Category: Legacies

Betsy Rothstein (MSJ95)

Betsy Rothstein, columnist for the Daily Caller, passed away after a long battle with cancer. Her friend, Olivia Nuzzi, said this about Rothstein in an article posted after her death in “The Intelligencer.”

“I don’t know what I expected Betsy Rothstein to look like, but I guess I wasn’t expecting a woman who made her living filleting media personalities and nurturing feuds to be so tiny in stature. When she approached me on the grass outside the Capitol building and introduced herself, I almost burst out laughing. She was delicate — almost birdlike — with a sweet, girlish voice. I can’t remember what exactly we were both doing there. It was some kind of rally, and we were surrounded by protesters and people dressed up like soldiers in the Revolutionary War. This was 2014, what would turn out to be the last semi-normal year in American politics. I’d only been a part of the Washington press corps for a few months, but already I knew about Betsy, having learned about her, as many young journalists did, when she wrote about me in her gossip column. I knew she was regarded with a mixture of fear and contempt. I also knew that my colleagues read her, scanned her copy for their boldfaced names. I did the same.

Betsy was a professional thorn in the side of Washington media figures, whom she covered at The Hill, and then Fishbowl DC, and then the Daily Caller. Nora Ephron once said that when she watched TV news, she did so wondering if what she was seeing was actually a romantic comedy. Betsy watched the political media as if it were a sitcom. She was always looking for characters, preferably ones that amused her. She thought we were all silly. She was chronically wrong on the minor details, but on this larger point she was always correct.

Betsy had confronted the idea that she might not live, and she had chosen to try very hard, to suffer, to continue to be a part of this world. She wanted to live more than those of us who do not have to consciously register our will to live each day. She was taken out unwillingly. She did not “lose a fight” or “lose a battle.” We did. Those of us who loved her, robbed of her spirit and originality. Robbed of her delightful strangeness. And those who feared or loathed her, spared of her bite, unaware that they have lost something vital too.”

Photo: Darrow Montgomery

https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/06/remembering-my-friend-betsy-rothstein.html

1960s Legacies

Constance Byrne (BSJ60)

Constance Byrne (Connie or “Momo” to her grandchildren), age 95, passed away peacefully on Sunday, January 31, 2021. She married the love of her life, Frank Owen Byrne, on May 2, 1947, who preceded her in death in 1986.

She was a wonderful mother, a strong, independent woman, a true role model in the days when it was not customary to juggle family and career.

Some 14 years after her marriage and six children later, she returned to school to finish her journalism degree at Northwestern. 10 years after she completed her degree and another child later, she returned to school again to become an Illinois-certified teacher. She taught at the Westmoor Elementary School in the Northbrook School District 28 until the age of 69. With hands-on activities and by teaching real life skills, she showed learning could be fun and meaningful. She also managed to serve her community as vice president and program chair of the North Shore Auxiliary of the Chicago Child Care Society and served on the Girl Scout Board.

She remained very active during her retirement years, travelling as far as Egypt with a church group, being an active member of the North Shore Senior Center, and enlarging her circle of lifetime friendships. Family trips also took her out to California, Texas, Australia, Austria, Mauritius, the Reunion Island and back to her roots in Two Rivers, Wisconsin.

Her motto was, “You are never too old.” She even formed a chorus when the Vi at the Glen, a senior living facility, opened in 2002. She saw this as an opportunity to create harmony, with both song and friendship. She never lost her love of music. As a child she saved her milk money for singing lessons. It paid off, as she sang for many years at the OLPH choir and organized annual Christmas caroling parties. As a close family friend put it, she is having a great time singing in the heavenly choirs. She knows she was loved and cherished.

