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Date of these obituaries: 08-28-2001
Cal Collins, guitarist, jazz great
Someone once said Cal Collins could play anything with a wire on it.
Friends, musicians and fans are remembering Mr. Collins as not only Cincinnati's greatest jazz player, but one of the great guitarists of the jazz world.
Mr. Collins died at his home Sunday in Dillsboro, Ind., at the age of 68 of liver failure.
"He was one of the world's great jazz guitar players. ... He could take you to the top of the mountain with his talent, " said vocalist Mary Ellen Tanner, who first met Mr. Collins in 1970 when he was part of Jerry Conrad's band on the Nick Clooney TV variety show.
Mr. Collins' brilliant career took him from playing Western swing in Indiana roadhouses to being a featured guitarist with Benny Goodman's band in the late '70s.
He released internationally acclaimed records on the Concord label in the '80s and recorded with many of the label's stars, including Rosemary Clooney.
Mr. Collins was a fixture and true treasure on the Cincinnati-area scene; his breezy, innovative style was almost taken for granted locally.
He played everywhere around town, from the Playboy Club in the '60s to years in drummer Dee Felice's band to steady gigging at shows at the Blue Wisp jazz club.
"He was the most natural musician I ever played with. Just the most natural swing player ever, " said bassist Ron McCurdy, who worked with Mr. Collins in the mid-'60s at the Playboy Club. "That was the best band I ever played in. It was a memorable time."
"He was just born to play that ax, man, " said drummer John Von Ohlen, leader of the Blue Wisp Big Band, who played with Mr. Collins for more than 30 years.
"With Cal it was natural. He'd come up with something he'd never done in his life right on the spot and do it better than it's ever been done and never do it again."
Mr. Collins first picked up the guitar playing country and Western swing music, but soon gravitated toward jazz guitar. His national break came when Goodman took him under his wing.
"Goodman heard him once and took in Cal, just like he took in Lionel Hampton. He said, 'This is my man, "' Von Ohlen remembered.
Mr. Collins would use the Goodman exposure to land a Concord Record deal that drew international praise for his playing. Jazz guitar publications now rank Mr. Collins among the all-time greats. with such guitarists as Carl Kress and George Van Eps.
Mr. Collins was honored locally in 1979 with a Post-Corbett Award.
Collins' widow said she did not want to "sugar-coat" the cause of her husband's death. Alcohol abuse was a major factor, " she said.
"He grew up playing in those roadhouses in Indiana, playing for beers or girls, or whatever. I think he did abuse himself and he died too young, " said McCurdy.
Ms. Collins said her husband's last performance was July 19, at a private party in Sun Valley, Idaho, that he played every year.
There will be at least one more Cal Collins CD. Ms. Collins said her husband recorded a CD about a year ago which she was just in the process of releasing when he became ill.
The CD is appropriately titled, "That Was Good."
A memorial service will be held at 7 p.m. today at Ullrich-Filter Funeral Home in Dillsboro.
Collins is survived by his wife Susie, and seven children, Debbie Ford, Carl Bruce Collins, Steve Collins, Marshawn McClain, Christine Kramer, Laura Ferguson, Scott Schwan, and 18 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Mary Newton, Beverly Hills fire hero
Though there's no memorial dedicated in her honor, Mary Newton of Fort Wright was a hero.
The waitress led many diners to safety during the Beverly Hills Supper Club fire of 1977, braving the smoke, fire and confusion to get as many people as she could out of the Southgate restaurant where 165 people would die.
"Something happened to her that night that she could never explain, " said her son, Darrell Newton, of Florence. "She stayed calm while everyone else was panicking. It's something that no one can explain."
Mrs. Newton, 77, died Sunday at Baptist Medical Center in Jacksonville, Fla.
The fire changed her life, Newton said: "She said she realized how so many things just aren't all that important. Her family, especially children, became her focus."
He said his mother was "quite a character. You'd definitely remember her if you met her. She was very colorful. Her last words were, 'Well, this is my last hurrah. I've had a good ride, and I'm out of here.' "
After the fire, she became a waitress at the Town and Country Restaurant in Park Hills.
After she retired, Mrs. Newton led efforts to make more dialysis machines available to Northern Kentucky residents, her son said. She also was an avid bird watcher and nature lover, he said.
