died Jan. 25 at age 97.Matthew Green III (Bus ’56), Toledo, died Oct. 30 at age 74. Richard W. Meyer Jr. (MEng ’56), Toledo, died Oct. 20 at age 83. He was a member of Beta Theta Pi.

Jerry R. Mantey (Pharm ’57), Lambertville, Mich., died Jan. 9 at age 79. Herbert C. Rice (A/S ’57, Law ’60), Dayton, Ohio, died Sept. 26 at age 70. He was a member of Delta Theta Phi.David A. Nowicki (Bus ’58, Law ’73), Temperance, Mich., died Dec. 23 at age 72.Thomas G. Bodnovich Sr. (Pharm ’59), Lindley, N.Y., died Dec. 11 at age 69.Allan J. Bosworth (Bus ’59, MBA ’65), Whitehouse, Ohio, died Feb. 18 at age 69. He was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon and a lifetime member of the UT Alumni Association.Joyce A. (Heuring) Gosbeth (Ed ’59), Brighton, Mich., died Feb. 18 at age 67. While at UT, she was president of Alpha Omicron Pi.

’60sEdwin E. Martin (Law ’60), Perrysburg Township, Ohio, died Sept. 30 at age 82. He was a lifetime member of the UT Alumni Association.James M. Schwyn (Bus ’60), Hilton Head, S.C., died Oct. 21 at age 66. He was a member of Alpha Sigma Phi and a lifetime member of the UT Alumni Association.Ruth I. Smith (Ed ’60, MEd ’64), Melbourne, Fla., died Dec. 29 at age 86. She was a member of Delta Kappa Gamma and Phi Kappa Phi. Howard M. Brown, Toledo, who attended UT from 1962 to 1965, died Dec. 26 at age 62. Harry J. Bitterman (Bus ’63), Warren, Mich., died Dec. 12 at age 63. He was a member of Alpha Kappa Psi. Raymond D. Bradley (Ed ’63), Toledo, died Sept. 13 at age 69. Marjorie (Bauer) Brice (MEd ’63), Toledo, died Sept. 22 at age 86. She was a member of Alpha Chi Omega.

Lawrence W. Larsen (Bus ’64), Venice, Fla., died Jan. 11, 2004.Judith S. MacDonald (Ed ’64), St. Pete Beach, Fla., died Jan. 1 at age 63. Josephine Haddad (Bus ’65), Toledo, died Dec. 5 at age 62. She was a member of the UT Alumni Association.Larry G. Mason (UTCTC ’65), Waterville, Ohio, died Dec. 27 at age 64. Thomas Blakowski (UTCTC ’66, Ed ’68, MEd ’73), Palmetta, Fla., died Oct. 12 at age 64.James A. Craig III (MEd ’66), Traverse City, Mich., died Jan. 29 at age 68. Georgette A. (Grosschedl) Fenton (A/S ’67), Bowling Green, Ohio, died Oct. 20 at age 59.Sylvia C. (Lopez) Weber (Pharm ’67), Swanton Township, Ohio, died Feb. 19 at age 63. She was a lifetime member of the UT Alumni Association.Thelma M. (Angevine) Beck (MEd ’68, Ed Spec ’73), Toledo, died Feb. 19 at age 82. She was a lifetime member of the UT Alumni Association and held membership in Kappa Delta Pi and the American Association of University Women. Norman J. Clark (Bus ’68), Luna Pier, Mich., died Jan. 16 at age 63. He was a member of the UT Alumni Association.Charlene M. (Gordan) Murray (Ed ’68), Sylvania, Ohio, died Feb. 5 at age 79. Helen E. (Goeder) Sherman (MEd ’69, Ed Spec ’82), Toledo, died Oct. 7 at age 88. She was a lifetime member of the UT Alumni Association.

’70sBetty J. Wonder (MS ’70), Greenville, Ohio, died Dec. 28 at age 76. She was a member of the UT Alumni Association. Stephen G. Reinhart (Law ’71), Cincinnati, died Nov. 8 at age 59.

Martha I. Nutt (Ed ’72, Bus ’91), Toledo, died Jan. 6 at age 55. Kathlyn J. Saxer (Ed ’72), Toledo, died Oct. 22 at age 56.David Obertacz, Fort Worth, Texas, who attended UT from 1973 to 1975, died Feb. 9 at age 49.Mary L. (Hoover) Koslovsky (UTCTC ’74, A/S ’80), Sylvania, Ohio, died Nov. 11 at age 89.J. Vincent Buchanan (Law ’75), Risingsun, Ohio, died Feb. 12 at age 53.Verlon L. “Bill” Penamon (A/S ’76), Toledo, died Dec. 16 at age 74. Dr. Anthony J. DeLapa (PhD ’77), Fayetteville, N.C., died Jan. 6 at age 67. He was a member of the UT Alumni Association. Geneva (Hankish) Watters (Ed Spec ’78), Toledo, who was also working on her doctoral degree, died Oct. 30 at age 81. She was a member of the UT Alumni Association.Martin J. Fehlen, Toledo, who attended UT from 1979 to 1984, died Feb. 11 at age 48.

’80sRonald E. Blagus (Bus ’80), Toledo and Sarasota, Fla., died Nov. 11 at age 71. He was a member of Alpha Sigma Phi. Jeffrey M. Cory (Bus ’82), Mason, Ohio, died Oct. 8 at age 43. Ruth E. (Ramlow) Bertke (Univ Coll ’83), Holland, Ohio, died Oct. 1 at age 88. She was a lifetime member of the UT Alumni Association and a member of Pi Beta Phi, and was instrumental in the design of the Pi Phi Suite in UT’s McComas Village.Joseph P. Daiber (Bus ’85), Toledo, died Oct. 17 at age 45. Beverly J. Kummer-Lower (Univ Coll ’85), Toledo, died Oct. 4 at age 50.Marcia L. (Meeker) Lamprecht (A/S ’85, MEd ’89), Delta, Ohio, died Dec. 18 at age 57.William J. Marckel (UTCTC ’85), Toledo, died Jan. 7 at age 48.


