February 19, 2009

OBITUARIES

Raymond Schiff

A well-loved and respected husband, father, businessman and community leader, Ray Schiff died peacefully of natural causes on Feb. 10 with his loving wife, Char, at his side. He was 82.

Ray was born on March 16, 1926, to Isidore and Lina Schiff in Englishtown, N.J. He grew up on a small farm in New Jersey alongside his older sisters, Florence and Sophie.

As a young man, Ray spent a brief time at Rutgers, during which he “majored in bridge.” He then joined the army and served on a tank destroyer in Germany near the end of World War II. With help from the GI Bill, he returned to Rutgers after the war, finished his BS degree and married Corinne “Corky” Schiff.

Hoping to make a career in teaching, Ray pursued a masters in history at the University of Arizona. Along the way, he learned his passion was not teaching high school. He opted for another form of teaching — marketing.

After graduate school, Ray joined Beckman Optical and worked up and down the east coast, including the Yale School of Paleontology, where he began a lifelong fascination with dinosaurs.

In 1957, Ray came to Yellow Springs, where he joined YSI. Ray helped engineer a dealer network for YSI products, and recognized that the company’s dissolved oxygen meters could be applied to the growing water quality market. He made fundamental contributions to the development of a new line of instruments to serve these purposes, and also helped develop a line of instruments that used enzyme-activated sensors for medical and food chemistry applications.

Ray also developed a world-wide network of dealers to handle YSI’s growing export sales. As an officer and board member, Ray helped the company grow and flourish for over three decades.

In addition to YSI, Ray served on the boards of Vernay Laboratories, Inc. and Anthropology Research Projects, Inc. (ARP). He was instrumental in transitioning ARP from a unit within Webb Associates to its own independent corporation. He also served with distinction on the boards of the Yellow Springs Community Foundation and Temple Sholom, of Springfield.

In 1977, Ray lost Corky to breast cancer. He was fortunate to find another true love in Charlotte. They were happily married in 1979 and were lucky to spend the next 29 years together side-by-side, right up to the end.

Ray loved to read, to dabble on the computer, to learn about dinosaurs or enlarge his collection, to travel the world, to dine at great restaurants and to enjoy entertaining friends and family at home, showcasing Char’s excellent culinary skills. He was a formidable card player, enjoying bridge and poker in particular.

Ray is survived by his adoring wife, Char, and their collective children and grandchild: Toby and Judi of Santa Cruz, Calif.; Susan of Yellow Springs; David, Alicia and Carly of Middleton, Wisc., and Dan of Berkeley, Calif., as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Ray’s memory to the Yellow Springs Community Foundation, the Dayton Art Institute or Temple Sholom of Springfield.

The family thanks the many friends who have reached out to help during Ray’s extended illness.

A service in Ray’s memory was held on Feb. 12 at Temple Sholom. An additional community memorial service will be held this spring, details pending.

Louis Gleed King

Louis Gleed King, an Antioch College faculty member from 1955 to 1989, died of cancer on Hilton Head Island, S.C., on Feb. 10. He was 83 years old.

He was born to Francis C. King and Jeannette Gleed in Harbor Beach, Mich., on Aug. 13, 1925, and grew up in Detroit and Rochester, Mich.

He graduated from Rochester High School in 1943 and enlisted in the navy. After his service, he enrolled at Antioch and graduated in 1951. Like his great-grandparents, James Greer and Julia Gilmore, he met his wife, Ruth Hameyer, at Antioch. They were married in 1953. He earned a masters from Wayne State University and did further graduate work at New York University. He taught school in Ferndale, Mich., for four years before returning to Yellow Springs as director of the Antioch School and professor of education.

While a student at Antioch, he was active on campus and served as co-chair of the race relations committee with Coretta Scott and as assistant community manager. He was an active participant in the local civil rights movement, and could be found regularly on the barbershop picket line.

Since his retirement, Louis and Ruth have been social activists on Hilton Head Island. They organized the first ACLU chapter and Louis served for many years on its board; they started a Democratic Club on the island; they were members of the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration planning committee for 15 years; they participated in the attempt to organize workers in the resort industry and worked for the removal of the Confederate flag from the statehouse in Columbia. Louis was a precinct chair and headed the Democratic Club’s highway clean-up program. He was a founding member of Hilton Head for Peace.

He was the father of five children, all of whom grew up in Yellow Springs and three of whom also graduated from Antioch College.

