Memorial Service for David O. Woodyard ’54 - Sunday, June 8th, 2025 2pm Swasey Chapel

OMEGAS (REPORTS OF DEATH)

If you wish to report the death of a Brother, please click here to email the Cross & Crescent or email Gamma-Iota here.

2025.

Dr. David O. Woodyard (1932) died March 27, 2025.

2018.

James R. Arnold (1956) died Nov. 4, 2018.

Lee Wilbraham (1958) died.

Donald R. Sutherland died June 25, 2018. A US Army veteran, he was a retired executive from the Employment and Training Administration at the US Department of Labor.

James Brucklacher (1945) died April 27, 2018.

Louis Gaker (1973) died Jan. 27, 2018. He earned a master’s degree in International Management from Thunderbird Univ, and an MBA from Southern Methodist University. He worked for the Northrop Corp. in Iran where he supervised construction of an airport. Later he worked for BFI in management and traveled throughout South America. Later he relocated to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia with BFI. Gaker later settled in Atlanta, where he worked for Republic Services until he returned to Cincinnati.

Mitchell L. Zachary (1962) died Jan. 4, 2018. After he fulfilled his military service, he received an MBA from University of Missouri in 1967. He was a financial analyst and stockbroker until he retired in 2010.

Thomas E. Williams (1952) died.

2017.

Richard Sievert (1944) died Oct. 10, 2017.

Charles M. Isaacs (1976) died Sept. 23, 2017. He graduated from Northern Kentucky University – Chase College of Law in 1979. A brilliant litigator who graduated near the top of his law school class as class president, he eschewed more lucrative positions in order to practice public interest law and eventually became the Head of Post-Convictions for the Public Defender’s Office in Frankfort, Kentucky. His career took him from Lexington to Cincinnati, Ohio where he worked for the Northern Kentucky Children’s Law Center as a child advocate; to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania where he worked in New York City as a Senior Claims Counsel handling bad faith claims and commercial claims litigation for American International Group; and eventually to Beijing, China where he served as president of a company he helped establish to acquire former state-owned insurance companies. In 2014 he moved back to Ohio to accept the position of manager of Commercial Claims Litigation at Grange Insurance in Columbus.

John M. Neale (1957) died Sept. 23, 2017. Their son, Jeffrey Allis Neale, arrived in 1971, and all three moved to Maryland in 1975 where Jay became a vice-president in the Employee Benefits Department of the Union Trust Bank in Baltimore. Jay’s loves included his family, sailing, skiing, music, and railroads. For seventeen years, after he retired, Jay worked as a sailing instructor at the Annapolis Sailing School and then – his passion for sailing being second only to his love of all things railroad – he became a docent at the B & O Railroad Museum.

Joe McMahon (GI 597, 1962) died April 21, 2017. Joe was a member of the Denison Class of 1962 and he served on the Denison Board of Trustees for 28 years, until his election to Life Trustee status in 2000.

Joe began his career as an attorney and public policy advocate in 1962, when he interned for the Civil Rights Division in the U.S. Department of Justice. Following graduation from law school, he worked as an assistant to Attorney General Edward W. Brooke of Massachusetts; after Brooke’s election as the first elected African American to the United States Senate in 1966, Joe joined the Senator’s staff. He then served as chief of staff to Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor Frank Sargent. In 1969, Joe became vice president of the Bedford Stuyvesant D & S Restoration Corporation, founded by Senator Robert Kennedy as the nation’s first community economic development corporation. In 1974, Joe joined the corporate world as a director of Washington relations for Westinghouse Electric and then in 1978 as vice president of corporate affairs for Federated Department Stores in Cincinnati.

He was appointed by President Gerald Ford as a member of the National Council of Economic Opportunity; and, in the 1980 presidential election, Joe served as director of national business for the Reagan-Bush Election Committee. He worked toward progress on cutting-edge issues such as alternative energy, organic agriculture development, microenterprise development and full respect and equality for the LGBT community.

