Former PD colleagues meet

Bill Lucey, former PD library aide, ran into a former colleague, Alan Seifullah and his wife,  at the Baseball Heritage Museum in old League Park recently during the annual Hispanic Festival, Pleibol. Former Indian  pitcher Jim "Mudcat" Grant is in the foreground.  Alan is retired from Cleveland Public Utilities. Bill has a web site,  www.dailynewsgems.com

Lammers dies of cancer

Bill Lammers, a  veteran of the news desk, was a good guy. His knowledge of music, pens, Fiesta, and technology was extra ordinary. His PD friends will miss him.  There were no public services but an outpouring of eulogies on Facebook.

From the Sandusky Register:

Walter William “Bill” Lammers, 60, of Olmsted Falls, Ohio, died Friday, Aug. 4, 2017, surrounded by his family at the end of a brave fight against cancer.
     Bill was a devoted husband and father. The joys of his life were his wife Nancy, daughters Sarah and Christina, and being “Paw Paw” to Logan and Austin. 

     He is survived by Nancy; daughters, Sarah (Umberto) Barbera of Mentor, Ohio, and Christina Curley (fiancé David Beers) of Athens, Ohio; two grandchildren, Logan and Austin; brothers, Guy (Linda) Lammers of Maumee, Ohio, John (Cindy) Lammers of Baldwinsville, N.Y., and Pete (Sueann) Lammers of Danbury; as well as nephew, Kirk Lammers of Westlake, Ohio; and nieces, Jackie (Nick) Savage of Delta, Ohio, and Kaylee and Lauren Lammers of Baldwinsville.

     Bill was the son of Walter R. “Sonny” and Joyce Lammers, of Danbury, who preceded him in death.

     He graduated from Bowling Green State University in 1978, and spent a career in the newspaper business, first as a reporter and then as an editor.

     At a series of newspapers Bill earned a reputation as a smart, creative, fast, reliable editor with a low tolerance for nonsense. At the time of his death he was an editor at The Plain Dealer in Cleveland, where he edited stories, designed pages, and wrote about music and technology for nearly 30 years.

     Bill had a curious mind with a passion for movies, history, cooking, technology and, especially, music.

     Private services were held.

     If desired, memorials for Bill can be made to Ames Family Hospice House in Westlake, Ohio, or an organization of the donor’s choice.

Helen Cullinan services

Memorial services for former art critic Helen Cullinan will be
be held Saturday, June 24, at noon, in the lecture hall at the Art 
Museum. She died in early May at age 86.

She is survived by her son Thomas , sister Jean House and nieces and nephews.  There was only a death 

notice in The PD.  Condolences at www.mahermelbourne.com

Bob Long died March 19, 2017

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Robert M. Long, a former Plain Dealer executive who helped steer the company through some of its most successful and its most challenging times, died Sunday in Cleveland Clinic. He was 73 and a resident of Westlake.

Here’s the link to his obit on Cleveland. com

http://www.cleveland.com/obituaries/index.ssf/2017/03/bob_long_73_vice_president_who.html

April brings lunch April 28

PD Editorial Retirees & Expatriates

Casual unstructured lunch troupe

Gather for lunch on the last Fridays of January,

April, July and October

Spouses and guests always welcome

NEXT LUNCHEON: Noon, Friday, April 28, 2017

PLACE: Der Braumeinster, 13040 Lorain Avenue ( on the corner of W. 130 & Lorain). Park behind restaurant or across the street in the CVS lot away from their door.

MENU: May order from the menu. view the menu at http://derbrau.com/.

 

RSVP by Tuesday, April 25.

Jo Ann Pallant (440) 734-1923 or email japallant@sbcglobal.net

or Janet French (216) 221-2318 or email jabfr519@cox.net

The new year’s first alumni lunch

PD Editorial Retirees & Expatriates

Casual unstructured lunch troupe

Gather for lunch on the last Fridays of January,

April, July and October

Spouses and guests always welcome

NEXT LUNCHEON: 12:30 p.m., Friday, January 27, 2017

PLACE: Nighttown, 12383 Cedar Rd., Cleveland. The parking lot is entered from the back and you have to pay with quarters.

