Tributes to Librarians

Ruthann Johnson Born: January 1, 1941 in Sterling, IL Died: April 2, 2026 in Houston, TX Ruthann Johnson, maiden name Finley, was born January 1, 1941, and passed away peacefully on April 2, 2026, at the age of 85 after courageously facing cancer. Born in Sterling, Illinois, and raised in Rock...

Roberta Faye Wilson (McLin) passed away on Saturday, June 21, 2025. The family is being cared for by Penwell Funeral Home - Shelby.

Marcia Sue Corn (Kells) passed away on Saturday, September 13, 2025. The family is being cared for by Penwell Funeral Home - Shelby.

Randolph, Angus M.C. Angus MacDonald Crawford Randolph, 79, beloved father, brother and friend entered into the presence of the Lord on March 30, 2026. Angus was born on September 6, 1946 to Angus and Marjorie McLernon Randolph in Baltimore, M.D. He was a brother to four sisters, Marjorie...

Age 90, peacefully entered eternal rest on March 14, surrounded by his loving family. He was predeceased by his beloved wife of 35 years, Linda Wiatrowski-Wall in 2020. Richard was the devoted father of Richard Wall, Benjamin Wall, Julie Wall, and Sarah "Indigo" Wiatrowski-Wall. He was the...

July 29, 1954 - October 13, 2025 Deborah Schaeffer passed away suddenly from heart failure on October 13, 2025. The first child of Roy and Olivia Schaeffer, she was born at Saint Francis Hospital in Lynwood California and spent her childhood in Gardena. Following her graduation from Gardena High...

Yvette Scheven passed away on Saturday, April 11, 2026. The family is being cared for by Evergreen Cremation Services.

Jennifer Susan Black 1953-2026 Jennifer Susan Black, passed away on March 30, 2026, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Jennifer, formerly of Glencoe, Illinois, is survived by her loving partner, Edward Ripp; adored sons: Nathan Besser (Jamie); Henry Besser; and Eli Besser (Aliese); grandmother of Julian...

Johanna Smith Wood, of Washington, DC, transitioned to her eternal home on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, at the age of 99. Johanna was born on January 14, 1927, to Dr. Thomas and Birdie C. Smith. She was the third of five sisters. Johanna was a graduate of Dunbar High School, received her bachelor's...

Ruth F. Lewis, 96, of Warren, Ohio, passed away peacefully on the evening of Thursday, April 16, 2026, in the home of her daughter Jane, surrounded by her loving family. Born and raised in Warren, Ruth lived a life defined by quiet faithfulness, warm hospitality, and a deep love for the people...

The indomitable Jessie Rodrique, age 66 of Concord, MA, passed away peacefully on April 15, 2026, in Lincoln, MA, following a brave battle with cancer. Friends and family gathered in her final hours, mirroring the love she had given them over the years they had spent together. Born July 16, 1959,...

Merced, CA — Mary Alice Mello, 85, a lifelong resident of Merced, passed away peacefully on Sunday, April 12, 2026. She was born Mary Alice Cotta on June 10, 1940, in Merced, California, to the late Joseph M. Cotta Sr. and Mary F. Cotta. Alice met her future husband, Frank Martin Mello Jr.,...

On March 29, 2026, Page Dennis Spencer passed away at age 79. He is survived by his wife, Schelle Spencer, and his four sons: Bart Spencer (Cassie Klingler), Chris Spencer (Sarah), Pat Spencer, and Dane Spencer; along with his grandchildren David, Amelia, Finley, and Maddox. Page was born and...

John A. Mraz Born: September 26, 1937 in Joliet, IL Died: April 15, 2026 in Joliet, IL Age 88. At rest April 15, 2026 at Lightways Hospice following a brief illness. Born on September 26, 1937 to Steven and Ann (Gaspich) Mraz in Joliet. John graduated from Joliet Township High School, class of...

Zandra Price passed away at 91 years of age on April 1, 2026, in Decatur, GA. She was born January 22, 1935, as Zandra Jane Lee in Stroudsburg, PA, to her parents Alexander Hartman Lee and Valerie Marie Lee, maiden name Soukup. Her parents chose her name in honor of her father's nickname, Zandy....

Margery Russell passed away on Wednesday, April 15, 2026. The family is being cared for by Central Cremation Services (Central Cremation of Georgia Inc.).

Ann “Nancy” Marie Sicard (Coleman), 88, of Palm Harbor, passed away peacefully on April 13, 2026. She was born in Boston, MA, grew up in Somerville, MA, raised her family in Arlington, MA, and spent summers in Plum Island, MA and Hampton Beach, NH. After moving to Florida in 1985, she worked at...