Mrs. Newton was preceded in death by her husband, Herbert. In addition to her son, she is survived by her daughter, Donna Tucker of Jacksonville, Fla.; sisters, Florence Thornhill of New Port Richey, Fla., and Nellie McQuery of Bethel, Ohio; four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at Ronald B. Jones Funeral Home, Ludlow. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Highland Cemetery, Fort Mitchell. Memorials are suggested to Arthritis Foundation, 7811 Laurel Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio 45243.
Mary 'Betty' Walls, 86, always helped children
Mary E. "Betty" Walls, 86, of Fort Thomas, who enjoyed helping children, died at 6:12 p.m. Sunday at St. Luke Hospital East, Fort Thomas.
She was a homemaker and a Sunday school teacher at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, Fort Thomas. She received the Cross of Merit for her service to the Episcopal church.
She was a Girl Scout leader, a member of the PTA and one of the first teachers' aides in the Fort Thomas school system.
She also established the first preschool class for mentally handicapped children in Campbell County and taught adults to read through the Greater Cincinnati Literacy Program.
While living in Louisville, Mrs. Walls was a volunteer with Meals on Wheels and Norton's Children's Hospital.
"She was an outgoing person all her life, " said Mrs. Walls' husband of 63 years, James B. Walls.
"She was very fond of children and that's why she got involved in so many children's activities. She sometimes said, 'I think more of children than I do adults."'
Mrs. Walls was especially devoted to community and church service, said her husband.
"She was a very caring person and wanted to help others, " he said. "She had so many, many friends over the years."
Other survivors include daughters Phyllis Walls Juett of Cincinnati and Joyce Walls Palasz of Liburn, Ga., three grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
A son, John B. Walls, died last year.
Memorial services will be at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, Fort Thomas.
Mrs. Walls bequeathed her body to the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.
Muehlenkamp-Erschell Funeral Home, Fort Thomas, is handling arrangements.
Memorials are suggested to Woodfill Elementary School Library Fund, Betty Walls Memorial, 1025 Alexandria Pike, Fort Thomas, Ky. 41075 or Hospice of Northern Kentucky, 1403 Alexandria Pike, Fort Thomas, Ky. 41075.
Robert T. Bell, 52, of Highland Heights, died at 8:45 p.m. Saturday at St. Luke Hospital East, Fort Thomas.
He was a tooling engineer with Reliable Castings Co., and a member of Campbell County Game and Fish Protective Association, National Rifle Association and National Pattern Makers Association.
Survivors include his wife, Jackie McCoy Bell; a son, Robert A. Bell of Highland Heights; a daughter, Lori R. Bell of Highland Heights; his mother, Lois Bell of Claryville; his father and stepmother, Robert C. and Annette Bell of Cold Spring; brothers, Mark A. Bell of Robertsdale, Ala., and Michael P. Bell of Columbus, Ohio; and a sister, Kathleen Grimme of Alexandria.
Mass of Christian burial: 10 a.m. Thursday at St. Joseph Church, Cold Spring. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Muehlenkamp-Erschell Funeral Home, Fort Thomas. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery, Southgate. Memorials are suggested to Campbell County Game and Fish Protective Association, 5113 Licking Pike, Alexandria, Ky. 41001; or American Cancer Society, 6612 Dixie Highway, Suite 2A, Florence, Ky. 41042.
Hazel Neal Bennett, 98, of Williamstown, died Monday at her home. She was a retired office manager with Farmers Home Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and a former legal secretary with the L. M. Ackman law office. She was a member of Williamstown Baptist Church, Williamstown Women's Club, Williamstown Homemakers, Capt. John Lillard Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Grant County Historical Society and the BWC's of Williamstown Baptist Church. Her husband, Glenmore Bennett, died in 1992.
Survivors include nieces, Lucille Neal Butler of Villa Hills, Ruth Whaley Young of Burlington, Martha Whaley O'Connor of Georgia and Becky Fay Hegge of Ludlow; and nephews, Charley Whaley of Louisville and Kendall Whaley of Burlington.
