Class Notes and Obits

Submit Class Notes to: Amanda.schwartz@utoledo.edu

’80’s

Jeff Wilbarger (Ed ’87) is the founder and director of the Daughter Project, a nonprofit he formed to support human trafficking survivors.

Jim Percival (MS ’84) has retired as Xenia, Ohio’s city manager. He became Xenia’s assistant manager in 1987 and moved up to city manager in 1999.

Marta J. Hoffman (Univ Coll ’88, Law ’92) recently joined the Healthcare Industry Group of Plunkett Cooney, one of the Midwest’s oldest and largest law firms.

Leslie Adams (A/S ’89) was selected as one of seven women honored at the YWCA’s 19th Annual Milestones Award Luncheon. The women who were selected have accomplished great milestones in their area of expertise in the Toledo area. Through their leadership and example, the seven women have opened doors for other women, enabling them to achieve milestones of their own. Adams specializes in figurative art and portraiture.

Dr. Albert O. Duncan, M.D., F.A.C.S. (Med ’80) joined the Geisinger Health System medical center in Pennsylvania as a trauma surgeon.

Hamid Akbari (Bus ’80, MBA ’81, MA ’82) was appointed to the position of dean of the college of business at Winona State University in January of 2014.

’90’s

Joyce Kotnik-Klevins (A/S ’95) has been promoted to managing editor at KSNV-TV News 3 in Las Vegas, Nev.

Nelson Shaffer (Bus ’91) has been named senior vice president/market president for Citizens National Bank in Toledo.

Brent Ransom (A/S ’99) is now the head swim coach at St. Francis de Sales High School in Toledo.

Gayle Ashbridge (Ed ’90, Med ’94, PhD ‘02) was named director of people development at The Douglas Company. She will head both the Orlando, Fla. and Toledo office associate development efforts.

Richard Todd (Bus ’94) wrote “The Golf Rules”, a book where you can learn the rules of golf through short stories that explain the game. His book was published in 2013 and you can read more about it at www.thegolfrules.com.

Vanessa Painter (Ed ’98) owns DesignMe Jewelry, where she designs and handcrafts hand-stamped, personalized jewelry. DesignMe was invited to participate in a luxury celebrity gift lounge hosted in honor of the 2014 Golden Globes nominees and presenters, where her sterling silver and Swarovski crystal Believe necklace were gifted to select press and media.

Debra Soncrant (Ed ’95, Med ’10) was named Toledo Blade Teacher of the Month for January, 2014. She is a graduate of Clay High School and takes pride in returning to her alma mater to teach in the art department.

Vallie Bowman-English (A/S ’92) was selected as one of seven women who was honored at the YWCA’s 19th Annual Milestones Award Luncheon. The women who were selected have accomplished great milestones in their area of expertise in the Toledo area. Through their leadership and example, the seven women have opened doors for other women, enabling them to achieve milestones of their own. She is clerk of Toledo Municipal Court.

Chantel Van Dyke Rammel (Bus ’90) was added to the Milton-Union High School athletic hall of fame in January, 2014.  She was an MVP, All-Southwestern Buckeye League and All-District in softball. She was also a Bulldogs’ three-time tennis MVP and a two-time state qualifier and graduated as the program’s career leader in singles victories.

James O’Bryant (Univ Coll ’97) has been promoted to the position of deputy chief of police for the Toledo Police Department. He became an officer in 1985 and was promoted to captain in 2006. He also served in investigations, training, community service and personnel.

James Irwin (Bus ’94) is now the senior director of corporate business development at A. Schulman, a leading international supplier of high-performance plastic compounds and resins headquartered in Akron, Ohio. This is a newly created position and Irwin will be responsible for all aspects of mergers, acquisitions and divestitures globally.

’00’s

Colleen Burke (Law ’01) has been named partner in the law firm Collins Einhorn Farrell, located in Southfield, Mich.

Jim Harding (Ed ’01) was announced as the University of Utah’s new offensive line coach. He was previously Utah’s offensive coordinator.

