Thomas J. Flatley, 76, real estate magnate and philanthropist, dies
May 17, 2008 01:16 PM
By Thomas C. Palmer Jr. and and Bryan Marquard, Globe Staff

Thomas J. Flatley, a frugal, driven Irish immigrant who rose from Army enlistee to real estate magnate and became one of the richest men in the United States, died early this morning, his family confirmed.

Mr. Flatley, who was 76 and lived in Milton, had been suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

With determination and a strong Irish brogue, Mr. Flatley became a real estate king in the Boston area before there was a lot of competition, building a portfolio of suburban commercial properties once unrivaled in the region. He often said with pride that he did so without borrowing more than 40 percent of the value of his holdings.

"He just was the hardest-working guy there was," said Rob Griffin, president of Cushman & Wakefield of Massachusetts Inc., a commercial brokerage. "Morning, noon, and night, that was his passion, that was his everything. He was always thinking about adding to his portfolio. It wasn't for adding to his wealth, he never wanted to be idle. In his mind if he wasn't moving forward he was moving backward."


Renowned for working 80-hour weeks, Mr. Flatley drove his workers nearly as hard as himself and was known for making all key business decisions on his own. An employee once remarked that an order of new paper clips had to be approved by the boss.

While work motivated his life, Mr. Flatley also attended Mass daily at St. Agatha Church in Milton and enjoyed playing fast-paced handball games with the likes of former state attorney general Francis X. Bellotti.

Friends say Mr. Flatley had continued to work as much as possible during his illness, going into his office even after he needed the assistance of a wheelchair. He had sold two huge portfolios of residential and retail holdings over the last couple of years, at or near the peak of the market.

"When I leave this world, I don't take anything with me," he told the Globe in 1990 for a profile. "I wind up with 36 square feet."

Born in 1921, he grew up on his family's 25-acre farm in County Mayo, a poor rural region of Western Ireland. He moved to New York at age 19, and enlisted in the US Army for two years, then moved north to Boston. He ran a plumbing business for a few years and soon moved into real estate, building two Quincy apartment buildings with a total of 33 units in 1958.

Though developing commercial buildings would make him rich, those first apartment buildings set the successful model for Mr. Flatley's lifelong strategy. Eschewing the hassles and expense of urban projects, he built short, flat buildings in the suburbs, rather than monumental skyscrapers.

Mr. Flatley leaves his wife Charlotte, five children, and 18 grandchildren.

Funeral arrangements are pending.

Billionaire Thomas J. Flatley Dies in Milton
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0BLOjSk9fg

Go n-eírí an bóthar leat, Tom Flatley.

The Patriot Ledger
Posted May 21, 2008 @ 06:30 AM
Last update May 21, 2008 @ 08:12 AM

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“Go n-eírí an bóthar leat.” Loosely translated, it means “May the road rise with you.”

It’s part of an Irish blessing and one that is fitting in bidding Thomas Flatley farewell.

There likely are few people who have lived in this state for even the briefest of time who aren’t familiar with the Flatley name, on office buildings, hotels, apartments or malls.

But especially in our region, Tom Flatley’s name grew in stature because of his largesse in supporting social causes that showed the Irish immigrant never forgot his roots and never departed from his church’s teachings about caring for his fellow man, especially those least able to care for themselves.

Flatley’s life is the true American dream, one swathed in hard work, dedication to his family and fidelity to his religious beliefs.

While Flatley may have parlayed his work ethic, talent and intelligence into becoming one of the world’s richest men, those who saw him and his wife, the former Charlotte McLeod of Quincy, eating breakfast or lunch at a local establishment or at daily Mass at Milton’s St. Agatha’s would never have guessed this was a man who could eat or live anywhere he wanted.

And he wanted to live here. We could never speak for Flatley and say it wasn’t about the money but we can say, from our experience with his generosity in being an anonymous donor to our Lend A Hand fundraising, that Flatley knew the good his money could do.

His ideology may have leaned slightly right but his philanthropy knew no partisan bounds.

Whether it was millions to the Archdiocese in cash donations and buildings, chairing the commission that erected the Irish Famine Memorial in Boston or his never-wavering support of the homeless through his work with Father Bill’s Place, Flatley, in today’s vernacular, paid it forward in a big way.

Flatley in the last year didn’t see many of his old friends, as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, sapped his strength and his vitality. Those closest to him said he never wanted to be a burden.

