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Date of these obituaries: 12-25-2002
Robert Thomas Jr., founded 911 mapping technology firm
Robert Graham "Robbie" Thomas Jr., who started 911 Mapping Systems in Florence and built it into a nationally known supplier of public safety software, died Sunday in Palm Springs, Calif., where he lived. He was formerly from Bellevue.
Mr. Thomas founded his company in Florence in 1992, taking digital mapping techniques and applying them to the public safety field to provide emergency dispatching agencies with the technical ability to determine the location of callers.
"He was a design leader. He virtually invented that technology, " said his brother, Michael Thomas of Fort Thomas, who worked in the business with him.
About six years ago, Mr. Thomas foresaw the need for 911 centers to trace calls from cell phones. His company had begun supplying that technology to dispatching agencies in the past year, with 50 on board and another 50 planned to be added in the coming year, Michael Thomas said.
Mr. Thomas was also the driving force behind marketing his company's product.
"He was a dynamic personality. He could make you think it was daytime when it was night, " said Mr. Thomas' son, Aaron, of Fort Thomas.
"He was a charismatic individual, " said Michael Thomas. "Nobody who ever met him forgot him. He could make anyone excited about what he was excited about."
Mr. Thomas grew up in Bellevue and was a three-sport star at Bellevue High School. He graduated from Xavier University, which he attended on a tennis scholarship, in 1970 and the National College of Chiropractic in Lombard, Ill., in 1976. He practiced as a chiropractor before going into business.
He moved to Palm Springs about three years ago so he could play golf year round, and became a scratch golfer.
Mr. Thomas had an adverse reaction to an asthma attack he suffered Sunday and went into cardiac arrest, his son said.
Other survivors include his wife, Vicki Ballantyne; another son, Christopher Thomas of Bellevue; a stepson, Brett of the state of California; and his father, Robert Thomas Sr. of Villa Hills.
Memorial services will be at 8:30 p.m. Jan. 2 at Dobbling Funeral Home, Fort Thomas, following a reception that will begin there at 7 p.m.
Dorothy Mae Gardiner, 90, of Covington, died Sunday at St. Elizabeth Hospice Unit, Covington. She was a homemaker and a member of St. Ann Church in Covington and West Covington Senior Citizens. Her husband, John Gardiner, died in 1981.
Survivors include daughters, Sue Wolnitzek of Park Hills, Donna Pugh of Burlington and Patricia Stigall of Richmond, Va.; nine grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 1:30 p.m. Friday at Mother of God Church, Covington. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday at Ronald B. Jones Funeral Home, Ludlow. Burial will be in Forest Lawn Cemetery, Erlanger. Memorials are suggested to St. Elizabeth Hospice Unit, 401 E. 20th St., Covington, Ky. 41014.
Mary Johnson, 85, of Covington, died at 7:55 a.m. Saturday at St. Luke Hospital East, Fort Thomas. There are no immediate survivors.
Graveside services will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Riverside Cemetery, Falmouth. Woodhead Funeral Home, Falmouth, is handling arrangements.
Colleen Rose Malloy, 5, of Fort Mitchell, died Monday at Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati. She was a kindergarten student at Blessed Sacrament School, Fort Mitchell.
Survivors include her parents, Brian and Erin Malloy; a brother, Mackenzie Francis Malloy of Fort Mitchell; sisters, Maire Shannon Malloy and Sloane Elizabeth Malloy, both of Fort Mitchell; grandparents, John and Barbara Malloy of Mount Prospect, Ill., and James and Carolyn Stapleton of Atlanta; and great-grandmother, Kitty Pohl of Glen Arm, Md.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Blessed Sacrament Church, Fort Mitchell. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Linnemann Funeral Home, Erlanger. Burial will be in St. Mary Cemetery, Fort Mitchell. Memorials are suggested to Children's Hospital Medical Center Foundation, 3333 Burnet Ave., Mail Location 9002, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229.
Betty Jean Halmess Meadows, 73, of Carrollton, died Monday at her home. She was a homemaker and a member of Carrollton United Methodist Church. Her husband, Hazael "H.M." Meadows, died in 1996.
Survivors include a daughter, Carolyn Banks of Carrollton; sons, Robert Meadows of Columbus, Ind., Mark Meadows of Bedford and Danni Meadows of Carrollton; a sister, Mary Jo Stivers of Shelbyville; nine grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Monday at Graham-Dunn Funeral Home, Carrollton. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday and from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday at the funeral home. Burial will be in IOOF Cemetery, Carrollton. Memorials are suggested to Hospice of Northern Kentucky, 1403 Alexandria Pike, Fort Thomas, Ky. 41075.
