Southern Ohio has lost four giants in community service

Some were military veterans. Some were businessmen. Some were farmers. Some were educators. All were giants in the realm of community service.

They lived a combined 342 years, mostly in Highland and Adams counties.

Simply put, they were what community leaders are all about. Putting "service before self" was not just a catchy phrase for them. It was a way of life.

Today's so-called leaders could have learned so much from these four men. These were not, to be sure, drive-by political opportunists. Lord knows, we have enough of them already.

For those of us who were fortunate to know them, we are not only saddened by their deaths, but also saddened by the realization that we are not, as an American society, seeing such honorable civic-minded individuals today.

In order of age, these four men are:

• Major John Blair Dennison, who passed away at the age of 92 on Feb. 11, 2014;

• Walter E. Garman, who passed away at the age of 88 on Feb. 28, 2014;

• Col. Wayne T. Frye, who passed away at the age of 83 on Feb. 26, 2014; and,

• Richard S. Baldridge who passed away at the age of 79 on Feb. 23, 2014.

Here are some all-too-brief biographies on these wonderful gentlemen and community leaders of southern Ohio.

• Major John Blair Dennison was born June 20, 1921, in Mason, Ohio, the son of John W. and Eva Guttery Dennison.

He was a graduate of Hillsboro High School, class of 1939. After graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1940. He was a B-25 bomber pilot and served in the 7th Air Force in several of the Pacific Islands in World War II, including Okinawa, Hawaii and the Gilbert Islands. He earned the rank of major prior to his retirement from the military.

After the war, Major Dennison received a degree in mechanical engineering from Case Institute of Technology in Cleveland, class of 1950.

He returned to Hillsboro in 1952 and began his lifelong career in the banking equipment manufacturing industry at the Gross Feibel Company. He was active on the Hillsboro Board of Education for many years and was involved with both the Southern State Community College Board of Trustees and the Great Oaks Joint Vocational School District Board.

(Memorial services for Mr. Dennison will be 2 p.m. Saturday, March 15 at the Hillsboro First United Methodist Church, with visitation from 1-2 p.m. Saturday.)

Memorials may be made to the Hillsboro First United Methodist Church, 133 East Walnut Street, Hillsboro, Ohio 45133.

For more information, visit www.thompsonfuneralhomes.com.

* * *

• Walt Garman was born Sept. 23, 1925 in Pike County, the son of William C. and Cecile F. (Washburn) Garman.

He was a 1943 graduate of Hillsboro High School. After graduation, Mr. Garman served in the U.S. Army during World War II.

Following the war, he graduated from The Ohio State University, in the class of 1950.

Mr. Garman was very active in the Highland County Farm Bureau and was a standard-bearer of the Hillsboro Rotary Club for many years.

A retired real estate professional from Donald E. Fender Realtors, Mr. Garman was a member of the Hillsboro First United Methodist Church, Hillsboro Rotary Club where he received the Paul Harris Fellow, Highland Lodge #38 F.&A.M., Hillsboro Lodge #361 B.P.O.E., Highland County Senior Citizens, Highland County Farm Bureau, Highland County Honor Guard, Hillsboro AMVETS Post #61, Hillsboro VFW Post #9094 and Hillsboro American Legion Post #129.

Needless to say, if Walt belonged to any organization, he was an active participant.

For more about Mr. Garman, visit www.thompsonfuneralhomes.com.

* * *

• Col. Wayne Frye, 83, of Manchester, was born in Trinity, Kentucky on Nov. 6, 1930, the son of Clive and Jane (Tully) Frye.

After graduating from Manchester High School in Adams County in 1948, he joined the United States Marine Corps.

He was given the opportunity to attend the Naval Academy Preschool and went on to the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.

He was a member of the "Great Eight," the 1952 Olympic Gold Medal-winning men's rowing team.

He later attended MIT, where he earned his master's degree. Following graduation, he taught at the U.S. Air Force Academy and became an instructor at the Air Force Aerospace Research Pilot School.

Col. Frye served in Vietnam, where he commanded the 555th Squadron. He flew 266 combat missions, received two Silver Stars, five Distinguished Flying Crosses, 15 Air Medals and a Purple Heart.

After his military retirement, Col. Frye remained active in Adams County and also served as an instructor at Maysville Community College.

He was inducted into the United States Naval Aviation Hall of Fame in 2012.

Col. Frye's funeral services were held March 1 at Manchester High School located on the aptly named Wayne Frye Drive.

* * *

• Richard S. Baldridge, also of Adams County (Wayne Township), was born Dec. 8, 1934, in Cherry Fork, the son of William Robert and Laura Lucille (Hamilton) Baldridge.

He was an agronomist and a lifelong farmer.

Mr. Baldridge had owned and operated Baldridge Hybrids Agricultural Business in Wayne Township for 30 years. He worked as a consultant for several agricultural companies including Helena Chemical Company, DeWine Seed Company and Occidental Chemical Company.

He was a 1952 graduate of the former Wayne Township High School in Cherry Fork and was a 1957 graduate of The Ohio State University.

He served on the Adams County Republican Party Central Committee and was a former member and chairman of the Adams County Board of Elections. He also was a former president of the Adams County Historical Society and was a former trustee and elder of the Cherry Fork Presbyterian Church. He was a former member of the American Society of Agronomy; and Soil and Crop Science Societies of America; and was a former president of the Ohio Soil Fertility Society in 1972.

Mr. Baldridge's interment was in the Cherry Fork Cemetery.

* * *

We all should think about the services to community and country, as well as the personal sacrifices, that men like Mr. Dennison, Mr. Garman, Mr. Frye and Mr. Baldridge have made.

I knew three of the four of them and have known about all of them for many, many years.

When I arrived as a newspaper publisher in Adams County in 1998, Wayne Frye and Dick Baldridge welcomed me.

Dick shared a story of supporting former Adams County Commissioner Doug White in his upset victory over Harry Malott for a seat on the Ohio House of Representatives. Dick said he told Doug, "Kay (Ayres) couldn't beat Harry, but you can."

Dick was right. (And he meant absolutely no disrespect to Kay. It was just that the late Harry Malott was viewed as unbeatable at that time.)

By the way, Commissioner Doug White went on to become president of the Ohio Senate.

But to bring this story of community leaders full circle, Dick's son, Brian Baldridge, currently serves as an Adams County commissioner. Like his father, Brian is a good man.

What concerns me, though, is this: Will future generations have enough community leaders like Blair Dennison, Walt Garman, Wayne Frye and Dick Baldridge?

We can only hope.

Rory Ryan is publisher and owner of The Highland County Press.