Flatley’s legacy is secure and there’s no doubt his charitable foundation will continue the work he started. As another Irish prayer says:

Don't grieve for me, for now I'm free!

I follow the plan God laid for me.

I saw His face, I heard His call,

I took His hand and left it all. . .

I could not stay another day,

To love, to laugh, to work or play;

Tasks left undone must stay that way.

And if my parting has left a void,

Then fill it with remembered joy. . .

Go n-eírí an bóthar leat, Tom Flatley.



http://www.patriotledger.com:80/opin...at-Tom-Flatley

She got even tiny plots to thicken
By Sally A. Downey

Inquirer Staff Writer

Nonya Stevens Wright, 75, of Berwyn, a landscape designer, died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease, on May 17 at home.
Mrs. Wright operated a landscape design business in Berwyn from the early 1970s until she retired in the late 1990s. Many of her clients lived at retirement communities in units with limited outdoor space. For them, she created miniature gardens that were described as "little jewels," said her husband, Minturn. If the clients became too frail to tend the gardens, he added, she did it for them.

She never recommended a plant that she couldn't grow, and experimented with numerous species on the couple's 31/2-acre property. "Every square inch was taken up," her husband said.

Mrs. Wright grew up in Chestnut Hill and graduated from Milton Academy in Massachusetts. She earned a bachelor's degree from Vassar College, where she studied the history of art and architecture. The subjects became a major focus in her life, her husband said.

The couple married in 1957. After their four children were in school, Mrs. Wright took horticulture and botany courses at Temple University's Ambler campus. She would have earned a master's degree, her husband said, but she refused to take the required chemistry course.

Mrs. Wright served on the board of the nonprofit Nicholas Newlin Foundation, which maintains Newlin Grist Mill and its 150 acres in Glen Mills. She also chaired the gardens and grounds committee.

She was very proud of her ancestor Joseph Smith Harris, who in the 1850s and 1860s surveyed the 49th parallel, which defines much of the U.S.-Canadian border. She donated Harris' papers to the Pennsylvania Historical Society.

Mrs. Wright enjoyed visiting museums and gardens on frequent travels abroad with her husband. She especially admired Japanese art and culture, he said.

Her ALS was diagnosed more than three years ago, and she volunteered for research programs to improve treatment. She hoped that her participation would benefit others and help lead to a cure, her husband said.

In addition to her husband, Mrs. Wright is survived by sons Minturn, Richard and Robert; a daughter, Marian; a brother; and eight grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held at noon June 7 at St. David's Episcopal Church, 763 S. Valley Rd., Wayne.

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/obitu...d_thicken.html

Uncommon Valor, the Life of Kedir Mohammed
Monday, May 26, 2008 at 9:43 AM.


On May 8, 2008 the man who devoted his life to the service of his country as a soldier for the aggrieved and the downtrodden finally gave up his valiant battle with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a scrooge that kept him bedridden for a couple of years. Kedir Mohammed’s death ended his unyielding pursuit and the selfless commitment that he made as freshman at Haile Sellassie I University in the early nineteen sixties.

Kedir was born in 1953 in a place called Mekere at the district of Silti from his father Mr. Edris Abdulwahib and his mother, Mrs. Marima Ahmed. Kedir’s father died when he was very young and he was raised by his uncle Hajji Mohammed Ahmed, a business man who lived at Wolkitie. Kedir’s primary school education was at Wolkitie where he completed 6th grade and moved to Wolliso. After he completed 9th grade, his sister, Rewda Idris took him to Addis Ababa and enrolled him at Kotebe High School. At 11th grade Kedir passed an entrance examination to Beide Mariam, a prestigious School for seniors inside Haile Selassie I University (now Addis Ababa University) at Sidist Kilo. The proximity of Baide Mariam to the University gave Kedir an opportunity to live his dream of joining the progressive forces that challenged the monarchy and the feudal system that dispossessed and abused the Ethiopian peasant.

After Tilahun Gizaw, the iconic student leader and president of the University Students Union of Addis Ababa, was gunned down in 1969, Kedir with five of his fellow students escaped to Sudan to avoid persecution by the government. The monarchy accused Kedir and his friends of crime and attempted to get extradition from Sudan. The students were however granted a refugee status with the aid of UNCHR and Sudanese students. Kedir lived in Sudan for 8 years as a teacher until the monarchy was overthrown in 1974.

