Category: Legacies

Ferguson Elwyn Rood (MSJ56)

Post author By Belinda Clarke
Post date March 26, 2025
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Ferguson Elwyn Rood, 95, formerly of Atlanta, Georgia, a distinguished pioneer in newspaper marketing and a beloved family man, passed away peacefully in Winchester, Virginia on February 24th, 2025 at Orchard Woods Healthcare Center at the Village at Orchard Ridge. Born on August 2, 1929, in Joliet, Illinois, Ferguson was the son of Owen and Euphemia (Ferguson) Rood. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brothers Owen and Frank Rood, and his wife, Nancy Haltom Rood.

Ferguson graduated from Lapier High School in 1947 and pursued higher education at Joliet Jr. College and Illinois Wesleyan College, earning a degree in Business. In 1952, he was drafted into the Army during the Korean War and served with the Army Signal Corps at Camp Gordon in Augusta, Georgia. After his military service, Ferguson attended Northwestern University in Chicago, where he earned a Master’s in Journalism in 1956 and met the love of his life, Nancy Haltom. The couple married in 1958 and were devoted to each other throughout their 58 years together.

Upon graduation, Ferguson began his career with the Atlanta Journal and Constitution in 1956, where he was instrumental in establishing the first Research and Marketing Department. His groundbreaking work in market research set new standards in the industry and was recognized in academic texts for advertising and marketing. Ferguson retired as the VP of Research and Marketing for Cox Newspaper, Inc. in 1988.

Throughout his career, Ferguson was actively involved in community and service organizations, including Toastmasters, Travel Aide Atlanta, The Newspaper Marketing and Research Association, Dekalb County PTA, and Oak Grove United Methodist Church.

Ferguson and Nancy were proud parents to three daughters: Cindy Robinson (David), Cathy Philips (Skip), and Carolyn Ferguson (James). He was a devoted grandfather to seven grandchildren: Emily Kauchak (Kevin), Will Heine, Stephen Philips, Christopher Philips, Erin Philips, Gavin Little, and Arden Little; as well as a cherished great-grandfather to Kingston and Harper Kauchak, and Camden and Beckham Heine.

Ferguson had a passion for travel, exploring all 50 states with Nancy in their beloved RVs. His sense of adventure and his joy in every place he visited were as remarkable as his renowned love for a good cigar and his quirky sense of humor.

The family extends their heartfelt thanks to the many caregivers who supported Ferguson in his later years; Inus Quincey, Blue Ridge Hospice, the staff at The Village at Orchard Ridge and the nurses and caregivers at Orchard Woods Healthcare Center for their tender loving care. Each caregiver was special and so appreciated.

Ferguson Elwyn Rood’s legacy of innovation, service, and love for his family will be remembered fondly by all who knew him. His life was a testament to dedication, curiosity, and a deep affection for those around him.

https://www.winchesterstar.com/obituaries/ferguson-elwyn-rood/article_45517de9-d73a-5fc2-a63c-4633d785bfe1.html

1950s Legacies

Mary Krabbe Kerr (BSJ54)

Mary K. Kerr of Ferrisburgh, Vermont, passed away quietly in her sleep on March 3, 2025, in her home on Lake Champlain that she fondly referred to as “the most beautiful place in the world.” She was one day shy of her 92nd birthday. Her family was with her.

Born Mary Sonja Krabbe in Bellingham, Washington, to Johan and Winifred Gamble Krabbe, Mary spent her youth moving about the west coast with her family. She attended Sequoia High School in California and Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois where she graduated from the Medill in 1954. She also studied at the University of Copenhagen.

She first met her devoted husband, Joseph Minott Kerr, while skiing at Sugar Bowl in Soda Springs, California and continued their relationship at Northwestern, and were married on April 2, 1955, at Aftermath, the Kerr family summer home in Wainscott, New York. Joe preceded her in death in 2008.

While living in New Jersey, Mary and Joe fell in love with Vermont, invested in the then-burgeoning ski industry, and eventually built a “ski home” in South Fayston in 1962. They moved there full-time in 1965, where they raised their three sons. In addition to loving the mountains and skiing, Mary and Joe loved the water and sailing. In 1981 they bought a home on the shores of Lake Champlain near Basin Harbor, where they moved permanently in 1997.