We will assemble on the heated patio and order from the menu.

RSVP by Tuesday, January 24, 2017.

Janet French (216) 221-2318 or email jabfr519@cox.net

Van Dillard? Dead or Alive?

We got this email from a Canadian:
Hello,
I’m a retired journalism prof in Ottawa. I am trying to locate biographical information about Van Dillard, a photographer with the Cleveland Press before its demise, and the first black journalist at a Cleveland daily newspaper. 
I knew Van briefly in the summer 1968 when I was a student intern at the Press. We worked on some assignments together. I would be delighted to know where he ended up when the Press closed. If he is still alive he would be pushing 80, I would think.
It occurred to me someone at the PD might be able to help me. And maybe a post to your PD alumni blog might stir some memories. I am working on a project about black photographers in the 1960s who were pioneers and chronicled the US civil rights movement.
Thank you for your consideration of this request.
Regards,
Jeff Sallot
jeff.sallot@gmail.com

613 824-6401

--

Jeff Sallot
Mobile in Canada 613 668-6412
Website: reportinglab.com

If anyone knows anything, give him a call.  or email.

Two PD veterans die

Harry Stainer, 86, and Jake Rosenheim, 80, both died recently. Harry was a  long time reporter. He     used to work on Saturdays and would come up scoops from Mayor Perk.  Jake had been a copy editor, makeup editor,  and promotion direction .

Here are the death notices from The Plain Dealer.

Jake Rosenheim: age 80, beloved husband of Virginia (nee Sihto) for 59 years. Loving father of Maureen Schoen and Claudia Anastasopoulos (George). Dear grandfather of Amanda Schoen Williams (Drake), Joshua Schoen and Gabriella, Alexandria and Leo Anastasopoulos. Brother of the late Sidney Barger and uncle to Jeffrey and Janet Barger. Jake was born in Cleveland, Ohio, attended East High School and went to Fenn College before graduating from Cleveland State University. He worked for the Plain Dealer in the sports department, promotions director and finished his career as the IT coordinator. Jake was an avid Cleveland Indians fan and attended the 1948 World Series with his mother and enjoyed going to games this past year and the run to the World Series. Memorial service to be held Saturday, November 19 at 3:00 pm at St. Barnabas Church, 29230 Wolf Rd, Bay Village. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association , 4500 Rockside Road, Suite 440, Independence, 44131 or National Kidney Foundation , P.O. Box 40544, Bay Village, 44140.

Harry Stainer: Age 86, passed away November 2, 2016 in Longmeadow, Massachusetts. He was born March 21, 1930 in Chicago, Illinois. Mr. Stainer was an investigative reporter for the Cleveland Plain Dealer. He was a U.S. Army veteran who served in the Korean War. He also helped to plant forests in Idaho. He was a very avid gardener who had extensive gardens in Ohio. In recent years he spent his time with family and friends growing fresh vegetables and beautiful flowers in Massachusetts. Survivors are his daughter, Abigail (Peter) Thomsen; step-grandson, Matthew Thomsen; niece and nephew, Louise (Stephen Gleicher) Unell and Alan (Vokouhi) Unell, his cherished care-giver, June Jenkins, and his beloved cat, Nickle. He was preceded in death by his wife, Elizabeth and parents, Rebecca and Abraham Stainer. Graveside service will be held 2 p.m. Monday at Mentor Cemetery, in Section 22. Arrangements entrusted to the Brunner Sanden Deitrick Funeral Home & Cremation Center 8466 Mentor Ave., Mentor, OH 44060. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Parkinson's Disease Foundation or The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research . Please offer condolences at www.brunners.co

Published in The Plain Dealer from Nov. 4 to Nov. 6, 2016- 

Next Alumni lunch Oct.28

PD Editorial Retirees & Expatriates

Casual unstructured lunch troupe

Gather for lunch on the last Fridays of January,

April, July and October

Spouses and guests always welcome

NEXT LUNCHEON: Noon, Friday, October 28, 2016

PLACE: Market Garden Brewery, 1947 West 25 Street, Cleveland. Parking behind restaurant.

MENU: Can order from the menu with separate checks.

 

RSVP by Tuesday, October 25, 2016.