Even as a refugee, Kedir never ended his activism and the struggle for justice, human rights and equality of citizens of his country. He joined a budding organization that was cultivated by the Ethiopian students’ movement that culminated in the formation of the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Party (EPRP). It is said that Kedir was one of the delegates that participated in the 1972 founding congress of the EPRP.

The Dergue that deposed the monarchy in 1974 offered amnesty to those who took refuge from the government of Haile Selassie and Kedir took the opportunity to return and continue his activism as an employee of “መሬት ይዞታ”, a state agency that dealt with land tenure. EPRP at this time has openly declared its existence by clandestinely distributing its political program and Kedir as a senior member of this organization was involved in implementing the Party’s program. Working at “መሬት ይዞታ” opened many opportunities to Kedir who was a fervent fighter for Tilahun Gizaw’s and the Ethiopian student’s motto – “land to the tiller”. It granted him unfettered access to the very people he adored and fought for- the rural subsistent farmer that constituted about 90% of the Ethiopian population.

EPRP made an advance of historical proportion by reaching all sectors of the Ethiopian population in very short time. Unfortunately, in due time, the EPRP was weakened by the assault of the military regime in the urban areas and by TPLF and EPLF in the North were its military wing had encamped. The Party also split due to an internal factional fighting, and this exposed influential leaders and party activists that were covertly functioning. Kedir at this time decided to disguise himself and hide in the Northern part of Ethiopia leaving Addis Ababa. Since he remained in the Party’s structure, Kedir was delegated the task of facilitating the departure of EPRP members who were being pursued by the junta to join the military wing of the party. In 1977, a cadre that lived in Kedir’s neighborhood in Addis while visiting the area where Kedir was hiding recognized him and informed the agents of the military government and Kedir was apprehended. He was taken to Addis Ababa and was imprisoned in the Fourth Army Division Headquarters in Addis Ababa and the main prison where he spent five years. Kedir was released from prison in 1982 when the military regime granted a pardon.

Kedir was unemployed for many years after his release from prison because the regime through an internal communiqué had banned the bureaucracy from hiring political detainees after their release. Kedir was however employed in 1985 by the Ethiopian standards (ደረጃ መዳቢዎች) and then at the internal revenue office of excise and Taxes. When TPLF/EPRDF took power in 1991, Kedir was promoted to a position of branch manager at office of excise and Taxes. He fell abruptly out of the TPLF/EPRDF grace when the group within the Southern Ethiopian political block participated in the first Paris Conference that was attended by many exiled organizations. Kedir’s organization, the Guraghe People’s Democratic front (ጉሕዴግ), and other organizations that constituted the Southern Ethiopian People’s Democratic Coalition (SEPDC) were members of the transitional government at that time. However, SEPDC chose to withdraw from government when the party in power demanded the denouncement of the resolution of the Paris conference that criticized the party that usurped power from Mengistu. At this time TPLF/EPRDF falsely accused Kedir of corruption and imprisoned him. The courts however affirmed his innocence and set him free, but Kedir lost his employment.

In 1994 Kedir as SEPDC delegate participated in a meeting sponsored by the Carter Center and returned to Ethiopia after the meeting. But on his return to Ethiopia Kedir was harassed and ill-treated by the agents of the ruling party. His organization (SEPDC) at this time decided to send him outside of the country as the organization’s foreign representative. Kedir had served at this capacity until his illness. Kedir was an ardent voice of Ethiopian unity and an advocate for a united front of Ethiopian opposition against the TPLF/EPRDF regime. He played a selfless role in the realization of the Rockville meeting that formed the Unity of Ethiopian Democratic Forces (UEDF). A representative of an organization that worked with Kedir for a year in organizing the Rockville conference gave the following testimonial: “I have known Kedir since 2001. He was a true Ethiopian and I have observed him exerting untiring effort by sacrificing his resource, time and energy for the unity and prosperity of Ethiopia and Ethiopians. Kedir was truly very instrumental in bringing together about 15 Ethiopian opposition political parties to a table for a conference in Rockville, MD, USA”. Another veteran of the Ethiopian student movement and a member of UEDF stated that “Kedir was a man who lived to struggle for the cause of all Ethiopians whole-heartedly. We have lost a life-long fighter for equality and a democratic system. We miss him a lot.”