For most of Mary’s life, she had a love affair with the Green Mountains and Lake Champlain. Her enthusiasm for the beauty of the natural world was truly evident in the plethora of gardens, flowers, birds, squirrels, and even chipmunks, she encouraged to grow around her home on the Lake. Inspired by the variety of birds she watched every day; she worked with the Vermont Bald Eagle Restoration Initiative to help return the American Bald Eagle to Lake Champlain.

Mary was an avid writer and photographer and capitalized on her training as a journalist. She served as the editor of two publications, Window of Vermont, a bi-monthly newspaper devoted primarily to the ski industry, and The Valley Reporter, the weekly newspaper for the Mad River Valley in Central Vermont. Mary had taught journalism as an adjunct professor at Saint Michael’s College in Burlington Vermont. She was also a prolific writer on skiing and the ski industry.

Mary wrote two books, The Tapestry of My Life, an unpublished autobiographical work that she gave to her sons. The second was what she called her “Life’s Work,” A Mountain Love Affair: The Story of Mad River Glen. It was a compendium of photographs and stories of the iconic ski area’s history.

Mary loved to ski. From the moment the mountains had enough snow until it was completely gone, you could find Mary and Joe schussing one of the 140 ski areas around the World where they adventured during their lifetime together. She loved organizing ski trips all over the World for the New York Amateur Ski Club of which she and Joe were lifelong members.

Above all was Mary’s passion for traveling and seeing the world, having been to five of the seven world continents. She loved to capture her travels in pictures, and her home is filled with carefully annotated albums documenting her exploits on the road. Even after Joe passed in 2008, Mary continued to travel the world, traveling extensively in the Middle East and Southwest Asia.

Her most passionate project grew out of her senior thesis on women and leadership at Northwestern and her travels to Afghanistan, where she sought to help young women become strong and independent. She worked with the School of Leadership Afghanistan (SOLA), a boarding school for Afghan girls that operated in Kabul from 2016 until 2021, and since the return of the Taliban, now operates out of Rwanda. She made several trips to that war-torn country to mentor the girls as well as teach them writing and journalism.

Mary is survived by her three sons, Minott Kerr, Geoffrey Kerr (Dan Flanagan), and Gibson (Diane Lawliss) Kerr; five grandchildren, Kirstin (Seamus) Kerr O’Connor, Alyssa (Matthew) Kerr Pyrak, Maxer Kerr, Gavin Kerr, and Peter Kerr; and one great granddaughter, Rory Kerr O’Connor. Her surviving Minnesota nieces, Lois Meekins Croonquist, Lisa Meekins Meyer, and Heidi Meekins were very dear to her.

Though a devoted wife, she was fiercely independent, and she left this life exactly as she said she would to anyone who knew her well: “out of her house feet first, going up through the trees.” Her outgoing personality and strong belief systems will be remembered by many.

https://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/obituaries/pbur1110733

1960s Featured Legacies Legacies

Emerson Moran (BSJ65)

Emerson D. Moran, Jr., age 81, passed away peacefully on Sunday, February 9, 2025. Emerson was born on November 21, 1943, in Brooklyn, NY to the late Emerson Daniel and Carolyn Mae (Wilder) Moran.

Emerson attended Palmetto High School in southern Florida where he excelled in English and Writing. The founding editor of the Palmetto Panther Newspaper, he was named the Miami-Dade County’s 1960 Top High School Journalist by Miami Herald. Emerson earned his bachelor’s degree at Medill. While in college, Emerson was a summer intern at the press office of NASA in Washington, D.C. kicking off an extensive career in journalism and communications.

Emerson was an investigative news reporter for the Gannett Newspapers, headquartered in Rochester, NY specializing in governmental misadministration, public corruption and organized crime. He won the 1970 NYS Associated Press award for public service for a series he wrote on corruption. He joined the NYS Organized Crime Task Force in 1971 as the Communications Chief and Criminal Intelligence Analyst. While doing this work, Emerson worked on many issues most notably investigating the Attica Prison Riots in 1971. The expertise gained here led Emerson to another communications position with the Philadelphia Special Investigations Commission. Here, he directed internal/external communications regarding the police department’s attack on the anarchist group MOVE. Emerson’s career didn’t slow. He moved into a position as the Chief Speechwriter and Deputy Director of Communications under Gov. Robert Casey in Pennsylvania.

Using his experience as a recovering alcoholic and member of Alcoholics Anonymous, he was assigned by Gov. Casey to create the state’s first coordinated initiative to address alcohol, drug and HIV/AIDS threats to the public’s health (PENNFREE)-the forerunner of the current state Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs. Emerson served as the Senior Policy Advisor for these initiatives.

