OBITUARIES

Joan W. Brucker

Joan Wagner Brucker of Yellow Springs died peacefully at home October 2. She was surrounded by family and spent her last day in the care of her community of friends. Joan had been a cancer survivor since 1990.

A lifelong believer in the joyful power of books, Joan served as librarian for schools in Springfield, Yellow Springs and Dayton. Upon retirement, she volunteered as a children’s book reviewer and read every week to children at the Yellow Springs Community Children’s Center, where she was known as “Granny.”

Born April 24, 1930, in Baltimore, Md., to Margaret Corson Wagner and Henry Milton Wagner, she spent her childhood amidst a diverse community of missionary workers, foreign students, and social justice activists. She attended Friends School in Baltimore and Oberlin College, graduating in 1951. Soon after, she married college friend Roger Brucker, of Shelby, Ohio, and the family moved to Yellow Springs. Ever the visionary, Joan transformed a dilapidated farm house on several acres across from the village dump to a diverse neighborhood of families. In 1957, the “glass house” was built with ideas Joan collected in scrap books. During that time the family grew with four children; however, there was always room for someone in need.

With her children at college, Joan too returned to college, earning a masters in library science from Wright State University. She authored the annotated bibliography “White Racism in Public School.” She contributed to Dayton Montgomery Public Library, Library Children’s Review group and the Southwestern Ohio Young Adult Materials Review group.

In Yellow Springs, Joan originated the community carol sing led by Walter Anderson and Jean Putnam, served on the board of Chamber Music Yellow Springs and was a member of the Yellow Springs Friends Meeting.

Joan traveled the world, often visiting with authors and illustrators in children’s literature. Her meticulous scrapbooks document each of these journeys, as well as the lives of her family.

Joan is survived by her children and their spouses: Tom Brucker, Nashville, Tenn., Ellie Marshall, S. Stratford, Vt., Jane Benham, Pitchin, Ohio, and Emily Brucker, Seattle, Wash., four grandchildren, her brother Henry (Bud) Wagner in Shady Side, Md., and several cousins, nieces and nephews. She also leaves her special friend Hardy Trolander and her dog Bucky, who now has a whole farm to play on. Joan was preceded in death by her sister Margaret Hartley and her parents.

A memorial service will be held in the future under the care of Yellow Springs Friends Meeting. Remembrances may be made to Chamber Music Yellow Springs.

Virginia McConnell Bush

Virginia McConnell Bush died September 29 at Kettering Medical Center following a brief illness. She was born January 7, 1919, in Detroit, Mich., to Thomas Henry McConnell and Beatrice Williams McConnell. She grew up in Manhattan, N.Y., and Oliphant, Pa.

Virginia acquired a great fondness and expertise for horseback riding as a youngster. She graduated from college at Scranton, Pa., as a teacher. She met Dixon Bush while instructing riding at a summer camp and they married on August 13, 1946.

After living in and around New York, they moved to Yellow Springs with their five sons in 1955. Virginia was active in the community as a member of the League of Women Voters, the Friendly Gardeners Club and the Antioch faculty wives. Virginia was an avid reader her entire life. She spent many active years here, living in and “supervising” the restoration of the family home at Grinnell Circle, touring the country on summer camping expeditions and raising her boys.

She and Dixon left Yellow Springs in 1969 for Franconia N.H., Durango, Colo., then Forest Park, Ill., before Dixon’s early retirement and return in 1974. They were active in the establishment and operation of Bushworks well into the ‘90s.

Following Dixon’s death in 2002, Virginia spent her final years in the comfort of the Charles and Debbie Bush home in Beavercreek, attended by family as well as Loretta Furay and Toni Sams, her good friends to the last.

She was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, her brother Thomas McConnell, her niece MaryAnn McConnell and nephew Thomas McConnell Jr. She is survived by five sons: James Edwin of Maine, Michael Henry of Iowa and Charles Williams, Peter Benjamin and John Dixon of Ohio as well as grandchildren Ben, Charles and Henry Bush, George and Clayton Bush, Kathryn and Susanne Bush, and Phoebe and Amanda Bush. Great-grandchildren are Ezra, Indira, Sophie and Leo. She is also survived by her niece Julianne McConnell and nephew William McConnell.

A memorial will be announced at a later date.

John Thomas Geis Sr.

John Thomas Geis Sr. of Yellow Springs, 93, died Oct. 1 at his home. John was born Jan. 21, 1916, in Springfield. He was preceded in death by his son, John T. Geis Jr., parents Lorenz and Margareta Bergmann Geis, brothers Ferdinand, Leonard and Edward Geis and a sister, Mary Ray. John is survived by his loving wife Nellie (Toms) Geis, whom he married on July 2, 1946, in Charlottesville, Va. They were married 63 years. In addition to his wife, John is survived by three daughters and sons-in-law: Jane (Tom) Blessing of Xenia, Jean (Bob) Brookey of Fairborn, and Claudia (Terry) Duncan of Yellow Springs. He is also survived by a daughter-in-law Kim Geis of Xenia. John leaves ten grandchildren: Thomas E. Blessing IV, Jeffrey Duncan (Wendy), Scott Brookey (Heather), Travis Duncan (Holly), Heather Gaskill (Craig), Matthew Brookey (Ashley), Christina Brookey, Craig Brookey, Zachary Blessing and John (J.T.) Geis III. John also leaves seven great-grandchildren: Allyson Duncan, Tyler and Tanner Steward, Chloe Gaskill, Vaughn and Triston Duncan and Carter Brookey. John also leaves many nieces and nephews.