Her greatest joy was her family. She was the loving mother of Connie Meek (Brian), the late Debbie Bakanec (Larry), Wendy Dubreuil (Alain), Melanie Smith (Ronald), Lisa Byrne-Prescott, Frank Byrne Jr. (Arlene) and Mary Prochotsky (Dave); the cherished grandmother of Chris (Nina), Amanda (Matt), Lexi (Steven), Allison, Brett (Jessamyn), Catherine (Frank), Eric, Stephanie (Michael), Charles (Robin), Jessica (Brian), Jonathan (Makenna), Andrew, Michael, Robert, Kimberly (Ty), Sidra, Josh (Paige) and Jenny (Garret); and adoring great grandmother of Ella, Lucas, Oliver, Claire, Leo, Mathew, Gracelyn, Gabriel, Mathis, JT, Olivia, Owen, Liam, Abigail, Eleanor, Ethan, Alex, and Mila.

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/chicagotribune/name/constance-byrne-obituary?pid=197633960

1980s Legacies

Kathryn Esplin-Oleski (MSJ83)

Post author By Jude Cramer
Post date September 21, 2020
No Comments on Kathryn Esplin-Oleski (MSJ83)

Kathryn Esplin-Oleski, age 68 of Belmont, Massachusetts, died of pancreatic cancer on Sunday, August 16, 2020. She died at Emory Hospital in Atlanta.

Kathryn was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, to her father, Dr. Don Esplin, and her mother, Billie Leigh Esplin. She was married from 1986 to 2020 to Dr. John Oleski, clinical psychologist with a principal practice in Wellesley, Massachusetts.

In 1968, her family moved to Montreal, where her father was a professor at McGill University. Kathryn completed high school in Montreal, then earned her CEGEP from Dawson College before entering McGill, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in English with honors.

Kathryn briefly lived and worked in Toronto and Chicago, Illinois, before moving to Boston in 1979. In 1983, she earned her master’s in journalism at Northwestern University. This included an internship in Washington, D.C., where she reported on politics and other subjects.

A highly talented writer, editor and journalist, the first part of Kathryn’s career was spent reporting, writing and editing on the rapidly growing field of digital technology. This included a job at Digital News and another one at MIT, consulting to W3C. During this latter job, she occasionally met with Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web.

In 1998, Kathryn was editor for one of the first books on HTML, authored by famed British computer scientist Dave Raggett.

Kathryn loved reading and writing, being in nature, painting, running and other exercise, and family vacations in the White Mountains, Montreal and Europe. She traveled extensively in the United States, Canada and Europe. She had a special fondness for cats, including her beloved Cheddar, who was with her for 17 years.

She is survived by her husband, Dr. John Oleski, her son Stephen Oleski and his wife Isabel Tran, her daughter Kristina Oleski and her partner Basil Syed, her sisters Debbie Esplin and Mari Rogers, and her step-brother Peter Zablocki. She is also survived by in-laws, nieces, nephews and their families in the U.S. and Canada.

https://actonfuneralhome.com/book-of-memories/4303584/Esplin-Oleski-Kathryn/index.php

1950s Legacies

JoAnn Pizer-Fox (BSJ50)

JoAnn Pizer-Fox, age 89 of Raleigh, North Carolina, died on Sunday, August 30, 2020. She was born November 5, 1930, in Chicago, Illinois.

Joann was the third daughter and youngest child of Ella Goldman Kousnetz and Dr. Selig B. Kousnetz. She attended von Steuben High School, graduated from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism in 1950, and later studied graduate English Literature at the University of Chicago.

In 1951, she met and married Wilfred Halperin, a Chicago businessman and patron of the arts, with whom JoAnn spent many happy evenings in the halls of Chicago’s resident theater and music companies. They lived in Europe for a few years and, upon returning to Chicago, in time became the parents of Carl and Michele.

After Wilfred’s untimely death in 1962, JoAnn met a local pediatrician, Dr. Morton E. Pizer. In 1966, she married him, moving south and having children William and Ellen. She and her second husband were indisputably a local “power couple,” and they are highly regarded still, long after Morton’s death in 1989.

Not long after, JoAnn renewed acquaintance with Stanley H. Fox of Oxford, North Carolina, a man who had also recently lost his spouse of many years, and in 1992, they married. She and Stan had 27 joyous years together traveling and enjoying their blended family. Ultimately they relocated to Raleigh, where Stan passed away in 2019.

