Category: Legacies

Jay Howard Leve, 66, passed away on December 5, 2022 at his home in Sun City West, AZ.

Beloved Father of Sarah Leve of Philadelphia, PA, Dear Brother of Karen Leve Braverman of Louisville, CO, Loving Uncle to Michael and Jennifer Braverman of Denver, CO and Joshua and Emily Segal of Los Angeles, CA. Dear Son of the late Rubin and Beverly Leve of St. Louis, MO. Former Husband of Betsy Gitelle of Montclair, NJ, and cousin, friend and mentor to many.

Jay grew up in St. Louis before attending Northwestern University where he earned his undergraduate and Master of Science degrees from Medill. After working at the Miami Herald in Miami, Jay attended the Parsons School of Design in New York City and then moved there to head the Humanware Agency at Citibank, a creative think tank for user interface design and development. Jay continued on to become the founder and CEO of Hypotenuse and SurveyUSA, known as America’s Pollster.

At SurveyUSA, Jay revolutionized the public opinion polling and market research industries in the early 1990s by being the first firm to use interactive voice response technology. Asking questions in the recorded voice of a local news anchor ― a Jay Leve innovation ― and answered by respondents pressing keys on their touch-tone phones, SurveyUSA dramatically decreased the amount of time it took to conduct research and its cost, making it possible for the first time for individuals, companies, and organizations of any size to conduct scientific research. In the 30+ ensuing years, Leve grew SurveyUSA into one of the nation’s best-known polling firms, winning numerous awards for accuracy. SurveyUSA won acclaim for the quality of its methodology and construction of questions because Leve consistently applied the rigorous journalistic principles he learned at Medill, practiced at the Herald, and believed in passionately.

Published obituary

Betty Louise Pinney Laramore died at age 93 on September 29, 2022, at Otterbein Franklin Senior Living Community, where she had resided for nine years.

She was born April 19, 1929, in South Bend to Carroll L. and Nettie Mitzner Pinney. She graduated from Riley High School and attended Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. While in high school, and for a year after graduation, she worked in the editorial department of the South Bend Tribune.

On June 25, 1950, in South Bend she married William F. Laramore and moved into the house on Ferndale Street in Plymouth the couple had built before they were married and where she lived for 63 years. She spent more than 30 years working at Bosworth’s, the retail store founded in 1891 by her husband’s grandfather, retiring as merchandise manager in 1983. Bosworth’s was an important business in Marshall County for nine decades, and Bill and Betty Lou were devoted to customer service and caring for their employees. Betty Lou personally ensured that dozens of Marshall County brides had perfect weddings, and she supervised the fashion review at the county 4-H fair for decades. Bosworth’s pioneered providing medical insurance to its employees.

Survivors include her son Jon (Janet McCabe), son-in-law Randolph Johns, grandchildren Alice Laramore (Adam Paltrineri) of Boston, MA, Dan Sheehan (Bri Booram) and Peter Laramore, both of Indianapolis, great-grandchildren Remy Laramore and Jack Paltrineri, five nieces and three nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, daughter Ann Laramore Johns, brothers Wilbur and Donald Pinney, sister Leah Collins Heiderich, and in-laws George and Jean Schricker. She loved hosting family meals featuring produce from her garden.

Betty Lou was devoted to helping people and making Plymouth a better community. She was a founding director and first secretary of the Marshall County Community Foundation, actively involved in raising more than three million dollars to match the initial Lilly Foundation grant. She co-chaired the drive to raise a million dollars for the new Holy Cross Parkview Hospital (now St. Joseph Health System Plymouth Medical Center). She was an active member of First United Methodist Church and its choir and co-chaired the 1998 drive that raised more than $600,000 to renovate the sanctuary building.

As a community leader, at various times she served as president of the Board of Trustees of the Plymouth Community School Corp., Indiana Public Television Society, Ancilla College Board of Directors, PIDCO, Holy Cross Parkview Hospital Auxiliary, and the local United Way and Tri Kappa active and associate chapters, often the first woman board president. She was a director of United Telephone Company of Indiana (now CenturyLink), Holy Cross Parkview Hospital, St Joseph’s Care Foundation, Plymouth Community Improvement Commission, and the Indiana Medical and Nursing Distribution Loan Fund.

For ten years she was a member of the board of Michiana Public Broadcasting Corp., which manages WNIT television, and in 1992 was named Outstanding Auction Volunteer. In 2007 she was honored by the WNIT board of directors for more than 20 years of “exceptional service to the station.” She produced the Politically Speaking program on WNIT for several years. The National Friends of Public Broadcasting honored her with the Elaine Peterson Special Achievement Award in 1995.