Vivian L. Myers, 70, of Covington, died at 2:30 p.m. Monday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center North, Covington. She was a homemaker and a member of Latonia Christian Church. Her husband, Walter Leo Myers, died in 1997.
Survivors include a son, William Myers of Covington; daughters, Debra Connell, Connie Cooper and Tracy Marshall, all of Covington; 10 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Connley Brothers Funeral Home, Latonia. Visitation will begin there at 10 a.m. Friday. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery, Southgate. Memorials are suggested to American Heart Association, 2936 Vernon Place, Cincinnati, Ohio 45219.
Catherine E. Noe, 60, of Elsmere, died Monday at her home. She was a waitress with Colonial Cottage, Erlanger, and a member of St. Henry Church, Elsmere.
Survivors include a daughter, Kimberly Armstrong of Aurora, Colo.; a sister, Mary Boley of Austin, Ind.; a brother, Clarence Noe of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; and two grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at St. Henry Church, Elsmere. Visitation will begin there at 10 a.m. Saturday. Cremation will be at Baxter Cremation Service, Cincinnati. Memorials are suggested to American Lung Association, P.O. Box 9067, Louisville, Ky. 45209. Stith Funeral Home, Florence, is handling arrangements.
Edward F. Rhein, 96, of Elsmere, died Sunday at Woodcrest Manor, Cincinnati. He was a production planning manager with Merrell Richardson Co. and a member of First Presbyterian Church in Dayton, where he was a member of the choir. He was director and organizer of the Teenage Canteen at Dayton High School, was a member of the Dayton School Board and helped organize the first Community Chest in Northern Kentucky. He and his wife were selected Couple of the Year in 1950 by the Northern Kentucky Lions Club, and he was a 1952 Dayton Man of the Year. He was a past vice president of the American Production Inventory Control Society.
Survivors include his wife, Irene Rhein; daughters, Joan Clark of Edgewood, Janice Swauger of Lexington, and Joyce McCord of Florence; sons, James Rhein of Gardner, N.Y., and Joel Rhein of Walton, Conn.; a brother, Howard C. Rhein of Fort Thomas; 12 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at First Presbyterian Church, Dayton. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at Dobbling Funeral Home, Bellevue. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery, Southgate. Memorials are suggested to First Presbyterian Church, 800 Ervin Terrace, Dayton, Ky. 41074.
Ethel Alberta Tippett, 90, of Covington, died at 3:30 p.m. Monday at Baptist Convalescent Center, Newport. She was a retired assembler with Kratz-Wilde Co., Covington. Her first husband, Robert Bunch, died in 1954. Her second husband, John Tippett, died in 1989.
Survivors include a son, Jack Bunch of Cincinnati; a sister, Maxine Corcoran of Cincinnati; two grandchildren and a great-grandson.
Services will be at 1:30 p.m. Friday at Allison and Rose Funeral Home, Covington. Burial will be in Spring Grove Cemetery, Cincinnati.
Louise Verax, 70, of Newport, died Saturday at her home. She was a homemaker.
Survivors include a daughter, Pauline Campbell of Milford, Ohio; sons, William Verax and Donald Verax, both of Alexandria, John Verax of Wilder and David Verax of Cincinnati; stepsons, Ed Verax of Fontana, Calif., Charles Verax of Brooksville and Harry Verax of Apple Valley, Calif.; a stepdaughter, Helen Herald of Newport; a sister, Ellen O'Connell of Covington; 32 grandchildren and 48 great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at Cooper Funeral Home, Grants Lick. Visitation will begin there at 10 a.m. Thursday. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery, Southgate.
Wilma C. Wooster, 86, of Carrollton, died Monday at King's Daughters Hospital in Madison, Ind. She was a homemaker and a member of Carrollton First Baptist Church, Brownski Rebekah Lodge No. 60 and English Homemakers.
Survivors include her husband, Harlan "Lucky" Wooster, and a son, David R. Wooster of Ontario, Calif.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Friday at IOOF Cemetery, Carrollton. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Graham-Dunn Funeral Home, Carrollton, with Rebekah Lodge services at 7 p.m. Burial will be in IOOF Cemetery.
