Obituaries

WALTER N. PLAUT, a business executive, died July 4, 2016, at age 97. A member of Beta Theta Pi, after graduation he worked for the Westinghouse Corporation at a job critical to the war effort. He then served in the U.S. Army Air Corps as a top turret gunner on B-17s and flew his first combat mission over Normandy on June 6, 1944. An associate of the management consulting firm, Frank C. Brown & Co., Inc., he was also president for many years of the Lehn & Fink Products Company, a consumer products company, which first introduced Lysol to the U.S. He was an alumnus of the Lawrenceville School and remained active in the alumni association, while also leading other volunteer development efforts in Fairfield County, Conn. His wife, Sally Hayes Plaut, and one son predeceased him. Among those who survive are his second wife, Beryl Plaut, three children, and ten grandchildren.

JAMES FIZZOLIO, 95, an attorney, died Aug. 10, 2015. He was a member of Phi Sigma Kappa and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. After receiving his degree with honors and with distinction in French, he served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He was a graduate of Yale Law School and began his long career as an attorney on Wall Street. He later moved to Southern California where he and his twin brother, Tom, opened the firm Fizzolio and Fizzolio in North Hollywood, where he practiced for more than 20 years. Later, he was a partner in the law firm Fizzolio & McLeod. He was a member of the Los Angeles Bar Association, Unico, and the San Fernando Bar Association, where he was recently honored for more than 50 years of service. Predeceased by his wife, Joyce Krause Fizzolio, survivors include three children and five grandchildren.

DOUGLAS R. ROSS Sr., a banker, died Feb. 6, 2015. He was 95. A member of Psi Upsilon, he served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II. He was awarded the Bronze Star for valor in the battle for Guam and participated in the battles for Iwo Jima, Guam, and Bougainville, along with many others. He worked for Fortune Federal in Clearwater, Fla., for many years and was an active member of the community. His wife, Elizabeth (Betsy) Carmack Ross, predeceased him. Survivors include two sons, one daughter, four grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

Bruce W. Miller ’63, M.D. an ophthalmologist and professor emeritus at the University of Illinois Medical School, died Dec. 6, 2014 at age 74.

Eugene D. Jacobson ’51, M.D., a retired professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, died August 14, 2015. He was 5.

The Rev. Frank Wayne, born November 10, 1924 in Johnstown, PA died on March 28, 2015. He was the seventh child of Ray Emmet Penick and Esther May Groff.

He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Jane Flegal Penick of Louisville, daughter Sharon Sochinski (James) of Blacksburg, VA, son Richard (Cynthia) of Bisbee, AZ, daughter Jan (Joe) of Louisville, and granddaughter Katie Dougherty (Paul) of Colorado Springs, CO.

Rev. Penick served in the US Navy from 1943 – 45 in Officer’s Training School. He was a graduate of Dartmouth College and the Princeton Theological Seminary. He was pastor in Trenton, NJ, District Heights, MD and Jefferson City, MO.

In 1964, he joined the Fifty Million Fund of the United Presbyterian Church as an area counselor in Rochester, NY and Pittsburgh, PA. From 1971-1980 Rev. Penick was Vice President for Development at the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.

In 1980 he and his wife moved to Louisville and served eight years as the Vice President for Development at the Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary until his retirement in 1988.

Rev. Penick was the founding president of Kentuckiana/Ohio River Valley Chapter, National Society of Fund Raising Executives. In 1993 he received the lifetime award of CFRE (Certified Fund Raising Executive) designation from the National Society of Fund Raising Executives, by the National Society’s Board of Directors.

From 1988 to 1992 he was President of Creative Associates, Fund Raising Consultants and also served as regional counselor for the Bi-Centennial Fund, Presbyterian Church (USA) during that same period.

He was a member of the Presbytery of Mid-Kentucky of the Presbyterian Church (USA).

There will be a private interment at the Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary Memorials Gardens. A memorial service will be held at Highlands Presbyterian Church, 1101 Cherokee Road, on Tuesday, April 7, 2015 at 11 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, the Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary or to Hosparus of Louisville. – See more here.

It took a celestial bolt, of course it would, to extinguish such an adventurous spirit, and that’s what happened on March 19, 2016, when Jacqui Stavis, a former resident of Rhinelander, died as the result of a lightning strike near New Orleans, La. Attending a weekend blues festival, Jacqui was doing what she loved best, living life to its fullest. She was 28 years old.