Jo Ann Pallant (440) 734-1923 or email japallant@sbcglobal.net

or Janet French (216) 221-2318 or email jabfr519@cox.net

Steve Esrati, 89, dies

Former PD Reporter Tom Quinn, now living in Dayton, reports that former PD copy editor Stephen G. Esrati died Aug 18 in Dayton.

Steve’s  son, David, sent along a link to his father’s self-prepared obituary.

Here’s the link:

https://esrati.com/obituary-stephen-g-esrati-aka-dad/13069

Garden editor Irma Bartel Dugan dies

Long time PD garden editor Irma Bartel Dugan died Thursday, July 28, 2016. She was garden editor from 1958 to 1988.

According to the Collinwood High School Alumni Association, Irma Dugan was recognized  for her horticultural achievements from the Garden Club of America, Cleveland Botanical Gardens (formerly known as the Garden Center of Greater Cleveland), and the Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association.

Mrs. Dugan was named an Honorary Member of the lnternational Society of Arboriculture, and a Fellow of the Garden Writers Association of America.

She originated the garden touring program for the Cleveland Botanical Gardens and  escorted tours for twenty years, visiting more than twenty-four countries.

She was on the Board of Trustees of Holden Arboretum. She graduated from Collinwood in 1950.

Survivors include her daughter Carol Haueis; stepsons Gary Dugan (Jan), Tom Dugan (Sharon) , late  stepdaughter Patricia Steinfurth (Glenn), and eight grandchildren and eight  great-grandchildren. She was married in 1986  to David R. Dugan, who died in 1993. 

 Memorial contributions may be made to St. Thomas Lutheran Church, 21211 Detroit Rd., Rocky River, OH 44116 or to Judson Park, 2181 Ambleside Dr., Cleveland, OH 44106. An hour of fellowship will be held in the parlor of St. Thomas Lutheran Church on Saturday, August 6, 2016 at 10 a.m. followed by a Memorial Service at 11 a.m. with Rev. Eric Van Scyoc officiating. The family would like to invite everyone to a luncheon reception afterwards at the church. Private interment at Crown Hill Memorial Park in Twinsburg. Arrangements by BUSCH FUNERAL HOME, 21369 CENTER RIDGE RD., FAIRVIEW PARK, OHIO. 440-333-9774 www.buschcares.com -. 

Chris Pett-Ridge dies

People may  remember  Chris Pett-Ridge as one of several Englishmen who worked at The Plain Dealer in the early 60s and 70s.  Chris, 71, has died of  melanoma.

At the PD, he was a reporter, editor and graphic designer. He left the PD in 1985  and went to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, where he was in charge of Page 1 design.

 Here’s the obit from the Post-Gazette: 

By Susan Smith / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Affable, energetic and erudite, Christopher Pett-Ridge found his life's work in newspapering and a lifetime of pleasure in travel, running, reading and family.

For nearly 25 years, he designed the face of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette with the self-described mission of turning out a front page that was both elegant and serious. Even as late news on tight deadlines developed, he succeeded always on both counts, remaining calm and focused while creating a crisp presentation of the day's top stories.

He was so wedded to the daily drama of producing a newspaper that after his retirement in 2009, he chose to continue working a day a week, and did so until mid-May.

Mr. Pett-Ridge, of McCandless, died Friday of melanoma that was diagnosed in late October. He was 71.

Long-time, now-retired senior news editor David Michelmore, who worked side by side with Mr. Pett-Ridge for 15 years putting the Post-Gazette together at night, remembers his colleague, and occasional hiking partner, fondly:

"We used to joke that he was pictures and I was words. It wasn't that clear. I leaned on him to check my news judgment, to tell me when headlines didn't make sense, and to speak up when stories just bored him, which was often. He was a true friend. No matter how we differed or how cranky I had become as the night wore on or how much I teased him, we never put the paper to bed angry. "

Mr. Pett-Ridge's route to Pittsburgh was a colorful one, beginning the day he was born in London on Sept. 9, 1944, smack in the middle of Hitler's V-2 missile assault on the city in the waning days of WWII.