Another person who has spent time with Kedir in prison from 1977 to 1982, and later worked with him as SEPDC representative gave the following testimony:

Kedir was respectful and loyal to his comrades. His most visible qualities that are in short supply among members of today’s generation are commitment to peoples’ cause and willingness to help others. Kedir celebrated successes of others as if they were his own and his heart rejoiced when good things happen to others. His world has always been that of collaboration rather than competition and his friends have always been from the ranks of the ordinary people. He provided service to his people at no cost to them and he taught his friends through his modest life style and giving heart. Kedir lived and died loved, respected and honored. May his soul rest in peace!

Kedir was a man who had a strong spirit and vibrant personality that was never diminished by complaint or negative attitude. Those of us who knew him as a friend and colleague will not forget him. We will celebrate his life and will continue to demonstrate gratitude for his service. He will be sorely missed by a host of friends, family, and those who fought and suffered with him to bring good governance and justice for the Ethiopian masses.

May 24, 2008

http://enset.blogspot.com/2008/05/un...-mohammed.html

Heinz Krause lovingly remembered
May 27, 2008 | | | |


[IMG]http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/320*409/NewS.37.20080526222327.ObitHeintsnokid_20080527.jp g[/IMG]
Heinz Krause
On December 25, 1935, Heinz Krause was born in Schivelbein, Germany. The first 20 years of life were a struggle for survival. Heinz, his mother Emma and brother Kurt endured starvation, invading armies and displacement to the west as refugees, with only a handwagon to carry their life’s possessions.

In 1945, they would settle temporarily in Penkun, East Germany, and were reunited with father Willi in 1948, who was only then released from a Russian prisoner-of-war camp.

It was there that Heinz began a four-year apprenticeship as a painter under Willi, a master painter. His “love of painting” was such that, although he completed the apprenticeship, he was very rarely seen with a paintbrush in hand again.

In 1952, after insulting the Communist Party, he and Willi decided that Heinz should leave East Germany immediately for the sector of Berlin controlled by the West, and he became a refugee once again. His parents followed shortly thereafter and they were placed in a refugee camp in Freiburg, West Germany.

Heinz always enjoyed the outdoors and spent much of his free time in Penkun on a farm and in Freiburg hiking through the Black Forest. So, in January, 1957, with very little money, he decided to follow his brother to Canada.

He traveled first by boat from Cuxhaven, Germany to Halifax, and then by train across Canada to BC. That was when he started to learn English. He eventually developed a very extensive vocabulary and could express himself better in English than German, but his accent always remained.

He joined Kurt in 100 Mile House where they lived in a small, cold shack and worked on the greenchain at the Taton Lumber Company. By 1959 they had saved up enough money to buy a couple of horses and the brothers headed into the mountains to search for gold.

After a few mishaps with the horses, heated arguments and empty stomachs, they decided to head in different directions.

Heinz had heard of a haying contract for Tex Hansen at Kleena Kleene and headed west over the Fraser River on horseback. When he finally arrived at Kleena Kleene, the haying was finished and Heinz had no work and no money.

He had no choice but to head back. As chance would have it, he was stung in the face by wasps and had to stop at Tatla Lake where, in exchange for his room and board, the Grahams gave him a job of milking cows and doing odd jobs.

He ended up staying the winter, responsible for feeding cattle. That winter he also shot squirrels and sold the pelts. Not only would he become an excellent marksman with a rifle, but he could bag grouse with a slingshot and pebbles.

Heinz’s desire to own land and become a rancher began to take shape, so he worked at various jobs in the ensuing years. In 1963, he bought a wild-hay meadow near Puntzi Lake and most years he supplemented the meager income from his growing ranch, to earn money to buy cattle, more land and machinery. He worked as a grader operator and a logger. He manually picked rocks on the Bella Coola Hill. He was a hunting guide, a trapper and a machinery operator on road construction crews, among other things. He learned quickly and was proud to work hard. He was also quite social and would drive or ride miles to attend dances and other community events. There was a time when it seems that he knew almost everyone between Anahim Lake and Riske Creek.

In 1965, Heinz met and married Helga, a Danish nurse who was working in Williams Lake. Helga was a great support to Heinz over the years as they transformed land at Puntzi Lake, once used as a small fishing resort, into a modest but smooth-running cattle ranch. They built their family home, converted a meadow into an irrigated hayfield and cleared land for grazing. In 1971, Helga finally got running water, although hot running water had to wait until 1975 when electricity came to Puntzi Lake. Heinz and other men from the community provided BC Hydro with the power poles.

