John A. Saunders ’36 passed away at age 95 in Melbourne, FL. A native of Youngstown, OH, he attended Kenyon, where he joined Delta Tau Delta Fraternity for his freshman year only. He was the longtime President and CEO of Youngstown’s General Fireproofing Co., before moving to Florida and devoting his time to civil affairs and to the International Executive Service Corps, through which he counseled fledgling companies in Ecuador and Iran. Survivors include two daughters, Susan Saunders Hug and Dorothy Saunders Thimm; five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife. Virginia Ingersoll Saunders, along with a daughter, Sarah E. Saunders, and a son, Kenneth A. Saunders.
Frederick “Bill” Dettlinger Jr. ’55 passed away at 84, a resident of Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan.
Born Frederick WIlson Dettlinger Jr. but soon nicknamed Bill, he grew up in Grosse Pointe, MI. At Kenyon, he majored in history, played varsity lacrosse, served as a member of Freshman Council, sports editor of Reveille and president of the Intramural Board, and joined Delta Tau Delta fraternity. Bill, who had been a member of the US Air Force ROTC unit at the College, served in the Air Force and in the Michigan National Guard, retiring as a lieutenant colonel after 20 years. He spent most of his business career in sales with Procter and Gamble, from which he retired after 35 years.
Bill and his family lived for many years in Grosse Pointe, and in the smaller Michigan communities of Burt Lake and Metamora. He and his wife had recently moved to Grosse Pointe Woods to be closer to their children. Bill, who always enjoyed spending time with friends and family, was a sailor at Detroit’s Bayview Yacht Club and a member of The Players, a “gentleman’s amateur theater organization.”
Bill is survived by his wife, Dorothy Petrosky Dettlinger; two daughters, Darby Dettlinger Paddock and Dayle Dettlinger O’Keefe; two sons, John Dettlinger and Peter Dettlinger; nine grandchildren; and a sister, Marion Dettlinger Stetson.
Memorial conatributions may be made to Hospice of Michigan (hom.org).