2015.

Thomas B. Johnson (GI 603, 1962) died April 1st, 2015. While at Denison University, he majored in Biology, met his wife Betsy, and was a very active member of the Gamma Iota Zeta chapter. He went on to earn a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the University of New York at Buffalo in 1966. After earning his degree in dentistry, Tom enlisted in the U.S. Army as a Reserve Commissioned Officer where he worked in the Dental Detachment Unit based out of Fort Carson, Colorado. After several years stationed there, Tom relocated his family to Salem, Ohio, in order to open his own dental practice. Over 37 years of practice, Tom built up a loyal patient following which garnered him the award of “Best Dentist” in Salem from a community poll in his final years of practice. Above all, Tom prized life with his family, his favorite activities involved attending Indians’ games, skiing in the Rocky Mountains, and returning to Lake Chautauqua for ski boating.

William R. Oviatt (GI 590, 1962) died February 3rd, 2015. While at Denison University, he majored in Chemistry and held the office of treasurer at the Gamma Iota Chapter. He achieved a master of science degree from Case Western Reserve University (1965) in organic chemistry with an emphasis on antioxidant applications. For 34 years, he worked for The Lubrizol Corporation as a chemist, manager, and a director, improving the performance and duration of various mechanical lubricants. After his retirement, Bill became a partner with USANA Health Sciences, where he advocated for personal wellness and better quality of life through their organization. He also enjoyed ushering at Cleveland Browns games as well as serving as President of the Gamma Iota Alumni Board for many years.

2011.

George R. Crockett (GI 325, 1946) died February 1, 2011. He served two tours in the U.S. Army and attained the rank of first lieutenant. The majority of his civilian career as an electrical engineer was spent with General Electric in Utica, New York. An Eagle Scout, he was a staunch supporter of the Boy Scouts of America and volunteered until well into his seventies. In recognition of his commitment to scouting, he received the William H. Spurgeon III Award and the Silver Beaver Award, both for distinguished service to youth. He also received the United Way Real Hero Award, the American Red Cross Outstanding Volunteer Youth Services Award, and the J.C. Penney Golden Rule Award for outstanding community service. He was a past president of the New Hartford Rotary and a Paul Harris Fellow.

2010.

George W. Knox, Ph.D. (GI 181, 1933) died October 2, 2010. A World War II veteran, he was the oldest practicing psychologist in the state of Ohio. He was a retired optometrist and served for 15 years as a professor in the Optometric Department of Ohio State University. In 2003, he was the recipient of the Denison University Alumni Citation Award.

T. Bradley Edmunds (GI 290, 1944) died May 9, 2010.

2009.

Fredric M. DuBois (GIZ 426, 1952) died March 25, 2009. He was the owner, president, chairman and general manager of DuBois Book Store. His father, John Harold DuBois, started the bookstore in the early 1930s, buying and selling books out of the back of his truck, but Fred had been running it for more than 50 years. He was recently honored by the National Association of College Stores for 50 years of service to the college textbook industry. Among other awards, he was a longtime member of the Kent State President’s Club and was recently recognized as a member of the President’s Medallion Society and Herrick Society. He was also recognized as a friend of the Kent State Honors College in 2006.

2007.

E. Clark Morrow (GI 149, 1930) died January 20, 2007. Morrow was a founding member of the Morrow, Gordon & Byrd law firm and served as a visiting professor in law and government at Denison University. He also was the law director and city council member for Granville, Ohio. In 1994, he was awarded the Fraternity’s Order of Merit.

2006.

John G. White (GI 997, 1985) died October 14, 2006. White was an executive vice president for Investech Company in New York, New York.

Byron E. White (GI 279, 1943) died July 25, 2006. He was a retired attorney and received a Purple Heart during World War II while serving under Gen. George Patton.

2005.

Thomas A. Mills (GI 537, 1958) died October 18, 2005.

Dr. William H. Whitehead (GI 211, 1927) died June 25, 2005.