When Heinz had a vision, he made it happen in his do-it-yourself way. Just as he taught himself English without a single course, he taught himself to weld, to work the land, to build structures, and not least of all, to fly. He had a life-long passion for flight and one winter in the early 1980’s, he bought a used Lazair Ultralight and with the frozen Puntzi Lake as a runway, one of his dreams came true.

In the summer he widened the ranch driveway with his bulldozer; downhill and out over the hayfield and lake, was the takeoff strip, and in over the hayfield and up the hill was the short landing strip. He wore out the heels of many rubber boots, his main form of brakes.

Heinz worked hard all his life. At 69 years he was still fighting forest fires with his bulldozer. At 70 he was showing young men how to build log snake fences. At 71 he was running the ranch and doing the haying in spite of growing weakness from illness.

Heinz enjoyed socializing and was always happy to give his opinion on topics ranging from haying to politics, from how to trap beaver to European history, and from hockey to classical music. Although he always preferred his meat and potatoes, and lots of it, he was game to try anything at least once. One didn’t have to agree with all his opinions to respect him. Stingy with praise and liberal with criticism, he had high standards when it came to work. As someone recently commented, “I can’t believe I’m 50 years old and worried what Heinz will think about how I’ve done this.”

In 2007, Heinz found himself getting progressively weaker and tiring more easily. Something was affecting his hands, speech and swallowing. He was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease). The nerve cells sending messages to his muscles were dying. There is no treatment, let alone cure. Heinz had a rapidly-progressing case that would impair his ability to breathe and swallow. An otherwise healthy, active man, he had never spent a night in hospital and hoped he never would. Heinz passed away at home on May 14, 2008, having spent the previous months with his family and friends. Heinz dealt with his illness in the same way that he had conducted himself throughout his life. He was very matter-of-fact and although he could not control the disease, he could control how he lived his final days. He did so with strength, courage and industriousness, not complaining nor seeking sympathy. He simply tried to ensure that his family and the ranch would be taken care of after he was gone. To the very end, he was active, giving instruction on how to run the ranch although he was very frustrated by his physical inability to “get in there and help”.

Heinz took great pleasure from the hours he was able to spend with his year-and-a-half-old grandsons, Erik Krause and Torsten Blodgett. One can only hope that they have inherited some of his intelligence, strength and work ethic. Heinz will be greatly missed by his wife Helga, his daughters Heide and Hanna and his son (Heinz) Tyson.

No memorial service, at Heinz’s request.

— December 25, 1935 -- May 14, 2008 —

Terrye S. Terry
Terrye Sledge Terry, 60, passed from this life and went to be with her Lord at 12:17 p.m. May 25, 2008.

Visitation will be at Morrison Funeral Home, Tuscumbia, from 5-7 p.m. May 27, 2008.

A memorial service will be at First United Methodist Church, of Tuscumbia, at 11 a.m. May 28, 2008, followed by interment at Oakwood Cemetery in Tuscumbia. The Rev. Mike Pope will officiate.

Terrye was a native of Tuscumbia, a graduate of Deshler High School and Florence State University (UNA). She served as librarian of the Helen Keller Public Library for 13 years and later as assistant director of the Florence-Lauderdale Public Library. She was a member of First United Methodist Church, of Tuscumbia, but had many precious friends in other churches throughout the area. Through her work with libraries and children's programs at First United Methodist Church, of Leighton, she enjoyed being part of the lives of many wonderful children. She also loved animals and delighted in the beauty of God's world.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Cleo Gargis Sledge; her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Earl Gargis and Mr. and Mrs. Grady Sledge; special aunt, Ollie Clark; special cousin, Roland Clark; and other aunts, uncles and cousins.

She is survived by her devoted husband, Frederick Rand Terry, of Tuscumbia; and her much-loved family - parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ervin Sledge, of Barton; brothers, Randall Sledge, of Sheffield, and Tommy Sledge and wife, Kim, of Tuscumbia; nephews, Zachary Thomas Sledge and wife, Anna, of Cherokee, Michael Ivey and Jeremy Ivey, of Tuscumbia; niece, Julia Elisabeth Sledge, of Tuscumbia; and grand-nephew, Logan Thomas Sledge, of Cherokee. She is also survived by many wonderful cousins and friends who loved and encouraged her throughout her battle with Lou Gehrig's Disease.