JoAnn was an avid needlepointer, miniature enthusiast and dedicated tennis player. She served a term as president of Beth Meyer Synagogue’s Sisterhood, where she proved invaluable in the commissioning of art works to enhance the beauty of the building and its sanctuary.

As a former member of the Board of Trustees of the North Carolina Museum of Art, she was a founding co-chair of the Friends of the Judaic Art Gallery, the museum’s permanent installation of Jewish ceremonial art objects, one of only two such collections in the nation.

Along with her late husband Stan Fox, JoAnn was presented with the state of North Carolina’s highest civilian honor, membership in the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, awarded by Governor Bev Perdue in 2012.

JoAnn is survived by her children Carl Halperin, Michele Pizer, William Pizer and Ellen Pizer, her step-children Susan Fox Robinson, Debra Fox Tenenbaum and Martin Fox, her grandchildren Micah Pizer, Levi Slotkin, Sam Pizer, Gideon Slotkin, Naomi Pizer and Mira Slotkin, her step-grandchildren Ryan Robinson, Mark Robinson, Julie Robinson Sheffer, Brittany Tenenbaum, Megan Tenenbaum Bearman, Scott Tenenbaum and Christopher Fox.

JoAnn also leaves behind 27 devoted nieces and nephews, great-grandchildren from her third marriage, several first cousins, and her dearly-loved sister, Marian K. Kaufman. She was predeceased by her sister, Carol K. Sterkin.

https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/newsobserver/obituary.aspx?n=joann-k-pizer-fox&pid=196750687&fhid=10727

1990s Featured Legacies Legacies

Benjamin C. Williams (BSJ96)

Post author By Jude Cramer
Post date September 22, 2020
No Comments on Benjamin C. Williams (BSJ96)

On Thursday, September 17, 2020, Benjamin Charles Williams, beloved husband to Jill and devoted father to Ashley and Joel, passed away unexpectedly at the age of 46.

Ben was born on April 14, 1974, in Houston, Texas, to Chuck and Debbie (Matteson) Williams. He attended Cypress Creek High School, where he made lifelong friends in the band and graduated in 1992. He loved to write and earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University in 1996. Shortly after graduation he joined the ranks of the Houston Police Department, graduating with Cadet Class 171 in March of 1998, and eventually achieved the rank of sergeant. On June 5, 1999, Ben married his childhood friend and high school sweetheart Jill McCormack. Ashley Rose was born on February 3, 2004, and Joel Benjamin on October 12, 2008.

Ben was an encyclopedia of movie trivia and could settle any debate about anything movie-related. He was a steadfast Astros fan. He also had a heart for animals and was always bringing home or threatening to bring home a stray kitten, dog or any other species.

Along with Jill, Ashley and Joel, Ben is survived by his father Chuck and wife Lisa, mother Debbie Ellisor and husband Gene, sister Erin Williams Lowery and husband Aaron, sister Allison Williams Reeves and husband Zac, stepbrother Don Ellisor, mother-in-law Pam McCormack, father-in-law Jack McCormack and wife Nicole, brother-in-law Mike McCormack and wife Suzana, and brother-in-law Heath Harrington and wife Kim. He also leaves behind many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews and pets.

https://www.kleinfh.com/obituary/benjamin-williams

1970s Featured Legacies Legacies

Deborah W. Hairston (BSJ75)

Post author By Jude Cramer
Post date September 23, 2020
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Deborah Williams Hairston passed away the morning of Wednesday, September 9, 2020, at Jersey City Medical Center from complications of a stroke. She was born in September, 1953, in Washington, D.C.

Deborah was a graduate of Calvin Coolidge High School & majored in journalism at Northwestern University. Deborah received a master’s degree in public administration from New York University. Her journalism career included roles as a freelance writer for Black Enterprise Magazine, editor for the McGraw Hill Chemical Engineering magazine and editor-in-chief for Pristine Processing, a publication Deborah founded. She then went on to teach and mentor students for 20 years in the English department at Saint Peter’s University. Deborah was a lifetime member of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church which had deep roots in her family. She found her lifelong home in Jersey City, New Jersey, across the street from Metropolitan A.M.E. Zion Church where she was a dedicated member for over 30 years.