With her husband, she received the Plymouth Jaycees Distinguished Citizen Award in 1972, the Ancilla College Distinguished Service Award in 1983, the Community Spirit Award given by then-St. Joseph Regional Medical Center Plymouth in 2003; and the Plymouth Area Chamber of Commerce Distinguished Citizen Award in 2005. She was honored by Gov. Joseph E. Kernan as a Sagamore of the Wabash in 2004.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, October 6, 2022 from 12-2 pm at the Johnson-Danielson Funeral Home, 1100 N. Michigan Street, Plymouth. Funeral services will immediately follow with Pastor Lauren Hall officiating.

Burial will be in the New Oak Hill Cemetery, Plymouth.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to First United Methodist Church, c/o Marshall County Community Foundation, P.O. Box 716, Plymouth, IN 46563 or United Way of Marshall County, P.O. Box 392, Plymouth, IN 46563.

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Mark Bates completed his Christian tour of duty on earth peacefully on September 19, 2022.

Mark was born on August 14, 1934, in Bloomington, Illinois to Ralph E. and Margaret “Porgie” B. (nee Weldon) Bates.

He was an alumnus of St. Athanasius School and St. George High School in Evanston, IL He graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in journalism in 1956

Mark married the love of his life Janet (nee Fjellberg) on January 5, 1957. They had a glorious life together until Janet’s passing on July 28, 2017. Mark is survived by his children, Mike (Sue), Scott, and Anne Glassow (Marcus).

He is also survived by nine grandchildren: Tom Bates, Betsy (Chris Stevens), Andy Bates (Hanna), Emily Bates (Andy Berlein), Laura Bates, Camryn Bates, Marcus Glassow (Adena), Kelsey (Grady Garrison), and Brittany as well as eight great-grandchildren: Michael Bates-McGowan; Daisy and Blake Glassow; Adeline Garrison, Noah Bates, Jack Stevens, Ted Bates, and Ben Stevens, Harlan Berlein. He will be dearly missed and fondly remembered by all.

A memorial service and celebration of Mark’s rich, full life will be held at a later date. Interment at Ridgewood Cemetery in Des Plaines, IL. The Bates family asks that memorial donations be directed to St. Athanasius School, 2510 Ashland Avenue, Evanston, IL 60201.

The Chicago Tribune

Charles Gallup ‘Chuck’ Williams passed away Friday June 3, 2022 after experiencing a catastrophic brain hemorrhage. With his wife and daughters by his side, Chuck left for the great squash court in the sky while being serenaded by Neil Young, Bob Dylan, and the Grateful Dead.

Chuck was born in Bridgeport, Conn., as the first son of Arthur Collins Williams and Mary Helen Mitchell Williams. He followed his older sister, Kit, and had two younger brothers, Bill and Doug. Their childhood was full of little league, bikes, golf, tennis, and skiing in Vermont. Chuck attended elementary and middle school in the small town of Fairfield, Conn., and then left to attend high school at Andover in Massachusetts. Chuck went on to earn a bachelor’s of arts degree in history in 1973 at the University of Rochester, where he also played squash and soccer and developed a taste for Genesee Cream Ale and the Garbage Plate from Nick Tahoe’s. Chuck earned a master’s degree at the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University in 1974.

He began his career as a freelance writer in Rochester, N.Y., where he wrote for several publications including the Brighton Pittsford Post. Chuck was then employed by the Cancer Center of Strong Memorial Hospital, starting a long career in public relations and communications for health care systems. While working in Rochester, Chuck met Jackie Wygant and in his usual unhurried fashion waited a year to ask her out. Two months before their wedding in 1979, Chuck competed in the U.S. Squash National Championships at the Multnomah Athletic Club in Portland, Ore., and while there was invited to apply for a job at O.H.S.U. Jackie said no. 10 months later, they made an epic cross country trip in a U-haul and arrived in the Pacific Northwest, the place that would become their forever home. The PNW, in turn, welcomed them with a layer of ash from the eruption of Mt. St. Helens shortly after they arrived. The couple immersed themselves in a multitude of outdoor activities, including mountain climbing, cross-country skiing, camping, hiking, and soaking up the sun at the Oregon Coast. Kidding, they learned it is almost never sunny at the Oregon Coast!

In 1982, the couple’s first daughter, Laurel, came into the world. Chuck continued working at O.H.S.U. and Jackie fondly remembers passing the infant through the window into his office so he could watch her while she played squash. Chuck started working at Good Samaritan Hospital in 1985, and soon after the couple’s second daughter, Kendra, joined the family. Luckily for her, she entered and exited the hospital through the regular doors.