Pallbearers will be Frank Henry, Jeremiah Holland, Gordon Isbell, Henderson King, Joseph King and Joseph Spangler.

Honorary pallbearers will be cousins, Doug Clark, Roger Collier, Haywood Ervin Lowery, Earl Posey, Danny Seahorn and Doug Sledge, and uncles, Eugene and Tommy Sledge.

The family extends its gratitude to Dr. James Ashmore and staff and to Teresa Cagle, Wanda Cobb, John Davis, Teresa Pool, Dana Scott, Molly Jones and Holley West, of Hospice of the Tennessee Valley, for the genuine love and kindness they showed Terrye as they cared for her during her illness. Special thanks to sister-in-law, Kim Sledge, for her care and love for Terrye.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Florence-Lauderdale Public Library Digital Archive, which is dedicated to the preservation of the visual and oral histories of both Colbert and Lauderdale counties. Terrye was involved in the creation of the Archive, and the project remained close to her heart.

Funeral service is May 31 for Craig Olson
May 27, 2008 - 10:07am — Nancy Huddleston
Filed under: School news -- Prior Lake-Savage Area Top Stories


Craig Olson, former principal of Prior Lake High School, died Sunday, May 25, at the end of a long and courageous battle with ALS, Lou Gehrig's disease.

The visitation will be Saturday, May 31 from 9 to 11 a.m. in the gold gym at Prior Lake High School, 7575 W. 150th St., Savage. The funeral service will also be held at PLHS at 11 a.m. Light refreshments will be served after the service. Those attending the services are encouraged to carpool to the high school as a previously scheduled event will be taking place and parking will be limited.

District 719 Superintendent Tom Westerhaus visited Olson and his family shortly before his death on Sunday evening. On Monday morning, Westerhaus informed staff and parents of the news and reported that Olson died peacefully at his home, where he was surrounded by his wife, Mary Stuesser, their children, Bryn and Ian, and several other family members and friends.

Over the weekend, the school district made grief counselors available for staff and will continue to do so on an as-needed basis. PLHS students have also been informed of the death of Olson and grief counselors are also available to them.

Olson began as an assistant principal at Prior Lake High School in 1986. In 1992 he became the interim principal of Hidden Oaks Middle School. In 1994 he became the principal of PLHS. Olson took a leave of absence in October of 2006 after being diagnosed with ALS. His wife, Mary Stuesser, is a kindergarten teacher at Edgewood School.

Obituaries
Russell Y. Garth, 62; Advocate for Disabled

Russell Garth was with the Council of Independent Colleges. (Family Photo -




Russell Y. Garth, 62, who devoted his career to improving and reforming postsecondary education and who also advocated on behalf of people with developmental disabilities, died May 15 at his home in Arlington. He had complications of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

Since 1987, Mr. Garth served as executive vice president of the Council of Independent Colleges and was responsible for program planning and administration.

He also developed the annual Presidents Institute into the country's largest gathering of college and university presidents. He planned the programs for the conference, a major professional development event for many small-college presidents.

Mr. Garth was a mainstay of the Council of Independent Colleges and helped build the number of colleges in its membership to 600 from 200. He also was the point of reference for many small-college leaders, said Richard Ekman, president of the Council of Independent Colleges.

"He contributed so much to them," Ekman said. "He worked with colleges and universities to help their presidents and deans strengthen what they do."

Mr. Garth was born in Louisville, and received a bachelor's degree from Vanderbilt University and a master's degree in English from Indiana University in 1969. He also did doctoral work in higher education at Stanford University and served on the staff of the California Legislature Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education before coming to Washington.

From 1976 to 1987, he was the deputy director of the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education within the Education Department. He was co-editor of the book "Learning in Groups" (1983).

Mr. Garth, the father of a son born with fragile X syndrome, was a vigorous advocate on behalf of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. He served on the board of directors of the Arc of Northern Virginia and was a founding member of the Concerned Parents for Arlington Adult Services.

He testified before the Arlington County Board and Virginia state legislative committees for improvement in services, and he worked with the Arlington public schools and the Arlington County Department of Human Resources to design workshops for parents. He also created a worksheet guide to help families make critical decisions as their children enter the adult world.

Mr. Garth hosted or spoke at the annual Arlington Proclamation ceremony on including people with developmental disabilities.

Last year, Ray Burmester, president of the board of directors for Arc of Northern Virginia, said Mr. Garth's many efforts resulted in significant Arlington County budget increases and greater understanding of the needs of individuals with development disabilities on the part of local officials.

