Class Notes
Please submit your class note to: Amanda.Schwartz@utoledo.edu
’70s
Warren E. Hunt II (Ed ’76) published a book on the Vietnam War, “Reflections on the Vietnam War: A Fifty-Year Journey.” The book offers a historical reflection and autobiographical account of Hunt’s experience with the war as a high school student, combat soldier in Vietnam and as a veteran readjusting to civilian life. Hunt’s book is available for purchase on Amazon, Kindle and Facebook.
| *Rick Spiess (Ed ’78), John Fast (Bus ’77), **Dave Spiess (Bus ’78), and *Jeff Traudt (Bus ’79) showed their immense Rocket pride while skiing on vacation in Colorado. |  |
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**Lawrence Yonovitz (Eng ’73, MEng ’82) displays his Rocket pride in the state of Michigan with his new custom license plate. |
’80s
Dr. Thomas L. Steinemann (MED ’85) was a panelist at the Federal Trade Commission’s Contact Lens Workshop, examining the contact lens marketplace and proposed changes to the commission’s contact lens rule regarding competition in the retail sale of contact lenses. Steinemann is a full-time faculty member and professor of Ophthalmology at the Case School of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.
| Dr. Robert Dempsey (MS ’87, PhD ’91) is the executive editor of “The International Space Station: Operating an Outpost in the New Frontier.” This 400-page e-book offers an inside look at flight controllers and the time and energy involved in making spaceflight a success. Download the e-book for free directly from the NASA e-books website. Dempsey also was involved in the patch design for the first flight of Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner Spacecraft. The patch features the Starliner capsule in orbit over Earth with four points on the planet highlighted by four small stars. Boeing is building the spacecraft to fly astronauts to the International Space Station. Dempsey is NASA’s flight director for the International Space Station at Johnson Space Center’s Mission Control in Houston. |  |
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Karl Pituch (A/S ’80) and Denise Tryon received the Silver Medal Award from Global Music Awards for their album, “A Pair of Aces.” Global Music Awards is an international music competition that celebrates independent musicians. Pituch is a principal horn in the Detroit Symphony. The CD is available for purchase here. |
’90s
Matt Eberflus (Ed ’93) is the new defensive coordinator for the Indianapolis Colts, an NFL team located in Indianapolis, Ind. He spent nine seasons on the UT football coaching staff, eight seasons at the University of Missouri, two seasons with the Cleveland Browns, and most recently, seven seasons with the Dallas Cowboys.
| **Dr. Lee Johnson (PhD ’99) was appointed to the board of directors of the Higher Learning Commission. The Commission accredits colleges and universities in a 19-state region of the United States. Dr. Johnson is the senior vice president for business and finance at Siena Heights University in Adrian, Mich. He is currently the president of the UT Alumni Association Board of Trustees. |  |
’00s
**Robb Williams (MBA ’00), president of Founders Professional, a wholesale insurance brokerage, hired Mark Dion, a previous employee of Founders’ largest competitor. The brokerage, headquartered in St. Petersburg, Fla., focuses exclusively on the placement of professional and management liability insurance risks and has a practice leader led team model that operates as a hybrid underwriting and placement brokerage firm for retail agencies across the country.
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Dr. Michael Bigham (MED ’02) was appointed to the position of chief quality officer at Akron Children’s Hospital in Akron, Ohio. In this role, he will lead quality, safety and patient experience initiatives in an effort to improve child health and patient care. |
Dr. Jelena Cingara (MA ’05), a pianist, and her cellist, Zoltan Csikos, were awarded second place at the American Protégé Competition. The competition is designed for young musicians, actors and singers who are on the path to a successful career. They will perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City on May 26.
| Lucy Armstrong (HSHS ’00), also known as the poet Sierra Leone, received a Governor’s Arts in Ohio Award. She is the president and artistic director of OFP Theatre Company. Her work with youth arts and community organizations and schools have been ongoing through the company’s educational arm, Signature Educational Solutions. Armstrong is continuing the empowerment of girls in the Dayton Public Schools’ Girls Achievement Program. She also has written and performed commissioned work for many local and national organizations. |  |
Jacob Ward (Law ’05) was recognized for his blog, “Anticipate This!: Patent and Trademark Law Blog.” Anticipate This! is meant to spark public interest in the importance of patents and trademarks to protect innovations. He is an adjunct professor at the College of Law at UT, where he instructs on patent law and patent practice. Ward is the founding member of Ward Law Office, a boutique law firm specializing in the practice of patent and trademark law, located in Tiffin, Ohio.
’10s
*Dr. Todd Ludwig (MS ’12, MED ’16) joined Shriners Hospital for Children in Salt Lake City, Utah, as an orthopaedic resident. Dr. Ludwig is trained in the preservation, investigation and restoration of the form and function of the extremities, spine and associated structures by medical, surgical and physical means.