His father was a colonel in the British Army and in the field at the time, his mother a homemaker with an older son. Mr. Pett-Ridge worked his way through the English school system until his last year of high school,  which he spent as an English Speaking Union exchange student at Tabor Academy, a private boarding school in Marion, Mass.

Among his escapades that year, besides occasionally studying, were participating in a sailing competition between Newport, R.I., and Bermuda and hitchhiking cross-country to the Seattle World's Fair. Most importantly, he would tell friends, during that time he met his roommate's sister, Jean Cherry, on a blind date that took them to New York City to see "West Side Story." They married five years later.

His newspaper career began with a three-year writing apprenticeship for a small weekly paper in England. After emigrating to the United States in 1966, he went to work for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, then served a two-year stint in the U.S. Army, became a citizen and returned to the Plain Dealer in 1971. There, he moved from writing to graphic design.

By the time he joined the Post-Gazette in 1985 his talent for integrating important news into smart page design was undeniable, and, even during a period when the paper was doing little hiring, irresistible. He was put in charge of defining the look of the newspaper, and influenced a generation of page designers, artists and photographers in the process.

“His work reflected the very best in both British and American newspaper design,” said John Robinson Block, the Post-Gazette’s publisher and editor in chief. “But the greatest thing was that he was a gentleman, and it was a pleasure to know him.”

As busy and devoted as he was at work, Mr. Pett-Ridge lived a life in full outside of it.

He and Jean raised two daughters, Jennifer and Julie, both now accomplished research scientists who live on the West Coast. Mr. Pett-Ridge attributed their path to achievement to his wife's smarts and parenting skills but his involvement and pride in his daughters' lives from childhood on were evident to all who knew him.

Julie said her father had a talent for plotting all manner of family adventures, some with more twists than others. In particular, she remembers a 30-mile "Mad Dash" across Glacier National Park to catch a boat and long rambling hikes along the Pembrokeshire Coast of Wales "when we mis-estimated when the tide was coming in or when the last bus came around."

For Jennifer, her father's love of good writing was a constant and an inspiration. She would turn to him for his opinion and edits from the time she was a young student working on her school newspapers to the scientific writing she does now. He was also a creative, funny writer, she said, whether it was the few lines he'd pen on her birthday cards, his longhand letters to faraway relatives, or the first chapter he wrote for a group novel his and Jean's book club started — and never finished — years ago.

"I don't think any of the other couples ever wrote another chapter, because they couldn't match the style nor the quality," she said.

An insatiable reader, Mr. Pett-Ridge took in three newspapers a day, a book or two a week, a dozen magazines a month, none of the going simple or light. Then there was the biking, hiking, camping and especially the rowing and running.

For much of the time he worked at the Post-Gazette, Mr. Pett-Ridge would leave his job around midnight, go home and catch a couple hours of sleep then show up at dawn for training at the Three Rivers Rowing Association's base on Washington's Landing, where he competed in the masters rowing program for more than 20 years.

He also completed 20 marathons and in recent years ran three ultra marathons in the Southern Alps of New Zealand, the last one at age 69, making him the oldest runner on the snow--and-sleet-covered course. His prizes that day were getting his name on the Kepler Challenge trophy as well as receiving a tent, which he promptly re-gifted to a race volunteer.

Despite his interest in recreational athletics and his 30 years in the City of Champions, he remained indifferent to American professional team sports. Post-Gazette Executive Editor David Shribman remembers stopping in the office in February 2006 when Mr. Pett-Ridge was designing the front page for the Steelers' Super Bowl appearance that year. Across the top of the page, he had placed a score: Steelers 21, Sea Dogs 10."

"Chris, who knew so much about so many things, was oblivious to the fact that the Steelers were playing the Seahawks," said Mr. Shribman. "It was probably the only thing he did not know. He was a sharp editor and the warmest, most utterly loyal and generous of friends. It is impossible to think of Pittsburgh or the Post-Gazette without him — and the wisdom he applied to the smallest things along with the biggest things."

Besides his wife and daughters he is survived by two sons-in-law and four young granddaughters.

At his insistence, Mr. Pett-Ridge's family will mark his passing with a get-together for friends and family at a future date at their home, the celebration inspired by a favorite Tennyson poem: "May there be no moaning of the bar, When I put out to sea."