Services: 2 p.m. Wednesday at Elliston-Stanley Funeral Home, Williamstown. Visitation will begin there at noon Wednesday. Burial will be in Williamstown Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to Williamstown Baptist Church Building Fund, 214 N. Main St., Williamstown, Ky. 41097.
Pearl Martin Booth, 96, of Lexington, formerly of Carrollton, died Sunday at Central Baptist Hospital in Lexington. She was a retired teacher with Carroll County schools and a member of Southern Hill United Methodist Church in Lexington. She was a member of the Kentucky Retired Teachers Association and a Donovan Scholar. She was a former organist and choir director at Carroll United Methodist Church and was musical accompaniment for the Carrollton Rotary Club Thursday Night Sing-along. Her husband, Robert Lucas Booth, died in 1966.
Survivors include a daughter, Patricia Conway of Lexington; three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at Tandy-Eckler-Riley Funeral Home, Carrollton. Visitation: 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home. Burial will be in IOOF Cemetery, Carrollton.
Harold Dunaway, 46, of Bromley, died Monday at his home.
Arrangements are pending at Middendorf-Bullock Funeral Home, Ludlow.
Maxine L. Friedhoff, 81, of Newport, died at 11:47 a.m. Sunday at St. Luke Hospital East, Fort Thomas. She was a homemaker. Her husband, Edward Friedhoff, died on April 3.
Survivors include sons, Larry Friedhoff, Charley Friedhoff and Joe Friedhoff, all of Newport, and David Friedhoff of Covington; a daughter, Marty Hall of Newport; and nine grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial: 10 a.m. Thursday at Holy Spirit Church, Newport. Burial will be in Floral Hills Cemetery, Taylor Mill. Muehlenkamp-Erschell Funeral Home, Newport, is handling arrangements.
Juanita M. Hill, 72, of Sidney, Ohio, formerly of Latonia, died at 3:25 a.m. Friday at her daughter's home in Sidney. She was a retired bookkeeper with General Highway Express in Sidney, and a member of St. John's Lutheran Church, Women of the Moose, the Christian Women's Association and Kiwanis. Her husband, Donovan Hill, died in 1991.
Survivors include daughters, Druellen Kolker of Tyler, Texas; and Sanna Aikin of Sidney; and five grandchildren.
Memorial services: 11 a.m. Wednesday at St. John's Lutheran Church, Sidney. Mrs. Hill bequeathed her body to the Ohio State University Department of Anatomy and Medical Education. Cromes Funeral Home, Sidney, is handling arrangements.
Melva Hronek, 86, of Fort Thomas, died at 1:45 a.m. Aug. 21 at Carmel Manor, Fort Thomas. She was a retired clerk with the federal government.
Survivors include a sister, Carol Cherry of Oklahoma City; and nephews, Paul Cherry and Thomas Cherry.
Graveside services: 9:30 a.m. Wednesday at Evergreen Cemetery, Southgate. Muehlenkamp-Erschell Funeral Home, Fort Thomas, is handling arrangements.
Ruth Marksberry, 82, of Owenton, died Saturday at Owenton Manor. She was a homemaker, a secretary for Owen County Senior Citizens for 23 years, and a member of Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church, Owenton. Her husband, Robert Marksberry, and a son, John Melvin Marksberry, both preceded her in death.
Survivors include a son, Kenneth Edward Marksberry of Butler; a brother, Leroy Sullivan of Florida; two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Services: 11 a.m. Wednesday at McDonald Funeral Home, Seminary Street, Owenton. Visitation will begin there at 4 p.m. today. Burial will be in IOOF Cemetery, Owenton. Memorials are suggested to American Heart Association, 2936 Vernon Place, Cincinnati, Ohio 45219; or Owen County Senior Citizens, 103 W. Perry St., Owenton, Ky. 40359.
Robert G. Mullins, 76, of Newport, died at 9:20 a.m. Saturday at Baptist Convalescent Center in Newport. He was a property owner for many years in Northern Kentucky. His wife, Clara Mullins, died in 1995.
Survivors include a sister, Allie Woodall of Stanford; nieces and nephews.
Services will be at noon Wednesday at Fares J. Radel Funeral Home, Newport. Visitation: 11 a.m. Wednesday. Burial will be in Faulkner Chapel Cemetery, Barbourville.