Deborah is survived by her husband Rodney, children James and Jackie, and siblings Sheila and Russell. Deborah Jean was beloved by many. Her countless friends, students, colleagues and family will miss her joy for life, sharp wit and infectious personality.

https://obits.nj.com/obituaries/jerseyjournal/obituary.aspx?n=deborah-hairston&pid=196776628&fhid=31440

1990s Featured Legacies Featured Legacies Home Legacies

Joe Ruklick (MSJ90)

Former Northwestern basketball star Joe Ruklick died of natural causes Thursday, September 17, 2020. He was 82.

Rucklick played for the Wildcats from 1956-59 and was an All-American as a senior. The 6-foot-10 center said he was better known as a “walking footnote.”

He was proud to have taken part in one of the NBA’s most iconic moments — assisting on Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain’s 99th and 100th points in a record-setting game for the Philadelphia Warriors on March 2, 1962, against the New York Knicks.

“I was wide open,” Ruklick recalled in a 2016 interview with the Chicago Tribune. “I’m looking at the New York players who will not yield. I don’t know what I thought, but I knew I had to get the ball to Wilt. There were 46 seconds to go, and there’s a guy hanging on his left hip. He went, ‘Woo!’ and that meant he was open briefly. There were his hands, and I got the ball to him. And he scored.”

Ruklick said he patiently waited by the scorer’s table to make sure his assist was properly recorded.

Ruklick, a Princeton, Illinois, native, averaged 19.9 points and 13.2 rebounds in three seasons at Northwestern — including 23 and 13 in 1958-59. The Warriors selected Ruklick in the second round (ninth overall) of the 1959 draft, and he played sparingly in three seasons. He said the pay was lousy and he morally objected to team owners wanting to keep him on the roster to appease fans who didn’t want too many Black players at the time.

“Many of them didn’t think there would be more than a handful of Black players every year,” he told the Tribune. “They thought: ‘Chamberlain is a freak. We’ll never see another Bill Russell.’ That’s how dumb we were back then. People were ugly sometimes. But it was as common as the morning sunshine.”

Chamberlain and Ruklick, who had played against each other in college when Chamberlain was at Kansas, remained friends until Chamberlain’s death in 1999.

After his NBA career, Ruklick became an investment banker and a father of three. He earned a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern at 50, later working at newspapers such as the Chicago Defender. Ruklick lived in Evanston and often attended Northwestern games as a reporter for the Aurora Voice.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/ct-northwestern-basketball-joe-ruklick-dies-20200917-n5rpc7t5j5d47lc4ntmn5xcow4-story.html

1960s Featured Legacies Home

Ed Bryant (BSJ63, LAW67)

Ed Bryant, who served on the Students Publishing Company board of directors for 48 years, died Sept. 20. He was 78.

Story by Isabelle Sarraf, (BSJ23) Campus Editor, Daily Northwestern

Serving on the board of Students Publishing Company for 48 years, Ed Bryant’s colleagues pegged his commitment and longevity to The Daily Northwestern’s “legacy of journalistic excellence” as typical of his character.

A former opinion writer at The Daily in the 1960s, the Medill and Pritzker alum joined the SPC board of directors — The Daily’s governing body — in 1972.

“To say he was the pillar of the organization would be an understatement,” John Byrne, chair of the SPC board of directors and former Daily editor in chief, said of Bryant’s legacy.

L. Edward Bryant, Jr., an “instrumental” force behind SPC’s evolution and survival, died unexpectedly of a new recurrence of cancer Sept. 20 at the age of 78. He is survived by his three daughters, Laura, Diane and Emily, as well as two grandchildren, Sydney and Miles.