Emerson joined the American Medical Association as the Vice President of Advocacy Communications, Chief Speechwriter and Director of Issues Management. In this role, he was responsible for leadership messages and issue advocacy, congressional relations, and all crisis communication. Emerson’s career continued to flourish as a freelance writer writing essays and speeches for clients such as the CEOs of Walt Disney World, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the American Hospital Association, and he also served as the on-site speaker prep at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

He was the recipient of the grand prize 2011 National Cicero/Vital Speeches of the Day Award for the Best Speech of the Year for his speech “Changing the Norms of Medicine and Health: The Power of Positive Deviance”. He was a Pulitzer nominee for Breaking News, a winner of the Associated Press Community Service award, and author of America’s Best Magazine Article of the Year.

Emerson was a consultant on the documentary “West Philly Is Burning” for PBS’s Frontline, and an assistant producer for NBC American Almanac report on racial and political unrest in U.S. Virgin Islands. Emerson loved educating young minds. One of his proudest moments was delivering a speech to Benjamin Hall middle schoolers where he spoke of his experience at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963. Emerson uplifted the audience with his recollection of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech (https://www.youtube.com/live/g0WkMUWGrJ0 ).

Outside of his work, Ezzy was devoted to his family. He was the primary caretaker of his mother. When his beloved wife, Patricia, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, he became her primary caretaker until her passing in 2013. He was an active member of the Nativity Lutheran Church in Palm Beach where he served in many church activities and an alter server.

Emerson was a very involved member of AA for 40+ years playing a crucial role in shaping the lives of those he helped-as AA played a crucial role in who Emerson was as a person. Ezzy adored his Clifton Park (NY) family, loved Chicago, was a forever cheerleader of the Chicago Bears and Northwestern Wildcats and spent his life “moving words around”. He was a loving and proud father and grandfather, an amazing friend and confidante, and a humble follower of the Lord.

Emerson is predeceased by his parents, wife (Patricia) and his grandson, Ethan Moran. He is survived by his brother Michael (Lynn) and sister Patricia McPhail; children David (Elizabeth), Daniel, and Patrick (Buffy); grandchildren Devan, Emily, Jessika, Sarah, Mari, Grace, and Samuel; great grandchildren Sophia, Alina, Ella and Preston; and nieces and nephews.
The family invites friends and family to celebrate Emerson’s life and legacy on Saturday, June 7, 2025 at 10 a.m. at the Burnt Hills Baptist Church.
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/emerson-moran-obituary?id=57559247

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Tom Germuska (BSJ62)

Thomas Allen Germuska, Sr., 84, retired communications consultant, formerly of Palatine, passed away unexpectedly on February 12, 2025 at home in Rolling Meadows, IL.

Born in Cleveland, Tom graduated from John Marshall High School and received his undergraduate degree from Medill. He was a Chicago Sun-Times reporter for six years before taking on a public relations position at United Airlines. He was at United for two decades before starting his own independent consulting company.

Tom was devoted to his church, and for many years ran the PADS Overnight Shelter Program at All Saints Lutheran Church. He enjoyed building homes with Habitat for Humanity.

Tom gave deeply of himself, had a strong sense of duty, and celebrated over 46 years of sobriety. A skilled ceramicist, he enjoyed his time at Thrown Elements Pottery in Arlington Heights. He especially loved exhibiting and selling his work at art shows, including the Edgewater Arts Festival, where he had numerous repeat customers.

Loving father of Thomas (Megan) Germuska of Avon Lake, OH and Joseph (Jenni Grover) Germuska of Skokie, IL. Proud step-grandfather (“Mr. G”) of Regan and Emma Campbell.

Dearest older brother of Richard “Dick” Germuska and Marilyn Best; brother-in-law of Joanne Germuska; and uncle of Jennifer (Tina Cameron) Rhone, Jill (Michael) Rotkis, and Jamie Germuska.

Preceded in death by former spouse Constance Ann Germuska (nee Gorlo) and parents Ladislaw and Stella Elizabeth (nee Vernick) Germuska.

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Howard Geltzer (BSJ58, MSJ59)

Post author By Belinda Clarke
Post date January 14, 2025
No Comments on Howard Geltzer (BSJ58, MSJ59)

Howard Geltzer, longtime Medill board of advisers and Hall of Achievement member, died Jan. 7, 2025. He was 88.