Jacqui will be missed beyond measure by her mother, Barbara Sironen, of Rhinelander, her father, George Stavis, of New York, and her life partner, Jake Gold, of New Orleans.

Barbara’s husband, David Picard; her aunt Kay, uncle Frank and cousins Nicole and Leslie Guarascio; her uncle Stuart, aunt Helen and cousin Forest Sironen; her uncle Rob, aunt Helene, and cousins Danny and Jesse Stavis, and Madeleine Klebanoff, nee Stavis; her uncle Ben Stavis, aunt Marjatta Lyyra, and cousins Sam and Kathy Stavis; and Jake’s parents, Steve and Sue Gold, will miss her deeply, as will her family in Provincetown: grandmother Barbara Rushmore, Peter Macara, aunts Katherine and Laura, and cousins Raphael, Justin, Tyler, Eric, and Elise.

Jacqui was loved dearly by close friends, incalculable in number, but especially those who celebrated her life in New Orleans and in Provincetown, Ma., where she was buried and is “growing a tree,” as she had expressly wanted to do.

Jacqui was preceded in death by her siblings, Elizabeth and Eric.

GEGGEL, Amelia Sarah Age 32, of Cambridge, formerly of Dover, passed away on Wednesday, April 27, 2016. She was the cherished wife of Eric Mattison, the loving daughter of Robert & Karen (Brown) Geggel, the inspiring older sister of Ezra Geggel & his wife Michal Miller, the treasured granddaughter of Elizabeth Geggel & her late husband Carl, and the late Pierce & Norrine Brown, and a hero to her aunts and uncles, cousins, extended family and friends. Amelia overcame challenges throughout her life. She was born with a rare ear condition and endured multiple surgeries and ensuing complications. Despite wearing hearing aids, she was always an excellent student, graduating from the Noble & Greenough School, Wesleyan University, and the Harvard School of Public Health. Innately knowing how to meet life’s challenges, she became an advocate for environmental causes and social justice. Her authenticity, spirit, and sense of responsibility to the larger world made her a natural leader and a role model to her family and friends.

Diagnosed with incurable sarcoma six years ago, Amelia knew she had only a short time to fill this world with her energy. Despite her constant chemotherapy schedule, Amelia finished her master’s degree and worked full time for an environmental consulting firm. She met her perfect match just prior to her diagnosis; three years later they married on the coast of Maine. Eric stood by her throughout her treatments, providing humor and support in equal measure. She traveled and hiked across five continents – to New Zealand, Patagonia, Chile, England, Belgium, Puerto Rico, Taiwan, Cyprus, Brazil, the Rockies, and throughout New England. Her personality, dry sense of humor, creativity, and genuine, remarkable strength will serve as an inspiration to all those fortunate to have known her and her story. Services will take place at Temple Aliyah, 1664 Central Avenue, Needham on Sunday, May 1, 2016 at 1:30 p.m., with burial at Beit Olam East, 60 Old Sudbury Road, Wayland. Following burial, memorial observance will be at the home of Robert & Karen Geggel until 8 p.m. and continuing Monday, from 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m., and on Tuesday and Wednesday from 7-9 p.m. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to First Descents, which provides outdoor adventures for young adults with cancer (www.firstdescents.org) or a foundation to be established by the family to honor the causes Amelia cared deeply about.

Surrounded by love near and far, in the comfort of her home, Lori passed away very peacefully last night, January 7, shortly after 5:00pm. She has been warmed by everyone’s love and support over the years, and held in a sacred space the last few weeks, and truly blanketed in prayers and care the last 24 hours. Lori was an old soul, a sage beautiful lady, and had an accepting understanding of death as part of life’s journey. Perhaps that understanding moved her to live her life with such deep gratitude and so mindfully in the moment as she did. Those of us that were gifted the opportunity to walk with her through the last few weeks feel in our hearts that Lori found a calm peace and trust that allowed her to quietly transition on this eve. She has left her physical body but she is with us forever in our hearts, our memories, perhaps in sunsets and sunrises, or in any place of beauty we choose to hold her. Most of all she lives on in her beautiful courageous daughter Emilia. Please hold Emilia, Matt, Mike, and the rest of Lori’s family in your thoughts and prayers as everyone travels this journey of such great loss. Possibly the only thing greater than the loss is the deep love Lori showered everyone with, and the great love everyone has forever for her.

Rest peacefully dear Lori – we love you for all of eternity.