Once a Wildcat, always a Wildcat

Byrne, who knew Bryant since 1989, said Bryant always cared deeply for The Daily as an institution and ensured it endured for generations to come.

Bryant was one of the driving forces of the Campaign for the Future of The Daily Northwestern in 2014 — a move to transition The Daily’s business model to a digital one that relied only on advertising revenue to pay the bills. Bryant understood early on, Byrne said, that the future of print advertising was in trouble, and his foresight helped shape what The Daily is today.

“He was terrific to work with on the board, always listening, but also providing historical perspective that literally cannot be replaced,” Byrne said. “He often had a good story or anecdote to share, pretty much given whatever subject we were discussing, but it was clear that the Wildcats were so near and dear to his heart.”

A lifelong supporter of Northwestern, Bryant had been a football season ticket holder since 1963. According to an obituary written by his daughters, he was a proud Evanston resident for 61 years and “appreciated the diversity and community spirit” — especially the annual 4th of July parades.

He also often spent weekends with his family at Rock Haven, a lakeside cottage in Wisconsin, nicknamed “The Purple Palace” due to its decor. Its walls were fully adorned in purple — a tribute “to his beloved Wildcats.”

An “indomitable spirit”

Medill Dean Charles Whitaker met Bryant in 2003 when he joined the SPC board of directors and remembers Bryant’s “thoughtful presence” throughout the years in steering the company. Bryant was the board’s “de facto” libel attorney, as well as a trustworthy counselor and advisor when it came to selecting editors in chief, Whitaker said.

Even when Whitaker stepped down from the board, he and Bryant remained close. Always a supporter of student journalism, Bryant would share stories written in The Daily with Whitaker that he would find interesting or important and engage in conversations about the publishing industry. Outside of his role on SPC, Bryant was also well-known for his dedication to a particular hobby.

Bryant’s joy of fishing never wavered, according to his colleagues, evident from the “several” trips he made every year.

“In the entire time that I knew him, he was always battling cancer of one form or another, but he was always hearty and happy,” Whitaker said. “Once after a particularly difficult bout of (chemotherapy) — he was as upbeat as he always was — I asked him how he was doing and he said he was going fishing.”

The entire time he was battling cancer, Whitaker said Bryant would “never” miss a trip and always make a point to set out on Lake Michigan. Bryant’s perseverance and unwavering morale, Whitaker said, is something he’s always admired.

A “storied” legal career

After graduating from NU, Bryant started his legal career at Gardner Carton & Douglas in 1967 and worked in the field until 2010. At the firm, he founded its Health Care Practice in 1979 and served as the chair of the Health Care Department years thereafter, also serving on the firm’s Management Committee.

Over the course of his career, he served on the faculty of Loyola University Chicago’s School of Law and the Kellogg School of Management. In 2011, the L. Edward Bryant, Jr. National Health Law Transactional Competition was established by Loyola to engage law students in dialogue with practitioners in a real-world setting about legal issues pertaining to health care providers.

In 1985, Bryant was named as one of the most outstanding health lawyers in the country by the National Law Journal, and then again in 1991 by both the Illinois Legal Times and Chicago Lawyer Magazine.

According to Edwin Getz, his partner at Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath — GCD’s successor firm — Bryant counseled clients on hundreds of health care industry restructurings, hospital and health system mergers, and more. Many of his cases in health law involved some of the largest health care providers in the country, Getz wrote.

Not only was he admired and widely respected by his clients and colleagues, but Getz added that Bryant is “widely and justifiably regarded” as having originated the discipline of health law.

“(Bryant) cared deeply about (the firm’s) people, no matter their position at the firm or station in life,” Getz told The Daily. “He always made it his highest priority, regardless of his frenetic schedule, to devote the time to mentor colleagues and friends who sought out his guidance, especially young lawyers.”