Geltzer and his wife Sheila started their public relations agency, Geltzer & Co. public relations, in New York City in 1974. At the end of the 1970s, Sony gave the agency responsibility to launch the Walkman. Sony had low expectations for the product and wanted to keep down costs. No advertising; no promotion; only the Geltzer & Co. publicity effort. The contract was three months long. The Walkman exceeded all sales expectations. The three-month assignment lasted 12 years. Sony moved all of its product publicity business to Geltzer & Co. Other clients over the years included Black and Decker Housewares, Dow Chemical, Morton Salt, Samsung, and Toshiba.

The Geltzers also ran the 2000 New York presidential campaign of Dick Gephardt, a fellow Northwestern alumnus.

After 26 years in business, the Geltzers sold their agency to Publicis, the multinational advertising and marketing agency.

1960s Legacies

James Harff (BSJ64, MSJ65)

Post author By Belinda Clarke
Post date December 3, 2024
No Comments on James Harff (BSJ64, MSJ65)

James “Jim” Warren Harff, age 83, passed away peacefully at his condominium in Elkhart Lake, WI, on November 25, 2024.

Jim was born in Sheboygan, WI, on December 5, 1940, to Benjamin and Helen Harff. Jim attended Jefferson School and graduated from Sheboygan Central High School in 1959.

Jim went on to earn his Bachelor’s Degree and Master’s Degree in journalism from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. Jim was also in the National Army Reserves.

Jim had an extensive and impressive career in journalism, public relations, and communications. He began working for WHBL and Kohler, prior to becoming more involved in politics and campaign public relations. Jim established permanent residency in Arlington, Virginia, while working for Ruder Finn, Inc, and several other international public relations firms in the Washington, D.C., area. Ultimately, he became the Chief Executer Officer of Global Communicators. Jim was extremely passionate about his career and continued working full-time until the age of 82.

Jim had an active lifestyle and enjoyed traveling, skiing, horseback riding, biking, and spending time with friends and family.

Jim was an intelligent, compassionate, and giving person. He maintained many close friendships, some dating back to his childhood. He enjoyed socializing with his friends and family, especially during the summer months while working from his condominium in Elkhart Lake, WI.

Jim will be dearly missed by family and many close friends. Jim is survived by his two nieces, Rebecca (Tim) Thompson of Sheboygan, WI, and Deborah (Chris Yankee) Pope, of Boulder, Colorado. He also has five great-niece/nephews: Cora and Owen Thompson, Bella and Aiden Pope, and Ria Yankee.

Jim was preceded in death by his parents Ben and Helen Harff and his sister Luanne Harff-Burchinal.

Visitation will be held on Saturday, December 7th, from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM, prior to the funeral at 11:00 AM, at Zimmer Westview Funeral and Cremation Care Center, Sheboygan, WI. Burial will occur at Wildwood Cemetery.

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/james-jim-harff-obituary?id=56910741

1970s Legacies

Edward M. McConville (BSJ74)

Post author By Belinda Clarke
Post date December 3, 2024
No Comments on Edward M. McConville (BSJ74)

Ed died on October 25, 2024, at the age of 77. He was born on October 16, 1947 to Donald Edward McConville and Monica Mason McConville. He leaves three sisters, Kathe M. Crane (Lawrence) of Memphis, Tennessee, Sheila M. Fane of Hartsdale, NY and Patricia M. Smith (Mark) of Plano, Texas. He also leaves two nieces, one nephew and several cousins.

Ed graduated from McQuaid Jesuit High School and Middlebury College (Vermont). He earned an MA in Journalism from Northwestern University and studied for a PhD in American History at Duke University. He wrote for national magazines, and various publications in New York, Pennsylvania and North Carolina. He was an avid reader, preferring hand-held books throughout his life.

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/edward-mcconville-obituary?id=56677805

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Richard Lee Harris (BSJ76)

Post author By Belinda Clarke
Post date October 21, 2024
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Richard Lee Harris, a beloved family man and distinguished journalist, died in hospice in Washington DC on October 2, 2024. He was 70.

Richard, a member of Medill’s Hall of Achievement, shaped some of the world’s biggest news stories over the past half century as a broadcast producer for NPR’s All Things Considered, news editor at NBC News, and senior producer for ABC News’ “Nightline” for almost two decades. He structured a first-of-its-kind televised town hall between Israeli and Palestinian leaders in 1988 and secured an interview for “Nightline” with Nelson Mandela moments after his release from South African prison. Richard’s pitch for Ted Koppel to interview Brandeis professor Morrie Schwartz on the topic of death and dying put in motion the global best-selling memoir “Tuesdays with Morrie.”

