Ohio Department of Aging Press Release

COLUMBUS - Nineteen exceptional seniors will be inducted into the Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame and 14 outstanding elder caregivers will be honored with the state's Elder Caregiver Award during a combined ceremony on May 26 at the Capitol Theatre in Columbus.

"Each year, through the Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame and the Elder Caregiver Award, the Ohio Department of Aging honors state elders, and others, who are an example to us all," said Bonnie Kantor-Burman, director of the Ohio Department of Aging. "Senior Citizen Hall of Fame inductees, strengthened by wisdom and dedication, work to improve the lives of all Ohioans. Yet, even they are often humbled by the Elder Caregiver Award recipients, who have dedicated themselves to providing the most intimate of services in familiar settings and allow those they care for to lead purposeful lives with dignity and respect."

2011 Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame

The 2011 Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame inductees include teachers, scientists, activists and volunteers who have worked to improve their communities.

• Emily Campbell Brown, Mansfield
• Diane DeMuth, Columbus
• Elizabeth Hague, Worthington
• Kathryn K. Shaffer, Columbus
• Braxton & Polly Tewart, Columbus
• Anthony Petrozzi, Worthington
• James Timko, Worthington
• Gifford Doxsee, Athens
• Bracy Lewis, Cleveland
• Kathryn Harleman Loxley, Wellston
• Wilbur Mullen, Greenville
• Jean Schlecht, Warren
• Helmut Schmidt, M.D., Powell
• Charlotte Shaffer, Toledo
• Dillon Staas, Jr., Lima
• Bobbie Sterne, Cincinnati
• S. Penny Triplett, Dover
• Jim Winkler, Mogadore

2011 Elder Caregiver Awards

Among those honored this year are members of the "sandwich generation" who have cared for parents, spouses and children; husbands and wives who provide care for their spouses and loving daughters who have taken care of their parents.

• Linda Beverly, Akron
• Mark Hammock, Mansfield
• Phillip Kitson, Antwerp
• June Meade & Rhonda Madison, West Portsmouth
• Pauline Moss, Maineville
• Jeanne Nelson, West Carrollton
• Pandora Neuhart, Woodsfield
• Nancy Shambaugh, Byesville
• Carol Sonnenberg, Napoleon
• Mary Martin Stouffer, Kingsville
• Raymond Sword & Debra Lawson, Elyria
• Mary Weagle, Wheelersburg

For more information about both these honors, including biographies and photos of the current honorees, visit:

Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame: www.aging.ohio.gov/news/halloffame/
Elder Caregiver Award: www.aging.ohio.gov/news/eldercaregiveraward/

About ODA - The Ohio Department of Aging provides leadership for the delivery of services and supports that improve and promote quality of life and personal choice for older Ohioans, adults with disabilities, their families and their caregivers. Working with 12 area agencies on aging and other community partners, the department offers home- and community-based Medicaid waiver programs such as PASSPORT, the long-term care ombudsman program, the Golden Buckeye Card and more. Visit www.aging.ohio.gov.

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