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Photo:
Ed Bryant, left, honors former SPC Board Chair and current Medill Dean Charles Whitaker, right, at The Daily’s 2018 Homecoming Celebration. (SeanSuPhoto | PurplePhotoCo)

Story republished with permission from The Daily 9/25/2020

1960s Featured Legacies Legacies

Loren “Marty” Hintz (MSJ68)

Post author By Jude Cramer
Post date September 28, 2020
No Comments on Loren “Marty” Hintz (MSJ68)

Loren Martin “Marty” Hintz passed away on Sunday, September 20, 2020, in his home surrounded by his family. He was 75. Marty dedicated his life to traveling and writing — learning as much as he could about the world, and sharing the stories with others.

“He was an incredibly expansive human being,” his son Daniel Hintz said, “and just had a zest for life that was really quite infectious.”

Daniel remembers his father, a “prolific storyteller,” was always looking for his next adventure. The publisher of the Irish American Post newspaper, Marty also wrote more than 125 books, his family says, and was Irish Fest’s first publicist.

Hintz grew up in the small Iowa farm town of New Hampton and studied journalism at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota and at Northwestern University, then worked at the Milwaukee Sentinel.

He later became a freelance writer, his inquisitive spirit never fading. When the family went out to a restaurant, Hintz would pepper the waitress with questions, his son remembers.

“He was constantly mining for stories, constantly mining for ideas for the next adventure,” Daniel Hintz said.

Marty overflowed with tales of his travels and his latest projects — but his most meaningful, his son believes, was his journey to find his father’s downed plane in Italy.

Loren Hintz, a fighter pilot, died at 27 when his plane crashed in Italy just before the end of World War II. Marty Hintz was born six weeks later.

He endeavored to know the father he never met, undertaking years of research and digs to find the plane.

When he died, Hintz was producing a documentary about his family’s 2017 successful search for the plane. His family is now working to raise money to complete it in his honor.

Hintz’s friends from Italy, Ireland and around the world have been reaching out to his family since his death, recalling his kind nature and love of storytelling. Daniel Hintz said he’s gotten at least 500 messages from those who knew him.

Hintz is survived by his wife, Pam Percy, his children Daniel (Kassie) Hintz, Steve (Rashauna) Hintz, Katie (Garrick Topp) Hintz; step-children Matthew (Jennifer) Segel, Katie (Matt Liban) Segel, Ross (Abby) Segel; and 19 grandchildren.

https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/2020/09/27/marty-hintz-dies-75-friends-family-recall-love-travel-stories/3526457001/

1950s Featured Legacies Legacies

Kathleen K. Naureckas (BSJ58)

Post author By Jude Cramer
Post date October 15, 2020
No Comments on Kathleen K. Naureckas (BSJ58)

Kathleen Naureckas, 83, passed away on Wednesday, September 30, 2020, in Oak Park, Illinois. She was born October 12, 1936, in Mt. Pleasant, Pennsylvania.

Kathleen received a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Northwestern in 1958, and went on to get a master’s degree in English literature, also from Northwestern. She was the managing editor of the weekly Libertyville Herald and served on the editorial staff of the Chicago Tribune until her retirement. Kathleen was an avid reader and a poet, having published one book of poems titled “For the Duration,” with another poetry book, “Winter Ecology,” under publication. After retirement, she played saxophone for the New Horizons Band and enjoyed playing bridge and watching movies.

Kathleen is survived by her daughter, Karen (Rick) Christiansen; her two sons, Dr. Ted (Dr. Sara) and Jim (Janine Jackson) Naureckas; her six grandchildren, Dr. Lauren (Matthew) Lindquist, Sean Christiansen, Dr. Caitlin (Dr. Edward) Li, Dr. Patrick (Lauren Heeg), June and Eden Naureckas; her three great-grandchildren, Ethan, Reid and Collin Lindquist; her sister, Marie Zelenka; her brothers, Thomas and Patrick Kearney; and her beloved cat, Rosie.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Adeline and Christopher Kearney; her husband, Edward Naureckas; their young daughter, Barbara Naureckas; her brothers Jim and John Kearney; and her sister Adele Kearney.

https://www.burnettdane.com/obituaries/Kathleen-Naureckas/#!/Obituary

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