The family suggests memorial donations be made to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, where Mr. Pett-Ridge volunteered for many years.

Susan Smith: ssmith@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1858.

Next PD alumni luncheon July 29

Next luncheon: Noon, Friday July 29.

Place: Kumo Japanese Seafood Buffet, 1975 Snow Rd., Parma, across the street from Midtown Mall. 

Take I-480 to State Road. Go south to Snow Rd., 

Turn left (east). 

Just past the Parma library, Enter the parking lot south of Snow.  

Kumo is on the south side of the lot. 

We have requested the private room again.

Menu: Japanese and Chinese food, from dim sum and sushi to teriyaki and tempura. Also ice cream.

Special price for those sumptuous choices: $7.99. Beverage extra.

RSVP by Tuesday, July 26.

JoAnn Pallant (440) 734-1923 or email japallant@sbcglobal.net

or Janet French (216) 221-2318 or email jabfr519@cox.net

Bill Lucey’s guide to Cleveland

Former PD aide Bill Lucey has put together an unconventional guide to Cleveland for the GOP convention. It’s on his blog www.dailynewsgems.com

 He’s added more photos and hopes to market it as a tour guide to hotel and the visitor’s bureau.

\The guide points out areas that visitors might be aware of in Northeast Ohio.

This updated version includes more pictures with references to the Mapp v Ohio Supreme Court decision (illegal search by police) , a mention of George Steinbrenner's Bay Village home, along with a brief mention of the Sam Sheppard case with an emphasis on the Bay Village Historical Society where there are a number of displays on the Sheppard murder trial.

J Steve Hatch dies,visitation Thursday

Correction,, visitation will be THURSDAY, Funeral death notice wrong:


Former Cleveland Newspaper Guild leader and PD reporter J. Steve Hatch, 76, died Monday. His daughter Laura found him at home. He had been feeling poorly after having surgery for a stomach aneurism several weeks ago.

Visitation  will be Thursday,  May 19, from  5 - 8pm at CRACIUN FUNERAL HOME 14925 East Bagley Rd. Middleburg Hts.. Online condolences at craciunfuneralhomes.com 

This link will take you to some old photos of Steve and PD events.
www.legacy.com/link.asp?i=ls000180020212

April luncheon

PD Editorial Retirees & Expatriates

Gather for lunch on the last Fridays of January,

April, July and October

Spouses and guests always welcome

NEXT  LUNCHEON: Noon, Friday, April 29, 2016

PLACE: Der Braumeinster, 13040 Lorain Ave. corner of W. 130 & Lorain. Park behind restaurant or across the street in the CVS lot but park away from their door.

MENU: Choose from: Weiner Schnitzle, Roast Pork, Sausage Platter, Chicken Paprikash, or Seafood of the Day. Meal price ($19.70) includes meal, non-alcoholic beverage, tax and tip. Meal includes entrée and side dishes.

Please let us know what entree you would like when you RSVP

RSVP by Tuesday, April 26.

Jo Ann Pallant (440) 734-1923 or email japallant@sbcglobal.net

or Janet French (216) 221-2318 or email jabfr519@cox.net

Connors’ book “I Will Find You” out today

Plain Dealer Movie Critic Joanna Connors’ book “I Will Find You” is out today.  It is the brave and compelling story of her rape  by a stranger while on assignment  in 1984 at a theater at Case Western Reserve University.  She wrote an award-winning series about tracking down her assailant for the Plain Dealer in 2008. 

The book has been getting outstanding and excellent reviews across the country and in Europe.

She’ll also be at the City Club of Cleveland on Thursday April 14, from 5 to 7 p.m. It's free, but you have to register.  All the book sales will benefit the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center. 

Some of the reviews: 

The London Telegraph:
The experience sucked her out of her happy, ordinary present into an unfathomable black hole, which would keep her and her family struggling in its gravitational pull for years to come. Written in the present tense, precise in its graphic detail, it is also the story of her decision, 22 years later, to go in search of her rapist and find out what had driven him to seek her out. As the two-way title – the last words her rapist spoke to her that day – suggests, I Will Find You is both an unflinching portrait of trauma and an act of journalistic courage.