For his advocacy efforts, Arc of Northern Virginia created an award named for Mr. Garth in 2007. This year, Mr. Garth and his wife were among the first recipients of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Arlington County Department of Human Services.

Mr. Garth, who had lived in Arlington since 1976, enjoyed tennis, bird watching, poetry and music.

Survivors include his wife of 38 years, Judi Garth of Arlington; two children, Erin Garth of Philadelphia and Ryan Garth of Arlington; and a brother.

Eagle-Vail mom faced disease with courage, friends say


Friends remember Carole Espy Oliver as kind, thoughtful friend and devoted mother, wife



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Browse Vail Daily Photos
Carole Oliver, who lived in Eagle-Vail for about 20 years and died recently, was a loving mother and wife, and had a funny laugh, friends said. A celebration of her life will be held 4 p.m. Thursday in the Eagle-Vail Pavilion.
Special to the Daily


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Steve Lynn
Vail, CO Colorado
May 29, 2008



EAGLE-VAIL, Colorado — Carole Oliver always kept up on the news in the Vail Valley, even when she spent the last four years of her life in Georgia.

She missed the valley and read the Vail Daily online every day as she her body slowly became paralyzed from Lou Gehrig’s disease.

“She loved to keep in touch with everybody and knew what was going on in the community even when she was gone,” said Ginny Snowdon, a friend of Oliver’s.



Celebration of life
A celebration of Carole Oliver’s life will be held 4 p.m. Thursday at the Eagle-Vail Pavilion, 538 Eagle Rd., in Eagle-Vail. Dinner from Moe’s Original BBQ will be provided.


Carole Espy Oliver, of Roswell, Ga., who lived in Eagle-Vail about 20 years, died at 52 in her home in April after battling Lou Gehrig’s disease. Friends described Oliver as a kind, thoughtful, outgoing, fun friend who was devoted to her children, David and Amy Oliver.

Oliver was always smiling and she enjoyed parties and playing tennis in Vail.

“She was the best friend a person could ever have,” said Nancy Wright, a friend of Oliver’s who lives in Eagle-Vail.

Oliver worked as a tireless volunteer for Wild West Day and in parent-teacher associations for Eagle County schools her son and daughter attended. She sold T-shirts at school basketball and football games to raise money for sports, supervised golf team tryouts for Battle Mountain High School, and whatever else she was asked to do.

“She would never say, ‘No, I can’t do that’ or act like anything was beneath her,” said Christy Lippert, a friend of Oliver’s who lives in Vail. “She just jumped in and did it.”

Oliver also threw great parties at high school graduation and at Halloween. She once held a Halloween scavenger hunt and someone got black make-up all over her car.

“I guess that wouldn’t be too funny to me, but she laughed at it,” Wright said. “She just loved people.”

Michelle Cahill’s daughters used to try to make her and Oliver laugh together because when the women laughed, Cahill snorted and Oliver sounded like a seagull.

“My kids thought of her as their second mom,” said Cahill, of Vail.

Oliver was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s Disease in December 2003 and moved to suburban Atlanta to be with her family shortly after.

The disease leads to paralysis because the brain loses its ability to control muscles in the body. No cure exists for Lou Gehrig’s, also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Oliver’s friends often went to see her in Georgia.

“She had such a positive attitude and really never complained,” Snowdon said. “She just had a lot of spirit through the whole thing.”

As in Oliver’s case, the disease does not usually affect a person’s thinking. Oliver had a sharp mind and wit until her death, friends said.

“It was kind of hard watching this disease taking her body, knowing that her mind was still there and that she was so alert and capable of going on with life,” said another friend, Louise Funk.

If Oliver were still alive, she would be helping out in schools, in church and in the community, Funk said.

She also might be having margaritas with Funk and her friends Abby Dann, Karin Johnson and Snowdon, who often went out to lunch together.

“I have tons of pictures where it’s the five of us together,” Funk said.

Oliver is survived by her husband, Jerry Oliver, of Roswell; their children, David Oliver and Amy Oliver, of Denver; sisters Patty Cloy, of Roswell, and Nancy Kilch, of Marietta, Geo.; and nieces, nephews and friends.


Staff Writer Steve Lynn can be reached at 970-748-2931 or slynn@vaildaily.com.

http://www.vaildaily.com/article/200...NEWS/864565328