Ida Mae Hill Rees, 92, of Covington, died at 1:45 a.m. Sunday at Woodcrest Manor, Elsmere. She was a retired tailor with Wasson's Department Store in Indianapolis and a member of First Evangelical Methodist Church, Latonia. Her husband, Ward Clifton Rees, died in 1999.
Survivors include a niece, Linda Foster of Taylor Mill.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Allison and Rose Funeral Home, Taylor Mill. Visitation: Noon Wednesday. Burial: Floral Hills Cemetery, Taylor Mill.
Robert A. Schroder, 74, of Cynthiana, died Monday at his home. He was a plumber and a farmer, a member of St. Edward Church in Cynthiana and an Army Air Corps veteran of World War II. His first wife, Betty Lou Shoup Schroder, and children, Robert James Schroder and Carol Schroder, all preceded him in death.
Survivors include his wife, Shirley Morgan Schroder; sons, Charles Schroder and Bobby Schroder, both of Cynthiana; daughters, Mary Lee Stephens of Louisville, Linda Twehues of Williamstown and Diana Lukins of Cynthiana; a brother, John Schroder of Cold Spring; a sister, Margie Howe of Fort Thomas; and nine grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at St. Edward Church, Cynthiana. Visitation: 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Ware Funeral Home, Cynthiana. Burial will be in St. Edward Cemetery, Cynthiana. Memorials are suggested to Hospice of the Bluegrass, 508 E. Pike St., Cynthiana, Ky. 41031.
Neldia Singleton, 77, of Covington, died at 11:40 a.m. Monday at Woodspoint Nursing Home, Florence.
She was a retired machine operator with R.L. Polk & Co., Cincinnati. Her husband, James B. Singleton, died in 1997.
Survivors include a son, James Michael Singleton of Ludlow; daughters, Berline Joyce Hisle of Hopkinsville and Lisa Ann Durr of Taylor Mill; and six grandchildren.
Services will be at noon Thursday at Connley Brothers Funeral Home, Latonia. Visitation will begin there at 10 a.m. Thursday. Burial will be in Highland Cemetery, Fort Mitchell. Memorials are suggested to American Lung Association, 11113 Kenwood Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45242.
Brenda Rooney Soloway, 38, of Newport, died Thursday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South, Edgewood. She was disabled.
Survivors include her husband, Dalbert Soloway of Franklin, Ohio; a son, Cline Rooney of Newport; a daughter, Jaime Rooney of Ohio; sisters, Cecilia Siler of Verona, Mary Ellis of Covington and Donna Rooney of Lexington; and brothers, Steve Rooney of Dayton, David Rooney and Patrick Rooney, both of Campbell County, and Louis Gerde of Cincinnati.
Graveside services: 2 p.m. Thursday at Highland Cemetery, Fort Mitchell. Memorials are suggested to Brenda Soloway Memorial Fund, in care of any Bank of Kentucky. TLC Cremation and Funeral Service, Covington, is handling arrangements.
Franklin William Thieman, 81, of Carrollton, died Monday at King's Daughters Hospital in Madison, Ind. He was a farmer and a member of Milton United Methodist Church.
Survivors include his wife, Martha Rae "Chee-Che" Banks Thieman; and a son, Franklin William Thieman II of Carrollton. Services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Graham-Dunn Funeral Home, Carrollton. Visitation: 4 to 8 tonight and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday. Burial will be in Lutheran Cemetery, Milton.
John R. Walls, 81, of Overland Park, Kan., formerly of Elsmere, died Aug. 12 at Menorah Medical Center in Overland Park. He was a retired executive with the Federal Aviation Administration, a former air traffic controller and an Army Air Corps veteran of World War II. His first wife, Eula Rose Walls, died in 1985.
Survivors include his wife, Patricia Walls; daughters, Jacque M. Chinney of Liberty, Mo., and Pamela Reynolds of Burbank, Calif.; a son, Michael Walls of St. Petersburg, Fla.; a brother, James Walls of Fort Thomas; sisters, Jewell Paynter of Highland Heights and Helen Bell of Burkburnett, Texas; and 8 grandchildren.
Services were at Muehlebach Funeral Home, Overland Park. Memorials are suggested to American Lung Association, 11113 Kenwood Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45242.
