Shelly Rasche ’78 recently passed away on February 3, 2025. Shelly was a prolific and internationally published freelance commercial artist whose designs have appeared on hundreds of products, including Bounty paper towels, “The Grinch” mass merchandise gift items, greeting cards, children’s magazines and children’s book illustrations, fabric, counted Crosstitch kits, music boxes, collectible figurines, holiday ornaments and gift products, wallpaper, baby bedding, religious gift products, mugs, yard flags, puzzles, prints, and much more. More details can be found at www.shellyrasche.com or by doing a search of her name. Shelly was married to Jeffrey Rasche, ‘81 on August 8, 1981, and they were blessed to have three sons, Ben (Keeli), Zachary (Kristen), and Nicholas (Michelle), as well as six granddaughters. Shelly’s full obituary can be found here.

John Lewton ’71 recently passed away at his home on February 20th, 2025, at the age of 75, after a long illness. He was born in Chicago, Illinois, on February 16th, 1950. He graduated from Von Steuben High School in Chicago in 1967 and received his Bachelor of Arts degree at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Illinois, in 1971. He went on to receive a Masters degree at Bowling Green State University in 1973 and a Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology at the University of Toledo in 1988. Over his long and varied career, John taught at the University of Toledo for over twenty years. He also worked at the West Center as a counselor. He and his wife, Cathy, established Workplace Resources, an employee assistance program serving both the private and public sectors, with the primary focus on those experiencing trauma. This led him to volunteer as Coordinator of a regional Critical Incident Stress Management Team. He also worked as a special deputy, testing psychologist, hostage negotiator, and counselor in the Lucas and Ottawa County Sheriff’s Departments. He worked for the Federal Government on the Disaster Medical Assistance Team, where he rose to the rank of Deputy Commander. Following 9/11, he went to New York City where he participated in the search and recovery and conducted stress debriefings for members of the NYPD. For more information and his obituary please visit the link below. 

—–>https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/toledoblade/name/john-lewton-obituary?id=57858672

Kim VanMeter ’76 recently passed away on February 9,2025 in his home in Columbus Ohio. He was a loved member of the Alumni Association and will be missed dearly.

Terry Tipsord ’74 a beloved husband, father, community leader, and entrepreneur, passed away on February 6, 2025 at home surrounded by the love and care of his family. He was 72. Born July 1, 1952, in Bloomington, Illinois, to Willard LaMar and Elaine (Burgess) Tipsord, Terry spent his formative years in Arrowsmith, Illinois. His life was a testament to hard work, community involvement, and a deep commitment to family.