WOOSTER, Ohio A special memorial service for Benjamin R. Stinner, an Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center scientist and the holder of Ohio State Universitys W.K. Kellogg Foundation-endowed chair in ecological management, will be held Saturday, Dec. 11, 1 to 4 p.m., in the Shisler Conference Center on OARDCs Wooster campus, 1680 Madison Ave.
Friends, staff, students, faculty and members of the public are invited to attend.
Stinner, who was 50, died Nov. 23 in a car accident in Wooster. He is survived by his wife, Deborah, coordinator of OARDCs Organic Food and Farming Education and Research program, and their children, Kristina and Jed.
A resident of Smithville, a native of Lykens, Pa., and an international leader in agroecology and sustainable agriculture, Stinner ââ¬Åwas a visionary individual whose ideas and thoughts impacted all who came in contact with him, personally and professionally said OARDC Director Steve Slack.
Included in the service will be music, photographs and videotape of Stinner, speakers who will share their memories of him, and a reception for all in attendance. Hand-written remembrances on high-quality paper with margins of at least 1.5 inches may be dropped off at the service or sent to Luis Cañas, Department of Entomology, OSU/OARDC, 1680 Madison Ave.
Donations to the Ben Stinner Endowment for Healthy Agroecosystems and Sustainable Communities may be dropped off at the service as well. The newly initiated endowment aims to continue Bens life work in agroecology, sustainable agriculture and sustainable communities. Call (330) 287-1321 for more information.
ââ¬ÅBen had a clear and compelling vision: agroecosystems that preserve high environmental quality, that sustain the health of and social connections among people, and that do so by efficient recycling of natural resources and social capital rather than through the infusion of external inputs,according to a statement about the endowment provided by Casey Hoy, a friend and colleague of Stinners and the associate chairman of his home department, Entomology.
ââ¬Å(Ben) had an extraordinary ability to work with faculty, staff, students, farmers, community leaders and other stakeholders toward a common purpose, the statement said. His leadership transcended all institutional boundaries, and he freely promoted leadership abilities in others. This endowment will provide the resources to ensure continued work that promotes healthy and sustainable relationships between communities and the land, and to nurture and promote leadership in those involved.
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