Note: An * before a name means the alumnus was a faculty or staff member, too. So they are also listed under Faculty/Staff with their dates of service at Kent State.
1940s
James Hudkins, BSE ’48, February 25, 2023
1950s
Florence Louise Woodward, BS ’50, January 18, 2023
Priscilla Johnson, BA ’51, December 14, 2022
Margaret Catherine (Mayernik) Horvath, BS ’52, MA ’71, May 9, 2023
Alma “Joyce” (Thorp) Hackworth, BS ’54, January 10, 2023
George Mallow, MA ’54, December 9, 2022
Margaret Rohde, BS ’54, January 7, 2023
Manuel Barenholtz, BBA ’55, March 10, 2023
*Charles “Chuck” F. Kegley, BS ’56, MEd ’59, October 3, 2022
Shirlee (Gotliffe) Hennigan, BS ’57, January 29, 2021
John Caddey, BA ’58, February 2, 2023
Beverly (Rogers) Bessler, BS ’59, May 2, 2023
Elizabeth Jean Dages, BS ’59, June 16, 2023
*Emilio Dante Ferrara, BA ’59, June 28, 2023
1960s
*Nora Granat Kegley, BS ’60, July 8, 2021
Mary Lou Bolanz, BA ’61, December 11, 2022
Phyllis Ford, BSE ’63, January 7, 2023
Jane (Ware) Nolt, BS ’65, July 26, 2022
Walter Yingling, BS ’65, MEd ’67, September 29, 2022
Vincent Eckdahl, BBA ’67, February 28, 2023
Sandy Shore, BFA ’67, May 1, 2022
Marilyn Walentschak, MEd ’67, March 31, 2023
Nancy (Huffman) Rue, MLS ’69, February 4, 2023
William “Jimmy” Szuch, BS ’69, October 28, 2022
Michael Yeagley, BArc ’69, January 28, 2023
1970s
Valerian Pechenuk, BBA ’70, January 13, 2022
Elaine (O’Neill) Reynolds, BS ’70, MEd ’82, May 25, 2023
*Lois (Mercier) Buttlar, BS ’71, MLS ’75, PhD ’81, February 27, 2023
Michael D. Dye, BA ’71, April 24, 2023
Thomas “Tom” Giovangnoli, BS ’71, MEd ’76, January 7, 2023
James “Jim” Lazar, attended 1968-1971, May 31, 2023
*Sandra Werth Harbrecht Ratchford, BSE ’71, June 18, 2023
*Valerie Ann (Marttila) Shultzabarger, BA ’71, MA ’74, May 5, 2023
Richard A. Wilson, BA ’71, March 9, 2023
Richard A. Blair, BBA ’72, January 4, 2023
John Howard, BBA ’72, October 24, 2022
Valerie Hinton-Hannah, BA ’75, MEd ’91, December 23, 2021
Julia Davidson Englert, BS ’76, MEd ’77, March 24, 2023
Janet Kearney-Gissendaner, BGS ’78, January 8, 2023
Sharon Lower, BSN ’79, April 5, 2023
1980s
Paul Harding Taylor, BA ’80, January 8, 2023
Mary Ann (Quirk) Maimone, BA ’82, July 31, 2021
Cindy Marie (Messmer) Marshaus, BE ’83, April 11, 2023
Paula Muehlbauer Mathis, BSN ’83, January 9, 2022
John Dragomier, AA ’85, August 6, 2022
*Ruth E. Friend, PhD ’85, January 18, 2023
Scott J. Kimmel, BBA ’87, January 24, 2023
*Ruby Williams, MEd ’87, July 19, 2023
Frank B. “Frankie” Kurtz Jr., BA ’88, May 11, 2023
John Ludwick, AAB ’88, BBA ’92, March 23, 2023
Wendy A. Steesy, BS ’88, April 20, 2023
Steven L. Sullivan, BS ’88, January 30, 2022
Elgie M. Underwood, BBA ’89, August 5, 2022
1990s
Susan Kozlevcar, BSE ’91, June 14, 2021
Barbara (Schar) Gaj Eisenman, BSN ’95, October 27, 2022
Dorian Morgan II, BA ’97, October 25, 2022
Daniel R. Camburn, BSE ’98, February 20, 2021
Maureen (Sullivan) Loudin, PhD ’98, September 18, 2021
2010s
George Christian “Chris” Anthony, BA ’10, April 2, 2023
Susan “Sue” Jeffers, BA ’11, LSM ’19, January 1, 2023
2020s
Dustin James Kirk, AS ’21, March 31, 2023
Jenna Jean Johnson-Bleil, BA ’22, AA ’22, June 17, 2023
Hannah Marie Gehret, AA ’23, June 22, 2023
Faculty/Staff
*Charles “Chuck” Kegley, BS ’56, MEd ’59, PhD, Professor Emeritus of Adult, Counseling, Health and Vocational Education (1964–1996), October 3, 2022
In the 1960s, in addition to teaching he was assistant track coach (1964–1967) and worked for US AID in Tanzania on a university contract for Kent State. In 1966, he was director of a 10-week Peace Corps training school at Kent State for programs in Venezuela and Bolivia. Upon the project’s completion, he functioned as the university’s representative to the Peace Corps.