Publishers Weekly: “After 30 years, she goes on a quest to uncover the personal story of David, the man who raped her, and in the process encounters the stories of brutality faced by David’s family as they experience poverty and racism. Connors talks with David’s siblings, who reveal their own trauma and exposure to violence at the hands of an abusive father and a broken legal system that over-incarcerates poor people of color. She examines the racial politics of Cleveland as she crosses geographic divisions between rich and poor neighborhoods, seeking out David’s family. This book is a powerful story of exposing and confronting emotional scars in order to move forward. With emotional honesty and the precision of a seasoned journalist, Connors explores her own trials coping with the aftermath of rape, which leave the imprint of a constant fear and lead her to mistrust even close family members. Connors’s astute reflections on race, gender, and the personal plight of victimhood make this book a must-read.:

January Lunch scheduled for Jan. 29

PD Editorial Retirees & Expatriates

Casual Unstructured Lunch Troupe (CULT)

Gather for lunch on the last Fridays of January, 

April, July and October

Spouses and guests always welcome

NEXT  LUNCHEON: Noon, Friday, Jan. 29, 2016

PLACE: Crop Kitchen located at the southeast corner of E. 115th St. and Euclid Ave. The side of the restaurant faces the two-block southern spur of E. 115th St., off Euclid a long block east of Mayfield Rd and west of E. 117 St. Look for the street sign, just east of a stop light and beside a bus shelter and the new Art Institute. Turn south. Park at meters on the west side of the street or in a small lot at the south end of the street. If full, turn around and go to the public parking lot on the southeast corner of Euclid and E. 115th. There is a stoplight at that corner. Cross Euclid carefully. 

MENU: Order from menu. Check http://www.cropkitchen.com/.

 RSVP by Tuesday, Jan. 26. 

JoAnn Pallant (440) 734-1923 or email japallant@sbcglobal.net

or Janet French (216) 221-2318 or email jabfr519@cox.net

Printer Cosmo Lanzilotta dies

Those of you who worked in the composing room at the old 1801 Superior building will remember Cosmo Lanzilotta. Always chatty and quick with the exacto knife. 

LANZILOTTA COSMO J. LANZILOTTA, age 78, beloved husband of Emmie (nee Donnell);

father of Charles (dec.) (Joanna), Sherri and Joseph (Jorcenelle); Papa of Juliana; brother

of Anna Marie Masciere, Frank, Joann Conte, Norma Light and the late Angelo, John, Albert,

Ralph, Esther Pucillo and Rita; uncle and great uncle of many. Proud U.S.M.C. Veteran.

Long-time employee of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Passed away October 27, 2015. Mass

of Christian Burial Tuesday, November 3, St. Patrick Church (West Park) at 9:30 A.M.

Inurnment Holy Cross Cemetery. Friends may call at CHAMBERS FUNERAL HOME of

CLEVELAND, 4420 ROCKY RIVER DR. AT PURITAS, MONDAY 6-8 P.M.

www.chambersfuneral.com

Published in The Plain Dealer from Oct. 28 to Nov. 1, 2015

- See more at: http://obits.cleveland.com/obituaries/cleveland/obituary.aspx?n=cosmo-j-lanzilotta&pid=176250186&fhid=14012#sthash.oNgTZBh4.dpuf

October luncheon Oct. 30 in North Olmsted

PD Editorial Retirees & Expatriates

Casual unstructured lunch troupe

Gather for lunch on the last Fridays of January, April, July and October

Spouses and guests are always welcome 

NEXT LUNCHEON:  Noon, Friday, October 30, 2015

PLACE: Macaroni Grill, 25001 Country Club Blvd., North Olmsted. (off I-480 and Great Northern Blvd. between Chili's and Lone Star Restaurant. Ample parking.

MENU:  We can order off the menu. They have a $10 3-course lunch with a choice of 4 entrees. The menu has Pastas, Salads, Parmesans and more. Menu at www.macaronigrill.com 

RVSP by Tuesday, October 27:

JoAnn Pallant (440) 734-1923 or email japallant@sbcglobal.net

or Janet French (216) 221-2318 or email jabfr519@cox.net