John Louis Burgart, 79, died April 12, 2026, at his home in Savage, MN, of anaplastic thyroid cancer. John was a lifelong Iowan until 2016, when he and his wife moved to Minnesota to be near their son and his family. John was born on Valentine’s Day in 1947 to Delores (Gilbert) and Elmer Burgart...

Virginia Loretta Hauke (maiden name Staley), affectionately known as "Ginny" to all who had the pleasure of knowing her, passed away peacefully on April 9, 2026, at the age of 86. Born on September 22, 1939, in Mankato, Minnesota, Ginny was the eldest of two daughters born to Hattie Cox and...

Tiffany Butzbaugh passed away on Monday, April 13, 2026. The family is being cared for by Informed Choice Funeral & Cremation Alternatives - Madison.

Johanna Smith Wood, of Washington, DC, transitioned to her eternal home on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, at the age of 99. Johanna was born on January 14, 1927, to Dr. Thomas and Birdie C. Smith. She was the third of five sisters. Johanna was a graduate of Dunbar High School, received her bachelor’s...

Churchville, Lida H. PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Lida Holland Churchville, 92, died on April 10, 2026, in Providence, R.I. She will be remembered by her family and friends for her endless curiosity, her energy, her kind and generous nature, and above all, for her welcoming smile. Lida was born on May 5,...

Margaret and Paul A. Smith Cedar Rapids Belated Joint Memorial Service and Celebration of Life for Margaret and Paul A. Smith Saturday, May 16, 11 am First Congregational UCC (361 17th St. SE, Cedar Rapids) Service in the sanctuary with Pastor Rose Taul returning to co-officiate, followed by...

Kathleen "Libby" Kaikkonen, Age 78, died on April 12, 2026. She was born on Sept. 12, 1947 in Ishpeming in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, the daughter of John ("Muna") and Eileen ("Twiggie") Kaikkonen. Libby worked for the University of Michigan Law Library for 32 1/2 years, retiring in Jan....

Jeanne Marie Pinckney Cedar Rapids Jeanne Marie Pinckney, 101, of Cedar Rapids, passed away Sunday, March 29, 2026 at the Promise House Assisted Living Center in Hiawatha, Iowa. A visitation celebrating Jeanne's life will be held from 10-11 am, Wednesday, April 8 at the Cedar Memorial Chapel of...

Linda Lou Logan passed away peacefully on the morning of April 5, 2026. Linda touched many lives and will be remembered as an independent spirit who loved her family, her animals, and other cultures. With a healthy distrust of our current world, she railed against inflation and had grocery...

The Rev. Dr. Martha Bernice Sheaffer died in Lititz, PA. on April 15, 2026, at the age of 77. She was the daughter of Martin Book Sheaffer and Bernice Lorraine Hertzog Sheaffer. She grew up in Brownstown where her parents owned and operated Sheaffer’s Store “On the Square”. She was fortunate to...

Janet L. Hollen nee Gallo aged 88 years, of Cincinnati, Ohio passed peacefully on Tuesday, April 14th, 2026. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio to Ethel and Dominic Gallo, she was known for her love of travel, her impeccable style, and for hosting many a memorable get together. While many remember her as...

MRS. GLENDA ANETT DWIGHT TAYLOR – Age 69, of Dalton Georgia passed away Tuesday, April 14, 2026. She was born January 15, 1957 to her late parents, James S. Dwight and Nettie Blalock Dwight. Glenda was employed by Fannin County Library, ConAgra Foods, Bojangles, and Sample Communications. Glenda...

When an elder passes, a library burns. Here are just a few details from the story of Patricia McCourt DiTata’s life. Pat was born on April 8, 1941 to Edna and Frank McCourt in Corinth, New York, where she enjoyed a wonderful childhood. After attending the University of Maine, she met her husband,...

Linda May Dunn passed away on Wednesday, April 15, 2026. The family is being cared for by Stocker-Fraley Funeral Home - Bradford.

Virginia (Ginni) D. Parish Bosse, age 85, of Grand Junction, CO passed away on February February 27, 2025. Ginni was born December 30, 1940 in Elmwood, NE to Donald and Jessie (Baggley) Parish, the last of five children. When Ginni was eight years of age her mother passed away from cancer. Ginni...