Brandynn Adams (A/S ’05) has been named chief executive officer of Toledo’s Focus Federal Credit Union. She has been with Focus since 2005 and has been the credit union’s assistant manager and marketing director.
’10’s

Dr. Mahvish Muzaffar, M.D. (Res ’11, Res ’13) has joined the department of oncology in the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University as a clinical assistant professor.

Births, Marriages and Engagements

Jennifer Howe (Pharm ’09) and Stephen Foglio (HSHS ’09, MHSHS ’10) announced their engagement and are planning a May 24, 2014 wedding in Ashtabula, Ohio.

	Sharayah Riegsecker (Pharm ’10, PharmM ’13, Honors ’13) and Craig Bonner were married on January 11, 2014 at Shiloh Christian Union Church in Delta, Ohio.

Jodi L. Leininger (Ed ’10) and John P. Greco (Bus ’07) exchanged vows on March 22, 2014 at the Staughbaugh Center in Youngstown, Ohio.

Walter Jordan Smith (JHCOE ’13) and Casey Jean Saaf (future Ed ’14 grad) announced their engagement and are planning a June 2014 wedding.

Keri Florence Smail (HSHS ’11) and Kevin Andrew Marsh were married in October 2013 in an outdoor ceremony at the Homestead Resort in Glen Arbor, Mich.

Allison Hessler (Ed ’07) and Nicholas Moreno celebrated their marriage on July 27, 2013. They were married at Northwest Presbyterian Church in Dublin, Ohio and the reception was held at the Worthington Hills Country Club.

Cory Michael Epstein (Bus ’03) and Danielle Anita Skorupa announced their engagement in January 2014. A wedding in the spring of 2015 is planned.

Faculty, staff & friends

Diane R. Buchanan, Toledo at 54. A housekeeper for 18 years at the former Toledo Hilton on the Health Science Campus.

John M. McIntosh Sr., Holland, Ohio at 92. A stationary engineer at MCO until his retirement in 1976.

Richard J. Gross, Sylvania, Ohio at 86. Gross was a Toledo businessman who first suggested the need for an area resource to bring together family businesses. He led Gross Electric Inc. for nearly 50 years, and was a founding member of the UT Center for Family Business, which opened in 1992. He served on the center’s advisory board through 1998.

Ronald H. Hall, Temperance, Mich. at 83. Hall became an adjunct instructor in the geology department in 1980.

**Norman Koenigseker (Eng ’69, MEd ’98), Sylvania, Ohio at 69. He was a faculty member at UT for 25 years. In 1998, he joined the engineering technology department. Over the years he served as chair and was the faculty advisor for the UT chapter of Tau Alpha Pi. While at the University, he helped with capital projects and campus planning for a few years, received the 1995 Engineer of the Year Award from the Toledo Society of Professional Engineers, and was named a University College Fellow in 1997. He retired as associate professor in 2013.

Shirley Armstrong, Walpole, Maine at 84. She was a member of the Satellites Auxiliary.

Thomas D. East III, Toledo at 81. He joined the Department of Music as an assistant professor in 1971 and was named associate professor in 1982. East was director of opera studies and oversaw numerous UT productions. The tenor sang in opera houses in Germany and across the United States. In 1992, he received emeritus status.

Anne Cahalane Free, Toledo at 81. During her career, she taught in the English department. She is survived by Dr. William N. Free, professor of English.

Robert G. Glover, Toledo at 62. He joined the University in fleet operations in 1991 and retired as auto mechanic 2 in 2012. Glover served as president and vice president of the Communications Workers of America Local 4530, and following the merger with Local 4319, as unit director and secretary-treasurer.

Patsy Ruth (Martin) Hoag, Toledo at 82. She was a member of the Satellites Auxiliary.

Betty A. Mangas, Toledo at 81. She was a former UT employee.

Noel Stock, Toledo at 84. He taught in the UT English Department for more than two decades. He was a visiting professor from 1969 to 1971 when he was named professor. The noted expert on Ezra Pound retired from the University in 1991.