During World War II, John served in the 83rd Battalion of the Seabees. He received his training in Virginia Beach in 1943. He served from 1943–1945 in Trinidad, Hawaiian Islands, Phillipines and China. John was employed as a carpenter for P.W. Mercer in Yellow Springs and the Yellow Springs Foundry. He also worked as a finish carpenter for the Danis Corporation in Dayton and remained there until his retirement in 1979. John was a member of the St. Brigid Catholic Church in Xenia, where he served on the Knights of Columbus. He was a member of St. Paul Catholic Church, the local #1807 Carpenters Union in Dayton as well as a member of the VFW of Enon.

John was an avid fisherman, loved the outdoors, and above all loved his family. A special thanks to the staff, nurses and care givers at Hospice of Dayton. A mass of Christian burial was held on Oct. 6 from the St. Paul Catholic Church and burial followed in St. Paul Church Cemetery. The family requests contributions be made in John’s memory to Hospice of Dayton or the American Lung Association.

Florence S. Hirsch

Florence S. Hirsch, former resident of Yellow Springs, passed away peacefully on Sept. 28 at Sycamore Glen Health Center after a brief illness.

Born on August 22, 1921, in Dayton, Florence graduated from Steele High School in 1939, and obtained her BFA from the School of the Dayton Art Institute, a bachelors from the University of Dayton and atelier work at the Aegina Art Center, Greece. She retired from Wright Patterson AFB as a technical illustrator in 1982, was chairperson of the art department of Wilberforce University from 1965 to 1970 and served on the faculty of the Dayton Art Institute as drawing instructor for the Saturday morning art classes for young people from the mid-‘50s to the late ‘60s.

As a life-long working artist, teacher and mentor, Florence’s sensitive visions and representational subject matter were skillfully portrayed through well-controlled messages of feelings by color, composition and subject. Throughout her lifetime, she participated in many juried shows in the Miami Valley as well as in numerous exhibitions in the Midwest. Represented in national exhibitions in Chicago, Houston, and Cincinnati, Florence’s work is in the permanent collections of Wilmington College, Wilberforce University, the Charles F. Kettering Memorial Hospital, the Evansville Museum of Arts and Science and the Fort Wayne Museum in Indiana. As a participating artist for many years at the Dayton Visual Arts Center, Florence will be remembered and loved by all who knew her.

She is survived and lovingly remembered by her husband of 18 years, Joseph F. Hirsch of Dayton, daughter and son-in-law Catherine and William Lewandoski of Leander, Texas, daughter Josie and son-in-law Jeff Inslee of Yellow Springs, and grandchildren Aimee and Brian Inslee of Yellow Springs. A date and location for a celebration of Florence’s life through her paintings and drawings will be announced within the next few weeks. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Hospice of Dayton.

James Kitzmiller

James Arthur Kitzmiller Jr. died suddenly at his home in Yellow Springs on Friday, Oct. 2. He was 54.

James was born Sept. 20, 1955, in Sumter, S.C. He attended several universities in the Dayton area and then farmed for many years before becoming a stay-at-home dad and gourmet cook. (He cooked much better than he cleaned.)

He is preceded in death by his father, James Sr., and his brother John.

He is survived by his wife of 20 years, Johnetta (Lakes) and son Jamie of Yellow Springs; mother Elizabeth and sister Terry of Enon; brother Arthur and his wife Colleen of Milford, Del.; brother Andy and his wife Joy of Cedarville; and a host of nieces and nephews, all of whom he loved.

James was buried on Monday, Oct. 5, at the Clifton Cemetery. The family plans to hold a memorial service in late December, at a date to be announced.

Earl ‘Don’ Boles

Earl D. “Don” Boles, 85, of Clifton passed away September 20 in his home, surrounded by family and friends following a lengthy and courageous battle with cancer. He was born December 23, 1923, the son of William and Nora (Staggs) Boles in Adams County.

Survivors include his wife of 53 years Mary (Peyton) Boles, son Gary (Ronda) Boles of Fairborn, daughter Donna (Jerry) Huckleba of Clifton, grandchildren Caleb and Joshua Boles of Fairborn, brother Charlie (Anna Mae) Boles of Mechanicsburg, Ohio, numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends and sister-in-law Reva Peyton Abner. He was preceded in death by his father, mother and brothers John and Estel Boles.

Don and his wife owned the Village Coffee Shop in Yellow Springs for a number of years. After retirement, he loved spending time with his family and grandsons. He enjoyed gathering at Jerry’s Country Corner every day for coffee and visiting with friends. Don enjoyed life and had a wonderful sense of humor. Special thanks to Hospice of Dayton and wonderful neighbors Doug and Aileen. A gathering of family and friends was held from 6–8 p.m. Wednesday in the Jackson Lytle and Williams Funeral Home, 322 Xenia Ave., Yellow Springs, with services at 10 a.m., Thursday in the funeral home. Rev. Arby Conn and Dr. Stuart Snow officiated and burial followed in Clifton Cemetery. Contributions may be made in Don’s memory to Hospice of Dayton, 324 Wilmington Ave., Dayton, Ohio 45420.

Steven Perry

Dr. Steven R. Perry, Ph.D., of Linhue, Hawaii, died April 19 in Hawaii.

Perry entered Antioch College in 1960 from Syracuse, N.Y. Steve Perry was well known at Antioch during the mid-1960s, and served two terms (four quarters) as community manager. He was very active during his time at Antioch. After his graduation, he earned a Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Colorado. He managed a mental health care clinic in Hawaii for more than a decade before his death at age 66.