Chuck continued his career in public relations at Shriners Hospital from 1992 to 1999. He then worked as the regional director of Kids in a Drugfree Society (K.I.D.S.) for a year before going on to work at Providence Health System. He worked at Providence from 2001 to 2012 in Public Affairs and Internal Communications and was the editor of the Spirit Newsletter. Chuck finished his career at CareOregon where he worked until he retired in 2017.

Chuck loved to hike and camp and shared his love of the outdoors with his daughters including taking each for their first summit at Saddle Mountain around 8 years of age. Chuck also passed on his competitive spirit, coaching his daughters in soccer and softball, and cheering them on in countless other sports.

While helping to raise his two daughters and working his full-time job, Chuck continued to be a competitive squash player, achieving number 6 in the nation in 40+ softball singles. He also taught squash and organized tournaments.

Chuck founded a local accreditation program for the Portland Metro Chapter of Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and served on its board, including as President in 1997. In 2000, he was honored with their William W. Marsh Lifetime Achievement Award. He also served on the boards of many other non-profit organizations. While working and volunteering, Chuck forged close ties with many members of the local print, radio, and television media. In addition, Chuck was an enthusiastic mentor and encouraged many aspiring public relations professionals. At last count, there were over 200 people who were mentored by Chuck while seeking their APR accreditation. Chuck loved his career and made lifelong friends at every job and every organization he was a part of.

Chuck is survived by his wife, Jackie Wygant; his daughters, Laurel Williams (Carl Kloos) and Kendra Williams (Christian Richardson); three grandchildren, Adelyn, William, and Margaret; his three siblings, Kit Krents, Arthur ‘Bill’ Williams, and Doug Williams (Deidre Williams); his two sisters-in-law, Catherine Wygant (Dan Monroe) and Holly Wygant; three nephews and two nieces and their families; and many east coast cousins.

A celebration of life will be held later this summer in Portland, Ore., and Chuck’s final resting place will be in his beloved Landgrove, Vt. In lieu of flowers please send donations to PRSAOregon.org for the APR Accreditation Education Fund, Street Roots, Nursingale, the Oregon Stroke Center at OHSU, Friends of the Historic Columbia River Highway, or the Oregon Natural Desert Association.

Please sign the online guest book at www.oregonlive.com/obits

obits.oregonlive.com

Dee Richard Woolley Jr., beloved husband, father, brother, grandfather, and friend, age 66, passed away July 15, 2022 in his home unexpectedly.

Born June 21, 1956, Salt Lake City, Utah, to Dee and Marjorie Carol Springman Woolley. Married Anne Meilstrup Woolley August 1, 1978, in the Salt Lake City LDS Temple. He graduated from Highland High (class of 74), University of Utah (BA) and Northwestern University (Masters in Advertising). He served in many capacities in his church, including an LDS Mission to Germany and later as a beloved Bishop in Kenosha, Wisconsin. His great loves in life were his testimony of Heavenly Father and Jesus, his family, his dear friends, music, food, and the Book of Mormon. He is survived by his wife Anne; his children Doug (Amy), Katherine Gardner (Joel), Elizabeth, and Christina Pearson (Patrick); 8 grandchildren; and brother Michael (Debra). He was preceded in death by his parents, Dee and Carol Woolley.

legacy.com

Owen Yost, 77, passed away at his home in Denton, Texas on July 17th.

Born January 1945 he spent his childhood near Chicago, in Kenilworth Illinois. He attended New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois and attended college at University of Missouri (Bachelor of Journalism ’67), Northwestern University (Master of Journalism ’68), and University of Texas Arlington (Master of Landscape Architecture ’82) and served in the U.S. Army.

The son of Llyod Morgan Yost and Winogene Springer, and brother to Elyn Mulder, Karyl Thorsen, Chari Binstadt. Owen leaves behind his beloved partner Nancy Collins, his son Creighton Yost, and grandchildren Carson Yost, Asher Yost, Collin Whisenhunt, Lauren Whisenhunt, and their families.

A lifelong athlete, he played baseball and football as a child and was well known for his swimming, setting records in high school and winning medals at the Texas Senior Games. He was a regular at the Texas Woman’s University pool and gym and deeply enjoyed the kindness and comradery of his TWU swimming friends and the University staff.  

He enjoyed nature in its natural wild state throughout his life. A favorite memory was his canoe trips with friends in college to boundary lakes in Canada for fishing and exploring. Always interested in geography and vocabulary he was quick to share what he learned about scientific names of trees and birds and worked throughout his life to conserve natural spaces to ensure their future.

