Category: Featured Legacies

James R. Ward, 98,  resident of Glen Ellyn for 63 years, passed away on January 24, 2020 at Wynscape Health & Rehabilitation, Wheaton. Ward was born August 12, 1921 in Aurora, Illinois to Rev. Elias and Genevieve (Robertson) Ward. Although his home base was Aurora, he lived in and attended elementary schools in Plattville, Sheridan, Paw Paw and Hampshire; he graduated from Plainfield High School in 1938.

At Northwestern University he joined the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity and became a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society and the Deru Society; he served as editor of the Daily Northwestern in 1941. WWII interrupted his senior year studies as he worked in the Office of Civilian Defense-Youth Division as part of Eleanor Roosevelt’s staff. In 1942 he then graduated from Northwestern and also received a commission as a Navy officer.

Ward served as an aviation specialist stateside and later in the South Pacific as lieutenant fight director on the USS Bataan (CVL-29) until 1945. Following the war, he returned to Northwestern to complete his Master of Science in journalism in 1949; his first job was writing news for CBS in Chicago. He transitioned to work as special assistant to the president of Hotpoint and later was with R. H Donnelly/Donnelly Marketing’s (Oakbrook) as Midwest sales manager for 32 years. Following “retirement” in 1986, he purchased Hinsdale Travel which he continued to own until 1996. He then shifted to selling farm real estate with Coleman Land Company (St. Charles) from which he fully retired in 2007 at the age of 86.

Ward married Mary Lorena (Marilo) Lotts (Mendota & Ottawa) in 1947; they were together 41 years until her death in 1988. JoAnn (Hickey) Williams (Glen Ellyn) and Jim were married in 1989 until her death in 2009.

He had many interests and supported many organizations through his active participation. These included: founding the Lake Ellyn Yacht Club, First Methodist Church of Glen Ellyn, Wheaton Community Radio Amateurs (call sign W9DHX), Boy Scouts of America, American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA), Skål International travel, Clan Donnachaidh Society (Scottish heritage), Sheridan Historical Society, Northwestern University’s John Evans Club, and The Chicago Farmers for which he was international travel coordinator for many years.
Jim is survived by his special friend Jeannine Warkow of Winfield, Illinois. Additional survivors include two sons, Jeffrey Ward (Dr. Julie Bjoraker) of Dover, Minnesota and Dr. Robertson Ward (Diane) of Provo, Utah. He is also survived by three grandchildren, Caryn Ward Lantz (Charles) of Burnsville, Minnesota, Brandon Ward (Cielle) of Parker, Colorado, and Shane Ward (Carly) of Chattanooga, Tennessee, and six great-grandchildren. Jim is also survived by a much-loved extended family.

Ward was also preceded in death by his parents, one stepbrother, and three stepsisters.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Medill School of Journalism, c/o Northwestern University, Alumni Relations and Development, 1201 Davis St, Evanston, Illinois 60208 or the Sheridan Historical Society Museum, 185 N. Robinson St., Sheridan, Illinois, 60551.

Photo: Jim Ward at the Daily Northwestern. Tribute and photo provided by Jeff Ward. 

Adam Amaro died in January 2020.  Most recently he had been living in Portland, Oregon working at  KOIN-TV as a news producer. He produced the weekend 5:30, 6:00 and 11 p.m. newscasts and collaborated with reporters, managers, anchors, photographers, editors, and graphics artists to create powerful and informative shows.  Prior to moving to Portland he was a producer at KTBC-TV in Austin where he produced the 9 p.m. hour-long newscast. He also field produced various “7 On Your Side” pieces.

Joseph Blade, a longtime reporter at the Minneapolis Star and Star Tribune, died Nov. 23, 2019 at the age of 85.

Born April 13, 1934, in Oklahoma, Blade began working as a reporter at his high school paper, then attended Medill on a full scholarship.

Blade joined the U.S. Army and spent time overseas in the 50s. But his heart lay with journalism, leading him to write stories and instigate change upon return for over four decades.

In 1975, Blade uncovered mistreatment of patients and financial mismanagement at River Villa, Minnesota’s largest privately owned nursing home, leading to five convictions, prison sentences and increased state regulations of nursing homes.

His investigative work “consumed” him, his partner of 47 years, Ann Burckhardt told the Star Tribune. She added,“when he was on somebody’s trail, it absolutely took over his life.”

Blade would often rent a motel room where he could spread out boxes of paperwork, toiling “night and day till he had the details he sought,” Burckhardt said.