Jennifer Lea (Straton) Galloway, Stewartsville, Missouri, passed away Wednesday, April 15, 2026, at the hospital in St. Joseph, Missouri, surrounded by loving family. She was born February 17, 1969, in Kansas City, Kansas, to Laurence W. Straton and Ida Maybell "May" (Hopper) Straton Noble, who...

Jeanette Ann Chadwick (Kostohryz), 85, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on April 14, 2026, in Westminster, Colorado. Born on June 18, 1940, in West, Texas, Jeanette lived a life filled with love, laughter, and dedication to her family, friends, and community. She was a happy-go-lucky...

Donnisa Black passed away on Tuesday, April 14, 2026. The family is being cared for by Gilbert-Fellers Funeral Home.

Ethel Mae Via Schwartz, 93, of Damascus, Georgia, passed away on Saturday, April 11, 2026, in the Willson Hospice House, Albany, Georgia. Born in East Hanover Township on July 7, 1932, she was the daughter of the late Cecil Vernon and Mary Elizabeth Heisey Via. Ethel was a 1949 graduate of...

IRENE ALICE ALLEN passed away on Tuesday, April 14, 2026. The family is being cared for by Chapel of the Chimes Hayward Funeral Home & Memorial Park.

Paula K. Henson, loving wife of Scott Henson, passed away peacefully April 15, 2026, at her Augusta, Georgia home surrounded by family and friends. Paula retired from Reese Library at Augusta State University. She was an avid reader, loved to travel and work in her rose garden and make the inside...

Obituary of Mary Ann Barletta Mary Ann Barletta Rochester - age 91, passed away peacefully on April 7, 2026. Born on January 23, 1935, Mary Ann lived a life marked by quiet dedication, intellectual curiosity, and a deep love of books. She devoted her career to librarianship, where she took great...

Jose Bolivar Marquez D'Oleo passed away on Sunday, April 5, 2026. The family is being cared for by Ana Maria Zevallos/Skrocki Home for Funerals.

Evelyn Gibbons, formerly of Exeter, died peacefully on April 15, 2026, at the Meadows Nursing Center, Dallas, where she had been a resident since June 2025. Evelyn was born in Nesbitt Hospital on Oct. 27, 1940, to Victoria Turoski and John Hudyck, both Exeter schoolteachers. Her mother, Victoria,...

Virginia Catherine (Madigan) Field, age 92, passed away peacefully on March 17, 2026, at her Florida winter home with her husband Ted by her side. Born September 5, 1933, in Chicago, Illinois, to Gerald Donald Madigan and Virginia Harriet (Lundquist) Madigan, Virginia lived a life defined by...

Carol Marie Smith December 13, 1936 - November 4, 2025 Carol Marie Smith, 88, Cedar Falls, died Tuesday, November 4, 2025, at the Cedar Valley Hospice House. Carol was born December 13, 1936, at Sartori Hospital to the late Glen H. and Margaret (Clark) Heckroth. While Carol was a Junior and...

Marilyn “Mikki” (Axelbaum) Cohen of Boca Raton, FL, previously of Sharon, MA, and Mashnee Village, MA, passed away peacefully on Thursday, April 16, 2026, at 96 years of age. Mikki was the daughter of the late Fannie (Geller) Axelbaum and Joseph J. Axelbaum, and the sister of the late Leon...

Lea Ann Creager Bates passed away on Saturday, April 11, 2026. The family is being cared for by Walker Mortuary - Morgan.

Ann Sherrill Reedy passed away on Tuesday, April 14, 2026. The family is being cared for by Bennett-May & Pierce Funeral Home and Crematory.

Dolores Anne Maria Schwartz Leigh, 83, died Friday April 10, 2026, at her home in Paris, KY. She was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, she served in the Air Force and was a retired Librarian and she also volunteered at the Paris-Bourbon County Public Library for many years. Dolores is survived...

SALEM - Laura Colby Luckey, a distinguished museum director, curator, scholar, and advocate for American art, passed away peacefully at her home in Salam MA on March 26, 2026, with her two Siamese cats “Otis & Nellie” by her side. She leaves a legacy defined by intellectual rigor,...

Teresa (Brennan) Stoller, 63, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, passed away on April 12, 2026. Arrangements by D.O. McComb & Sons Funeral Homes, 1320 E Dupont Rd, Fort Wayne, IN 46825.

Marilyn Lawrence, affectionately known as "Twinkle Toes", was a beacon of compassion and boundless love. Born on August 15, 1949, in Ogden, UT, Marilyn lived a life steeped in courage and adventure. She was a true testament of goodwill, an embodiment of selflessness, touching countless lives...