Carlene Thomas, Atlanta, Ga. at 91. She was the assistant to the president of Maumee Valley Hospital and helped with the transition to the Medical College of Ohio. She worked at MCO from 1967 until her retirement in 2002 when she was an assistant to the chair of the biochemistry and cancer biology department.

Clarence H. Wright, Floral City, Fla. at 86. He worked in UT maintenance from 1970 until his retirement in 1991.

30’s

**Maxine Weeber (Ed ’33), at 102.

40’s

Richard Brucker (Bus ’48), Danville, Calif. at 89.

William Lewis (Eng ’49), Kent, Wash. at 87.

Morris Moen (A/S ’49), Seattle, Wash. at 88.

Ruth Weaver (att. in 1945), Toledo at 91.

Anthony Bock (A/S ’49), at 95.

50’s

**Irene Seeger (Ed ’55), at 82.

Troy Richey (A/S ’58), Napoleon, Ohio at 96.

**Thomas Bentley (Eng ’55), Ellicott City, Md. at 82.

60’s

Steve Schein (Bus ’64), Delray Beach, Fla. at 71.

Julia Hoops (A/S ’67), Waskom, Texas at 75.

Jerry Booher (Eng ’66, MEng ’70), Scottsdale, Ariz. at 74.

Charlotte Rapp (Ed ’69), Findlay, Ohio at 97.

**Wilbert West (Bus ’68), Toledo at 85.

James Ellis (Pharm ’68), Broomfield, Colo. at 69.

Dr. Richard Christ (A/S ’60, MA ’63), Columbus, Ga. at 77.

Gerald Masters (Ed ’64), Marco Island, Fla. at 76.

Annette Romp (Ed ’69, MEd ’76), Toledo at 68.

Gene Gates (Law ’69), Yucca Valley, Calif. at 82.

Rowena Meeks (Ed ’66), Sylvania, Ohio at 98.

70’s

Mary Parker (Bus ’74), Toledo at 91.

George Mitchell (UTCTC ’70, Eng ’75), Toledo at 72.

Eddie Boggs (MEd ’73, MEd ’79), Sylvania, Ohio at 69.

Judy Spangler (A/S ’72), Toledo at 70.

Dewitt Howland (Ed ’78), Brooksville, Fla. at 89.

**George Goodwin (Eng ’72), Bloomfield, Mich. at 80.

Robert Beavers (UTCTC ’75), Toledo at 80.

Mark Ashley (UTCTC ’76, Univ Coll ’91), Toledo at 59.

Dr. Michael Galbraith (Ed ’73, MEd ’81), Charleston, W.Va. at 65.

**Raymond Wolford (Ed ’72), at 72.

80’s

Dr. Cecilio Delgra (Res ’83), Ellenton, Fla. at 80.

Paul Zielinski (A/S ’81, Ed ’84, Med ’89), Toledo at 56.

Marilyn Burkhardt (Ed ’89), Perrysburg, Ohio at 53.

Gary Ernst (A/S ’87), Toledo at 65.

Robert Westrick (Bus ’88), Temperance, Mich. At 65.

Connie Lancz (Pharm ’83), Toledo at 56.

**Richard Miller (Ed ’80), Northville, Mich. at 56.

Catherine Zellner (UTCTC ’81), Findlay, Ohio at 53.

Marilyn Simon (Ed Spec ’80), Perrysburg, Ohio at 89.

**Dorothy Rothman (Univ Coll ’84), Toledo at 82.

Dennis Johnson (UTCTC ’84), Ida, Mich. at 56.

Daniel Janos (Univ Coll ’89), Temperance, Mich. at 67.

James Wilkinson (Univ Coll ’87), Maumee, Ohio at 84.

Dr. Paul Nagy (Res ’87), Fremont, Ohio at 54.

90’s

Michael Haynes (UTCTC ’97, Eng ’05), Curtice, Ohio at 58.

Patricia Achinger (Ed ’91), Lambertville, Mich. at 73.

Bonnie Kinschner (Univ Coll ’97), Mills River, N.C. at 67.

00’s

Heather Abrighach (A/S ’01), Toledo at 41.

*Annual Alumni Association Member
**Lifetime Alumni Association Member