Valinda (Siewert) Snyder (A/S ’85), Toledo, died Oct. 26 at age 44.Dennis J. Gawrych, Toledo, who attended UT from 1986 to 1992, died Jan. 19 at age 38. Colleen Morgan-DalPra (MBA ’88), Sylvania, Ohio, died Dec. 28 at age 48. David R. Joehlin (Bus ’89), Toledo, died Nov. 2 at age 41.

’90sAnna M. (Stong) Bourgeois (A/S ’92, MA ’94), Laramie, Wyo., died Dec. 17 at age 34. Edwin Cordell Taylor Sr. (A/S ’92), Toledo, died Nov. 17 at age 53. He also completed extensive work on a master’s degree in education. Richard Daoust (Ed Spec ’94), Menominee, Mich., died Sept. 26 at age 61.Bryan S. Hurst, Westerville, Ohio, who attended UT from 1994 to 1996, died Jan. 6 at age 33. Steven L. Rojem (Bus ’95), Dearborn, Mich., died Nov. 20 at age 34. Rebecca A. (Martin) Hurst (Univ Coll ’96, MEd ’98), Waterville, Ohio, died Oct. 27 at age 54.Roland W. Denker III (UTCTC ’97), Toledo, died Oct. 9 at age 42.Gregory D. Sparr, Toledo, who attended UT from 1998 to 2003, died Dec. 28 at age 24.

’00sMatthew J. Townsend (Law ’00), Scottsdale, Ariz., died Nov. 16 at age 41.Jonathan A. “Andy” Beck (MEd ’02), Toledo, died Jan. 29 at age 38. Deana M. Norwood (Ed ’04), Toledo, died Jan. 26 at age 28. She was a member of the UT Alumni Association.

Faculty, Staff & FriendsDr. Bhal J. Batt, Sylvania, Ohio, professor of marketing and international business, died Feb. 20 at age 68. He joined the College of Business Administration faculty in 1980 and played an integral role in the development of the UT International Business Institute, serving as the institute’s director and chair of the management department for several years. Phyllis J. Felker, Toledo, an assistant bookkeeper from 1963 to 1965 when she was named student activities secretary, a position she held until 1967, died Oct. 3 at age 81.Dr. Ned B. Hein, Sylvania, who was the UT team physician for some 30 years starting in 1961, died Jan. 10 at age 86. He was inducted into the Varsity T Hall of Fame in 1992, and was named an honorary member of the National Athletic Trainers Association for his contributions to UT athletics.William (Bill) Hostetter, Toledo, who attended classes at UT over three decades, died Feb. 4 at age 89. He was hired as an accountant in the Bursar’s Office in 1968 and was named associate bursar in 1970. He was promoted to bursar in 1973 and held that position until his retirement in 1980. John G. Mattimoe, Toledo, who served as an assistant U.S. attorney during the administrations of John Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson, died Nov. 14 at age 74. In 1991, The University of Toledo College of Law presented him with the Distinguished Toledo Lawyer Award. He also served briefly as Toledo’s city law director.Mary Ellen Nelson, Lambertville, Mich., who worked at UT from 1988 to 1994 in the Division of Continuing Education as a data entry operator 2 and later in Residence Life as a word

processing specialist, died Feb. 10 at age 48.Daniel M. Seifer, Portland, Ore., who taught in the College of Business Administration for 13 years, died Oct. 16 at age 92. He was hired in 1969 as an associate professor and was promoted to professor of organizational administration in 1974, serving as acting chairman of the department for a time. He also served as president of the Toledo chapter of the American Association of College Professors. Following his 1982 retirement as professor emeritus, he continued to teach part time in the college.Dr. H. Dennis Sherk, State College, Pa., director of University Television Services from 1968 to 1983, died Jan. 8 at age 83. He served as acting chair of the educational media department in the College of Education for two years and was a professor of technology and media. Sherk was a member of Faculty Senate from 1972 to 1976 and served on several UT committees. Raymond P. Snow, Sylvania, Ohio, dean of the UT College of Business Administration from 1979 to 1983, died Dec. 20 at age 83. Prior to joining UT, he received the Pacemaker of the Year Award in 1979 from the College of Business Administration. Snow served as the first chairman of the college’s Business Advisory Council when it was organized in 1976.Tadeusz “Ted” Stocki, Toledo, who worked at UT for 33 years, died Nov. 1 at age 88. He began in 1953 when he was hired as a custodial worker. In 1965, he was named foreman in the Physical Plant. He became custodial supervisor in the Student Union in 1976, holding the position until his retirement in 1987.Richard J. Winkelman (A/S ’68), Delphos, Ohio, died Nov. 23

at age 80. He joined the University in 1965 as an assistant cataloger at Carlson Library and added instructor of library administration to his title in 1968. In 1977, he was named assistant reference librarian. He left UT in 1982.

Driscoll Alumni Center

2801 W. Bancroft St.

Toledo, Ohio

43606-3395

The Blade and Huntington Bank presentthe Thirteenth Annual University of ToledoAlumni Association Outdoor Juried Art Fair

Sunday, July 31, 200510 a.m. until 5 p.m.

Art on the Mall

Kick-off GalaSaturday, July 30, 2005 at 6 p.m.

Tickets $50

RSVP 419.530.ALUM (2586)

Silent auction, fine food and smooth jazz

2005 spring edition

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