Richard won 14 News & Documentary Emmys and a Columbia DuPont award, and is honored as a standout alumnus in the Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism Hall of Achievement.

In his personal life, Richard enjoyed playing word games with his sister, taking photographs of nature and family moments, bonding with the family dog on late-night walks, and savoring coffee and ice cream (or better yet ½ coffee ice cream). Richard spent some of his happiest moments as Papa to his three grandchildren, reading together, filling the bird feeder, and indoctrinating them into Red Sox Nation.

Richard is survived by his loving wife of 44 years, Kit (O’Connell) Harris; daughters Emily Harris, Susannah Harris, and Lily Harris; sons-in-law Duza Baba and Ben Estabrook; grandchildren Miles Baba, Cecelia Baba, and Norah Estabrook, and sister Debbie Mozes, along with many brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, and nephews.

Richard was preceded in death by his parents, Mildred ‘Millie’ Harris and Lester ‘Lefty’ Harris, and his uncle Jonas Chaves.

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/washingtonpost/name/richard-harris-obituary?id=56561625

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Neil King (MSJ90)

Neil King, the former global economics editor at The Wall Street Journal, died Tuesday from cancer.

He left The Journal in 2016. Last year, his book “American Ramble: A Walk of Memory and Renewal” documented his 330-mile walk from Washington to New York.

King worked for 15 years in the Journal’s Washington bureau, where he covered beats ranging from terrorism and foreign policy to trade and the international oil industry. He served as national political reporter from 2010 until early 2014, when he took over as editor of the Journal’s economics coverage.

He first joined Dow Jones in January 1995 as a reporter for The Wall Street Journal Europe, based in Prague. In November of that year, he moved to Brussels as chief correspondent of the European Journal’s Central European Economic Review. In 1996, he became the European Journal’s chief diplomatic and security correspondent.

Prior to joining Dow Jones, King was a staff reporter for the Tampa (Fla.) Tribune in 1990 and moved to Prague in 1992 as a freelance correspondent. He did freelance reporting for the European Journal from Prague from 1993 to 1994.

Born in Colorado, King earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Columbia University in New York and a master’s degree from the Medill.

King, former WSJ global economics editor, has died

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Stephen Byers (MSJ71)

Stephen Byers passed away on June 2, 2024 at the age of 81. Beloved husband of Gen McBride for 24 years. Loving father of Steven Byers, Mark Byers (Mary Krogmann), John (Laura) Caspari and Cate (Kyle) O’Connell. Proud grandfather of Allen Byers, Dawson O’Connell, Brynn O’Connell, Zoe Caspari and the late Hannah O’Connell; step grandfather of Ian McVeigh, Gwen Atkins, Carrie Krogmann and Bella Krogmann. Dear brother of George “Mike” (Judy) Byers, the late Jane (Lynn) Carstens, Bill (the late Janice) Byers, Phyllis (Dick) Lacey, Rick (Dorie) Byers. Dear brother-in-law of Joe McBride, Mike (Kerin) McBride, Pat (Kim) McBride, Dennis (Karen Barry) McBride, Mark (Kim Stanton-McBride) McBride and Tim (Shirley Porterfield) McBride. Proud great grandfather of Lacey and Allen Byers Jr. Steve will be greatly missed by his wonderful home health aide Laura Buchman, his nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and many friends.

Steve attended Indiana State University for his undergraduate degree Northwestern University for his masters in journalism UW Milwaukee for his doctorate in Urban Studies.

Steve was a talented journalist, wrote for several papers and was a reporter and editor for more than three decades at the Milwaukee Journal and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He then was a professor of journalism at Marquette University.

Steve devoted his life to Gen and her children and their grandchildren for the last 30 years. He brought laughter wherever he went, always brightened the room and taught many how to love with a bigger heart.

He loved basketball, traveling, sailing and cooking. But most of all he loved his many talks with Gen about books and politics. Steve and Gen had the joy of together writing the book Dear Mrs. Griggs: Women pour out their hearts from the heartland.

While later in life Parkinson’s took away many of the things that made him happy, he kept a good spirit and only wanted happiness for those he loved.

MAGAZINE