Blade later wrote an award winning series about job satisfaction. He retired in 1990.

Blade and Burkhardt met at the Star Tribune, where she was a longtime reporter and editor for the Taste section.

Blade is survived by Ann Burckhardt and brothers Bill and Richard.

http://www.startribune.com/joseph-blade-reporter-and-world-traveler-dies-at-85/566478452/?refresh=true

John Witkauskas, died January 24, 2020 at the age of 71. He was born in Sheboygan on February 20, 1948. John attended local schools and graduated from Sheboygan South High School in 1966. He then went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Medill. After college, John worked for Delta Airlines in Chicago for over 20 years visiting many countries around the world. Following retirement from Delta, John worked at Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic school in Sheboygan. While there, he also reorganized and updated the school library system. John was known for his enthusiastic and upbeat personality. He enjoyed collecting old postcards, books, and movies. He also liked to spend time with family and friends. John’s life was well lived, and happy.

He is survived by his sisters, Sandy and Mary; his niece Rebecca; and three nephews: Chris, Paul, and Mike. He is further survived by many cousins and friends.

https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/sheboyganpress/obituary.aspx?n=john-p-witkauskas&pid=195191366&fhid=14120

George William Kelly passed away April 7, 2020 from the coronavirus after a four-year fight with cancer. He was 92.

Kelly was born August 21, 1927 to James Lamar Kelly and Laurie Kelly (née Brantley) in Evergreen, Ala. He was the second youngest of his siblings, Dorothy, James, Charles, and Robert. Their father was a lawyer and held the Conecuh County Seat.

In World War II, George enlisted in the Army Air Corps and was stationed in Fairbanks, Alaska. After the war, he attended Medill through the G.I. Bill. He also completed post-graduate coursework in Southeast Asian Studies at the University of Pennsylvania.

Upon finishing his studies, Kelly worked as a freelance journalist and traveled throughout India in the 1950s travelled extensively in India in the 1950’s, working as a freelance journalist. His then moved to New York where he lived for the rest of his life.

His time in New York saw many chapters that combined his passions for science, cooking, traveling, and writing. He researched at an electron microscopy laboratory at New York University, owned a retail shop importing Indian fighter kites called Go Fly a Kite, owned a cookbook shop–complete with a mascot named Cookie the Minah Bird (Cookbooks Only), worked as a public relations director at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum and edited a real estate publication called the Red Book for Yale Robbins Publications.

Kelly also authored poems, stories, songs, and most notably, children’s books. His children’s publications include “What Does the Tooth Fairy Do with All Those Teeth?”, and “Santa Christina and her Sled Dogs,” which was inspired by his time in Alaska.

Kelly married Jain Wright, also a Northwestern graduate, in 1969 and raised one daughter, Georgette.

George is preceded in death by his parents and siblings. He is survived by his wife Jain Kelly, daughter Georgette Kelly (m. Annaliisa Ahlman) of Chicago, and many beloved nieces, ,nephews and great-nieces and great-nephews.

http://hosting-26110.tributes.com/obituary/show/George-W.-Kelly-108417508

Howard Fibich, 88, of Brookfield, Wisc., died peacefully on February 26, 2020. Fibich was born January 6, 1932 in Oak Park, Ill., and raised in Chicago. He graduated from Schurz High School prior to earning bachelor’s and masters from Medill.

He moved to Wisconsin in 1956 to join the staff of The Milwaukee Journal, where he spent a long and storied career, rising from the copy editing to retire as deputy managing editor in 1993. He was a friend, mentor and frequent goad to two generations of journalists.

Howard was an avid swimmer into his 80s. He competed as a high school athlete and later supplemented college scholarships through summer lifeguard jobs at Lake Geneva. There he met the love of his life, Carrol Jean Anderson. They were married June 5, 1954.

In retirement, he enjoyed travel—particularly trips involving bicycles. He and Carrol were known to log 3,000 miles over Wisconsin’s short cycling season. He had encyclopedic knowledge of jazz, and for about a year did a weekly overnight radio show for WYMS, the Milwaukee Public Schools FM station.His passion for the Chicago Cubs was the dismay of his grandson. Howard also rooted for the Bears, although he warmed to the Green Bay Packers in his later years.

