Obituaries
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Thomas W. Schear, director of Passaic (N.J.) Public Library from 1961-1987, died June 14. Schear had been a member of the New Jersey Library Association since 1957, serving as treasurer from 1966 to 1972 and president in 1973 to 1974.
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Margaret Mary Kimmel, 76, 1982–1983 ALSC president, died June 10 of leukemia. Kimmel was professor emeritus of library and information science at the University of Pittsburgh, and had previously taught at Catholic University in Washington D.C., the College of Librarianship in Wales, and Simmons College in Boston. Kimmel also lectured throughout the United States, wrote and edited children’s books, worked as an advisor for Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, and chaired the Best Books for Babies committee for 13 years. She received the ALSC Distinguished Service Award in 2001. Since retiring from the University of Pittsburgh, Kimmel helped to create the Center for Women with Disabilities at Magee-Womens Hospital in Pittsburgh, and served on the board of the FISA Foundation.
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Chang-Chien Lee, retired archives librarian at the University of Central Florida Libraries in Orlando, died May 31. Lee was author of more than 50 papers on education, Chinese language and culture, library science, and archives, and served as executive editor of the Journal of Educational Media and Library Sciences. He was president of the Chinese American Librarians Association in 1988-89 and received the Asian American Heritage Council’s Leadership in Diversity Award. After his 2003 retirement, he served as advisor for the Overseas Chinese Affairs Commission of the Republic of China.
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Joann Muscardin, 56, children’s librarian at Port Jefferson (N.Y.) Free Library for 14 years, died May 23 after a brief illness.
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Zoia Horn, 96, died July 12. Horn is considered the first librarian jailed for refusing to divulge information on intellectual freedom grounds when, as head of the reference department at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, she refused to testify in the trial of the “Harrisburg Seven” in 1971. This led to Horn being jailed for 20 days. She remained active in intellectual freedom issues, including chairing intellectual freedom committees of the American Library Association, New Jersey Library Association, and California Library Association, which named its annual intellectual freedom award in her honor.
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Rita Dworkin, 85, a librarian at East Meadow (N.Y.) Public Library for 35 years until her 1996 retirement, died July 4 of a cerebral hemorrhage.
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Leslie Bjorncrantz, 69, a librarian who retired after 37 years with Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, died July 3.
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Ernie DiMattia, 74, president of the Ferguson Library in Stamford, Connecticut, for 38 years, died of cancer June 26. Under his leadership, Ferguson Library was the first public library in Connecticut to provide public internet access. He held a number of leadership positions in the American Library Association and the Connecticut Library Association, including chairing ALA’s Publishing Committee. He also recently served on the board of the Connecticut State Library, as well as many local organizations, and he was a visiting lecturer at several library schools.
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Leo J. “Pete” Miller Sr., 64, who had served as a school, community college, and prison librarian in Texas and Michigan, died May 22.
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Judith Rivas, 58, former director of library information services at Norwalk (Conn.) Public Library, died May 22. Rivas worked at the library for more than 28 years. She cofounded the former United Hispanic Action of Norwalk and was a member of other community organizations, and served more than three terms on the Norwalk Common Council.
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Mildred K. Smock, 94, who worked at Council Bluffs (Iowa) Public Library from 1941 to 1992 and served as director for 35 years, died May 8. Smock was 1961-62 president of the Iowa Library Association and had been a member of ALA Council, the PLA Board, and several ALA committees. She received many honors, including Volunteer Council Bluffs’ Harry C. Voss Award, for an individual who adopts volunteerism as a way of life, and the 1990 Chamber of Commerce President’s Award.
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Marilyn Miller, 1992-93 ALA President, died May 22 after a long illness. Miller was professor emeritus at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, joining the faculty of the School of Library Science in 1977 and serving as chair of the department from 1987 until her 1995 retirement. During her tenure, the school established the first distance education program in the state to offer a master’s degree remotely. She had earlier been part of the faculty of the library school at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo from 1966-77, and a librarian at several schools in Kansas. In 1962, she became the first Kansas state school library consultant.
As ALA President, Miller’s presidential theme was “Empowering People through Libraries.” She was a champion of LGBT rights and led a march during the 1993 Midwinter Meeting at Colorado’s State Capitol in opposition to Amendment 2, which excluded sexual orientation from protection against discrimination. She also served as president of ALSC in 1979-80 and AASL in 1986-87, when the Information Power school library media program national guidelines were being developed.
She was a prolific writer and speaker on library issues. Publications she edited included Pioneers and Leaders in Library Services to Youth: A Biographical Dictionary (Libraries Unlimited, 2003), and Continuing Education for the Library Information Professions (Shoe String Press, 1986). She also conducted influential statistical research on school library media program expenditures published in School Library Journal from 1983 to 2003.