Births and Marriages
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Matthew Bunn (Eng ’13) and Danielle Davis announced their engagement and upcoming October wedding. Matthew is employed at Perkin Elmer Inc. in Akron, Ohio and Danielle is a kindergarten teacher for Cleveland Metro School District. |
| Dr. Jason Young (MED ’10) and Emily Devon were united in marriage in September 2017. Jason is a resident physician at Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus and will continue his residency in ophthalmology at Indiana University in July. Emily is a restoration coordinator for The Nature Conservancy in Dublin, Ohio. |  |
Notices
Dr. Eunice S. Thomas (MEd ’59) recently passed away and her nephew, Reginald A. Stephens, is interested in hearing from her classmates to share stories about his aunt. If you knew Eunice, please contact Reginald at rstep573@att.net.
Faculty, staff & friends
Leo E. Cahill (MEd ’65), Sandy Springs, Ga., 89. He was an assistant football coach for the Rockets in 1954.
Kathleen A. (De Vries) (Liebengood) Lorigan, Green Springs, Ohio, 62. She was manager of operations in development at MCO until 1989.
Jacquelynn A. “Jackie” Richards (Bus ’12), Toledo, 57. She worked with the UT Physicians Group.
Patricia McCarthy Savage Gogolin, Toledo, 89. She taught art classes at the University.
Robert “Bob” C. Stainbrook (Pharm ’58), Toledo, 87. He was a pharmacist who worked at MCO/MUO/UTMC from 1994 until his retirement in 2006.
Judith A. (Weaver) Givens, South Bend, Ind., 67. She was an assistant in Development at MCO.
Charlotte (Kotecki) Michalak, Lambertville, Mich., 74. She worked at UT several years before retiring as an administrative assistant in 2003.
William E. Fisher (MS ’57), Waterville, Ohio, 85. He was an instructor who taught chemistry at UT.
John C. Schaffer, Toledo, 84. He joined the UT faculty as an assistant professor of social work in 1974 and was granted tenure in 1980. Schaffer served as chair of social work and oversaw the first accreditation of the Social Work Program. He retired in 1995 and was named professor emeritus; he continued to teach through 2003.
*Dave Woolford (Bus ’64), Fort Myers, Fla., 78. He was an instructor in the Department of Communication and a sports reporter for The Blade; for a time during his career he covered the Mid-American Conference, including writing about UT football and basketball.
**Carol Planicka, Johnstown, Ohio, 83.
’30s
Helen Rolfes (A/S ’31, MA ’42), Toledo, 80.
Robert Schwyn (Bus ’39), Toledo, 77.
’40s
**Leah Heimbeck (Ed ’44), East Lansing, Mich., 95.
Carl Dorcas (A/S ’49, Law ’51), Sylvania, Ohio, 91.
Charles Rauch (Eng ’49), Georgetown, Texas, 94.
**Dr. Raymond Steinberg (A/S ’42), Scottsdale, Ariz., 97.
’50s
*Paul Katz (Bus ’52), Toledo, 88.
John Lorenzen (Eng ’57), Laurel, Md., 83.
Raymond Kessler (Ed ’50, MEd ’56), Monroe, Mich., 91.
William Fisher (MS ’57), Perrysburg, Ohio, 85.
James Watt (Eng ’56), Clyde, Ohio, 88.
’60s
Dr. Marvin Cannon (A/S ’60, MA ’65), Westerville, Ohio, 77.
Wenonah Flaherty (Ed ’69), Toledo, 96.
Cidney Sutfield (UTCTC ’67), Toledo, 75.
’70s
Joseph Kisandi (Univ Coll ’79), Maumee, Ohio, 82.
James Wadley (Ed Spec ’75), Holland, Ohio, 77.
Dr. Neal Carothers (A/S ’74), Bowling Green, Ohio, 65.
David Schmidt (Eng ’77), Toledo, 62.
Phillip Reamsnyder (A/S ’79, Univ Coll ’89), Oregon, Ohio, 62.
Kenneth Roberts (Univ Coll ’79), Toledo, 73.
William Watson (A/S ’75), Toledo, 65.
Charles Darnell (MA ’72), Toledo, 74.
’80s
Laura Koppert (A/S ’88, Honors ’88), Heath, Ohio, 51.
Michael Paquette (Univ Coll ’87, A/S ’88), Toledo, 64.
**Bernard Byrum (MBA ’82), Perrysburg, Ohio, 82.
Linda Crothers (UTCTC ’89), Toledo, 69.
Paula Edwards (NRS ’83), Curtice, Ohio, 69.
’90s
Allison Burrows (Univ Coll ’99), Maumee, Ohio, 63.
Sylvia Eckhart (Univ Coll ’98), Roscommon, Mich., 84.
Kevin Callaway (A/S ’99, NRS ’04), Toledo, 42.
Janet Schmeltz (MEd ’91), Bowling Green, Ohio, 64.
’00s
Dr. Jo Kleinfelder (PhD ’09), Sandusky, Ohio, 67.
Antjuan Savage (Univ Coll ’00), Dublin, Ohio, 41.
*Annual Alumni Association Member
**Lifetime Alumni Association Member