Howard is survived by his wife, Carrol; two daughters, Barbara (Scott Fink) of Middleton, and Linda (William Lawrence) of Catonsville, Md.; and four grandchildren, Amy (Abby) Board of Chicago, Matt Fibich of Wauwatosa, Abby Fink of Minneapolis, and Katie Fink of Montreal, Quebec. His beloved son Steve preceded him in death, lost to cancer in 1995. As Howard wished, no funeral service will be held, and his remains will be cremated. Memorial contributions may be made to The Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.

https://wnanews.com/2020/03/05/howard-fibich-milwaukee-journal-obituary/

Neil Owen Strassman died Feb. 10, 2020. He was 70.

Tribute published in the Oklahoma City Star-Telegram:

“Neil was born in Los Angeles, Calif., in 1949 to Pauline ‘Paula’ Kassam (nee Millman), a schoolteacher, and Harvey Strassman, a psychiatrist. He grew up smack in the middle of the bubbly ’50s and ’60s Jewish community of West LA and Beverly Hills, surrounded by his grandparents (Max and Genia Millman, Moe and Rose Strassman), adored by his mother, spoiled by his aunt Adeline, and loved by his father. Maybe those experiences, combined with Neil’s brilliant mind and inherently social nature, helped impart Neil with a sense of belonging, of having a place in the world.

He was fierce and had firm opinions, yet he remained easygoing and likable. Maybe his personal magnetism simply has no tangible explanation. The fact is that, while many people collect art or stamps or beautiful rocks, Neil collected people. He had the deepest family connections and the most sincere friendships that anyone could hope for.

In the last few weeks of his life, a near-constant flow of family and friends from all over the country came to see Neil at his Oklahoma City home, a testimony to how much he was loved. Neil graduated from the University of California San Diego with a degree in English Literature, and completed his Master’s in Journalism at Northwestern University in Chicago.

Throughout his life, no matter what he was doing, he identified himself first and foremost as a journalist, a profession to which he dedicated himself for several decades. He wrote for a school publication in college, worked for the Long Beach Press Telegram, and wrote for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He even ran a jazz and blues public radio show in Seattle under the hilarious name Nearly-Normal-Neil, with the additional humorous twist of sometimes substituting for himself (!!) under the name Backwater-Eddy.

Neil indeed had a nice sense of humor. There are not enough words to describe his powerful intellect, diverse interests, varied accomplishments, and pointed wit. He was sheer fun to be with! Neil was often found with his nose buried in philosophy texts, Chinese poetry, a horse racing form, the latest environment story, a fishing reel, a pair of skis, itinerary for annual trips to Vancouver Island and Campbell River to salmon fish with his son. A lifelong writer, a machinist or sport fishing boat deckhand in his younger years, chief of staff and office administrator for Tarrant County’s Judge Glen Whitley in his later years, Neil embodied a life focused on intellectual experiences, practical skills, and lifelong friendships. Neil loved his wife, Fatima, very much. And Fatima loved Neil deeply; still does, and always will. Together, they made a family.

Nobody meant more to Neil than his beloved son Joseph, who was the apple of Neil’s eye and the pride of his heart. Neil taught Joe to ski on the slopes, fish in the ocean, camp in the woods, and to dream and aspire to greatness. Neil adored his stepdaughter, Georgia, like a father, and he was so very proud of her. It gave Neil great joy to see Georgia and Max get married, with Joseph standing by their side. Neil was Paula’s only child. Paula was a spirited and intelligent woman who included Neil in everything she did. Neil was loved as a son by his sweet and accomplished stepfather, Abe Kassam, an accountant and businessman, who gave him a marvelous and devoted extended family. His father, Harvey, a brilliant and clear-minded man, imparted on Neil a pragmatic and no-nonsense outlook in life; he also gave Neil four siblings, Debra, David, Michael, and Judy, whom Neil loved very much.

Neil is survived by his wife, Fatima Abrantes-Pais; his son, Joseph Strassman; his stepdaughter and son-in-law, Georgia Shelton and Max Sabor; his siblings, Debra Cowan (Kevin), David Strassman, and Judy (Steve) York; aunt, Adeline Dean and her sons, Michael, Greg, and Bobby; cousins, Philip Aronoff and Salim Janmohammed among many others; his beloved cat, Ich; his love for the Pacific Ocean; and a ton of devoted relatives and friends whose names would cover an entire newspaper page. He was preceded in death by his father, Harvey Strassman; his mother, Pauline Kassam; his stepfather, Abe Kassam; his brother, Michael Strassman; and too many friends who died too soon.

https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/dfw/obituary.aspx?n=neil-owen-strassman&pid=195426100&fhid=8487