Louis is survived by his wife and children, Douglas King and Betsy Higgins of Florence, Mass.; Sari King Lindauer and Saul Lindauer of Hollis, Maine; Lisa King Palmer and Scott Palmer of Oregon City, Ore.; Aaron King of Seattle, Wash.; and Peter King and Lissie Fein of Easthampton, Mass.; and 10 grandchildren, Shani and Iris Higgins and Grace King; Ona, Sam and Gaelyn Lindauer; Norah and Roslyn Palmer; and Oliver and Phoebe King; and three nieces and a nephew.

Memorial contributions in Louis’ name may be sent to: College Revival Fund, P.O. Box 444, Yellow Springs, OH 45387. Indicate fund for an Independent Antioch College on the memo line.

Louise Johnson

Hazel Louise Johnson of Yellow Springs died Feb. 15. She was 83. Born in Dayton, Ohio, she was a resident of Yellow Springs for over 47 years.

Louise was a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother and friend, but above all she was special to all who knew her. She was a devoted member of First Baptist Church in Yellow Springs.

She is survived by a devoted and loving husband of nearly 61 years, James Johnson; sons and daughters-in-law, Roger and Helen Johnson, and Dwight and Arvella Johnson; grandchildren and their spouses, Monique and Dennis Marquardt, and Ryan and Janine Johnson; great grandchildren, Jasmine, JaNalise, Makeda and Dennis James; a devoted cousin, Virginia Taylor and numerous other relatives and friends.

Visitation will be held on Saturday, Feb. 21, from 9:30 to 11 a.m. followed by a celebration of life at First Baptist Church, 600 Dayton Street, Yellow Springs. Interment will be held on Monday morning, Feb. 23, at Dayton National Cemetery.

Roger Hart

Roger D. Hart, of Springfield, died Tuesday, Feb. 10, in Southbrook Care Center. He was 84. He was born May 2, 1924, in Springfield.

Roger was preceded in death by his son, John D. Hart; and his brother, Donald Hart.

Roger is survived by his wife, Joann; daughter, Cathy Christian of Springfield; sister, Dolores Hart; and three grandchildren.

A gathering of family and friends was held Tuesday from 11 a.m. to noon, at First Lutheran Church, 30 South Wittenberg Avenue, Springfield, with services following.

A celebration of his life was also held on Tuesday at Ye Olde Trail Tavern, 228 Xenia Avenue, Yellow Springs. Memorial contributions may be made to U.S. Bank in Yellow Springs for a memorial fountain to be placed in Kings Yard in Yellow Springs. 

Helen Hosket

Helen L. Hosket of Xenia passed away Friday, Feb. 13, at Hospitality Home East, following an extended illness. She was 84. A native of Port Jervis, N.Y., she was the daughter of the late Clarence A. Lefferts and the late Eunice O. Lefferts.

Mrs. Hosket was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Yellow Springs. Following graduation from Port Jervis High School, June 1942, Mrs. Hosket graduated from the Katherine Gibbs School of Business, New York City, September 1946. After working in New York City for the American Brake Shoe Company, she moved to Yellow Springs, where she worked in the alumni office at Antioch College and served as treasurer of the Yellow Springs First Presbyterian Church, prior to moving to Vincennes, Ind.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert E. Hosket; and a son, Mark A. Hosket of Bend, Ore.

She is survived by her sister, Ann L. Bailey, Warner Robins, Ga.; daughter-in-law, Joan Hosket, Bend, Ore.; grandchildren, Amy C. Hosket Klodzinski, Portland, Maine; and Kevin A. Hosket, Bend, Ore.; sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, Irene Lucas, Xenia; Doris Ayers, Wilmington; Charles and Patricia Hosket, Yellow Springs; Ralph and Pauline Hosket, Xenia; Jack and Janet Hosket, Huber Heights; and Carol and Paul Clark, Springfield; and many, many nieces and nephews, including JoAnn Bailey Grigsby, Warner Robins, Ga.; Susan Bailey Fitch, Allen, Texas; and Arden L. Bailey, Plano, Texas.

Private services will be held at the convenience of the family. Contributions may be made to the First Presbyterian Church of Yellow Springs, 314 Xenia Ave., Yellow Springs, OH 45387. The family would like to offer a special word of thanks to all the staff at Hospitality Home East and VITAS Hospice.