After the tragedy of May 4, 1970, he became chair of the 52-member University Commission to Implement a Commitment to Non-Violence, later known as the Kegley Commission. According to interdepartmental correspondence dated May 21, 1970, Kent State President Robert I. White charged the commission to recommend methods and procedures for ensuring non-violence on campus, which was seen as crucial to the university’s ability to reopen.
In the 1970s, he was a coordinator, director and liaison for international education at Kent State. He went on to teach health education and later became the department chair, as well as chair of the allied health sciences department, which morphed into adult, counseling, health and vocational education (ACHVE) (1975–1994). Following his retirement, he served as interim special assistant to the provost (1996–1998) and special assistant to the dean of fine and professional arts (1998–2000). He also served on various boards, including the Kent State University Alumni Association.
*Nora Granat Kegley, BS ’60, clerk in Admissions and Records (1966–unknown) and program coordinator for education, College of Continuing Studies (1985–1991), July 8, 2021
She was instrumental in founding the Virginia Hamilton Conference on Multicultural Literature for Youth at Kent State, which celebrated its 35th anniversary in April 2023.
*Emilio Dante Ferrara, BA ’59, DDS, served on the Kent State University Board of Trustees (2006–2015), June 28, 2023
Skilled as an oral surgeon, he donated his time and talents to Kent State athletes who needed dental care. He also made custom mouthguards for the football team. He was a longtime mentor to Kent State head men’s golf coach Herb Page, BS ’74, MA ’76, and provided the lead gift for the $2.2 million Ferrara and Page Golf Training and Learning Center. The center was dedicated in September 2007 and remains one of the top facilities in the nation. Kent State University honored him with the Distinguished Alumni Award in 1999.
Memorial gifts may be made to the Kent State University Chip In Club, which supports the Kent State men’s and women’s golf programs, assists with interscholastic support and enables competition on a national level. Donations to the Chip In Club may be made securely online or by mail to Kent State Athletics, Attention Golf Program, 1025 Risman Dr., Kent, OH, 44240. Write checks payable to the Kent State University Foundation, specify Fund #14882 in memory of Emilio Ferrara.
Ronald A. Brown, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Physics (1967–1971), February 9, 2023
Felix Ekechi, PhD, professor in the Department of History (1969–2004), July 13, 2023
“The foundations of today’s Department of History at Kent State University were laid by Felix and his peers who began arriving at the university in the 1960s. He was among the vanguard of a new generation of scholars working in African history to tell the story of the peoples of Africa (the Igbo in Felix’s case) from their perspectives. His legacy can be traced not only in Kent State’s African Studies program and a thriving pipeline of graduate students from Africa studying in our department, but in a scholarship endowed by his children that will benefit generations of Kent State students. The scholarship, which honors his 35-year career at Kent State, provides tuition and other assistance to students who are in good academic standing, are sophomores or above and are minoring in African Studies.” —Kevin Adams, PhD, Chair and Associate Professor, Department of History
Memorial gifts may be made securely online or by mail to the Kent State University Foundation, P.O. Box 5190, Kent, OH, 44242; specify Fund #36441 for the Ekechi Scholarship.
*Lois (Mercier) Buttlar, BS ’71, MLS ’75, PhD ’81, Professor Emerita of Library and Information Science (1979–1998), February 27, 2023
She was a temporary instructor at Kent State in curriculum and instruction (1979–1982). After earning a doctorate, she directed the Instructional Resources Center (1981–1986). She accepted a faculty appointment in the School of Library and Information Science in 1986, earning tenure on the basis of teaching excellence (Distinguished Teaching Award, 1995), direction of student theses (over 400) and scholarly publishing record. Her scholarly interests included library management, academic libraries, social sciences information sources and services, and introducing ethnicity and multiculturalism in libraries. After retiring at the end of 1998, she taught part time for a few additional years.
*Sandra Werth Harbrecht Ratchford, BSE ’71, served on the Kent State University Board of Trustees (2000–2009), June 18, 2023
She was the president and CEO of Paul Werth Associates, a 60-year-old family business and one of the nation’s oldest and most respected public relations firms. As a trustee on Kent State’s board, she chaired the presidential search committee during her tenure (2006–2008). She gave the university’s commencement address in 2009. She received the Centennial Alumni Award from the College of Education, Health and Human Services in 2022.
*Valerie Ann (Marttila) Shultzabarger, BA ’71, MA ’74, coordinator of Information Services and instructor of journalism at Kent State Trumbull ( 1974-1977), May 5, 2023
While working at Kent State Trumbull, she was known as Valerie Ann Dueber.
*Ruth E. Friend, PhD ’85, part-time lecturer in the Department of English (1981-1985), January 18, 2023
*Ruby Williams, MEd ’87, worked at the Department of Residence Services (1982–2005), July 19, 2023
At the Department of Residence Services, she was business officer (1982-1986), business manager (1986–1999) and senior business manager (1999–2005).