An accomplished writer, writing advertising copy in Chicago in his early years, and later an accomplished landscape architect, guest lecturing at University of North Texas, writing a landscaping column for the Denton Record-Chronical newspaper, and working for Denton as a city planner. He designed the landscape for many Denton street plantings, and the Benny Simpson Garden on the TWU campus, leaving his lasting mark on his community.

To plant Memorial Trees in memory of George Owen Yost, please click here to visit our Sympathy Store.

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Robert “Russ” Bensley finished his final broadcast on August 9, 2022. The oldest (by minutes) child of Robert Daniel Bensley and Sylvia Gates Holton Bensley, Russ is survived by his children Skip Bensley, Robin Arena, and Vicki (Ryan) Stevenson; his grandchildren CJ, Sabrina, Jordan, Sarah, Andrew, and Ryan, as well as his twin brother Edward (Laura) Bensley. He is predeceased by his wife, Patrica Bannon Bensley. Also survived and predeceased by a sea of those who admired and respected him throughout his long career at CBS, as a horse farmer, and as an overall great guy.

Russ grew up on and around the University of Chicago campus, where his grandfather was the head of and his mother professor of Anatomy (and the first female graduate of the University of Chicago Medical School), and his father and aunt were integral to the vast scientific advances made there, particularly in the realm of diabetes research, for which the senior Robert Russell Bensley won a Banting Medal. He graduated from Hyde Park High School and went on to earn both an undergraduate and master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University. During his years there, he commuted daily from Hyde Park, as he was also caring for his grandfather.

Russ’ career began in radio, eventually landing him at the WBBM-TV station, where he wrote and anchored the late-night news broadcast. Amusingly, this broadcast was watched by one Pat Bannon while sitting at Wally’s Tap in Homewood; she would meet him in person and then marry him almost 20 years later. Russ made his national news television debut doing “man on the street” interviews following the death of JFK.

The CBS network then brought him to New York, quickly making him a producer (eventually executive) of the Evening News with Walter Cronkite. In 1968 he took a crew to cover the Vietnam war, got shot, and then evacuated to a hospital that was then bombed.

“Not a great day” as he put it.

In 1971, he won the first of four Emmy awards for his work on the groundbreaking documentary, “The World of Charlie Company,” for CBS.

After his time on the evening news, he headed the Special Events Unity, covering events like space shuttle launches, royal weddings, and presidential conventions and elections. He recently told his family he loved special events because he wanted to be where the action was. He was the executive producer of On the Road with Charles Kuralt, which he enjoyed for the interesting and uplifting stories. He also taught journalism courses as a guest teacher in a variety of settings, including Columbia University, New York.

After his retirement from CBS in 1985, he, Pat and daughter Vicki moved to Niles, MI, where they raised Morgan Horses until 2003. When asked about what seemed like a major life change, Russ was frequently known to quip, “It’s just a different kind of manure.” He continued remote work for CBS for almost 3 years, putting together a videocassette series, The Vietnam War with Walter Cronkite.

After horse-farming, he took up his favorite title full-time-Grandpa. Russ and Pat moved to Homewood, IL (where Pat had grown up) in 2003, and he remained there until 2014, when he moved into the home his daughter, Vicki, and husband Ryan built for them. He enjoyed the rest of his years in the “west wing” with Vicki, Ryan, his grandsons Andrew and Ryan, and a variety of cats and dogs whom he adored. His grandsons clearly benefited from his constant presence; both have gone into journalism.

Russ celebrated his 84th birthday by jumping out of a “perfectly good” airplane, handling it like a pro, and at 86 had to have an amputation of his lower leg (unrelated to the jumping out of an airplane) proceeding to put everyone in rehab – including 30-year-olds – to shame. (Upon waking from surgery being asked how he was, he replied, “Footloose and fancy-free.”) He walked at home without so much as a cane, and used a walker only at the annoying insistence of his daughter. Until the stroke that disabled him seven weeks prior to his death, he took daily walks, got his own paper and did the crosswords, all while shaking his head at the changes in TV news.

Russ’ colleagues say he was among the best in the business, and to this day speak with great admiration and affection for him and his work. Giants in the industry have described him as “one of the all-time great television news producers and editors” and “the best newsman television ever had….[and] that for a few years a lot of Americans got their information about what was going on in the world from the honest and direct way [he] chose to tell them.”

Russ’ kind heart was even bigger for animals. If you are inclined to honor him in some way, please make a donation in his name to the South Suburban Humane Society, where many of his beloved pets came from. If you want to honor him another way, sneak some Oreo cookies and perhaps a good, dark beer.

And above all, the family encourages you use the phrase he was famous for as often as you can – “Everything is Going to be All Right.”

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