Edward J. Nussel

1932 - 2025

News story
By Mike Sigov
Blade staff writer

Edward J. Nussel, a University of Toledo education professor emeritus, community volunteer, and tennis enthusiast, died Jan. 24 at the Lakes of Sylvania. He was 92.

He died after a long bout with dementia, his son Philip Nussel said.

Mr. Nussel said his father was a passionate believer in education, who taught generations of teachers and administrators in the Toledo area.

"Many people benefited from his mentorship and his teaching," he said. "He was an inspiration to a lot of people. And he did the same thing with the game of tennis in this community as well."

Edward J. Nussel, who held a doctorate in education from Wayne State University, retired from UT in 1987 after 23 years of teaching education theory and social foundations to graduate students.

Having become a full professor in 1968, he was associate dean for the College of Education most of his time at UT and until retirement.

In retirement, Mr. Nussel continued to teach part-time at UT for about 10 years until retiring permanently around 1997.

Before coming to Toledo, Mr. Nussel taught history and geography in Detroit Public Schools for eight years.

During his years at UT, he gave numerous academic presentations and lectures across the nation and abroad, including in England, Canada, and Brazil.

Highlights of his travels included participating in a 1976 fact-finding mission to the Central African Republic for the U.S. Department of State, during which he and his colleagues survived an armed coup attempt, barely escaping the country.

At UT, Mr. Nussel wore many hats.

He was a past chairman of the Faculty Senate and the Faculty Conference Committee. He also had served on UT's Fiscal Resources and Planning Board and as president of the UT chapter of the American Association of University Professors, where he additionally was a longtime member of the executive committee.

His professional publications include An Introduction to the Foundations of Education, a 306-page book that he co-edited. It was published in 1966 by the former Wm. C. Brown Co. Publishers of Dubuque, Iowa.

He had also written at least 30 academic articles published in various scientific journals.

His academic honors including entries in Outstanding Educators in America, Who's Who in the Midwest, and the International Who's Who in Community Service.

Over the years, Mr. Nussel also volunteered extensively for the community.

He was a past president of the School Board of the Catholic Diocese of Toledo, a past chairman of the Lourdes College Board of Trustees, and a former longtime member of the Central Catholic High School board of trustees.

A lifetime Democrat, he had also written numerous opinion letters to The Blade, mostly on politics.

Philip Nussel remembered his father saying he enjoyed discussing the issues of the day in a public forum.

Born April 14, 1932, in Detroit to Emily and Edward Nussel, Edward Nussel graduated in 1949 from Detroit's former St. Cecilia High School.

He then attended he University of Detroit, where he received a bachelor's degree of history education in 1953.

Once graduated, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and then served in what then was West Germany until receiving an honorable discharge in 1955.

After getting discharged from the Army, he returned to Detroit to teach history in Detroit Public Schools while attending Wayne State University, where he got a master's degree in 1958 and a doctorate in 1964, both in education.

Later in 1964, he joined the University of Toledo faculty as an assistant professor.

In his free time, he enjoyed playing competitive tennis. He competed in tournaments until his health took a downturn at age 85.

Mr. Nussel also volunteered for many years for the United States Tennis Association, where he was a past president of the Northwest Ohio and Midwest affiliates, administering and promoting the sport.

"Most tennis players in Toledo from the 1980s until the 2020s probably encountered my dad somehow," Philip Nussel said.

Edward Nussel was a longtime member of St. Pius X Catholic Church in Toledo.

His other memberships included the Phi Delta Kappa International, a professional organization, and the Honor Society Phi Kappa Phi, a superior scholarship recognition group.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 67 years, Lorraine Nussel, and his sisters, Emily Blankenship and Marjorie Dinco.

Surviving are his sons, Jay, Gregory, and Philip Nussel; three grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

Visitation will be from 3 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at Walker Funeral Home, Sylvania Township.

A funeral Mass will begin at 10 a.m. Thursday at the church.

The family suggests tributes to the church.