We honor here members, friends and supporters of the American Council of the Blind who have impacted our lives in many wonderful ways. If you would like to submit a notice for this column, please include as much of the following information as possible.
Name (first, last, maiden if appropriate)
City of residence (upon passing)
State/province of residence (upon passing)
Other cities/states/countries of residence (places where other blind people may have known this person)
Occupation
Date of death (day if known, month, year)
Age
ACB affiliation (local/state/special-interest affiliates or national committees)
Deaths that occurred more than six months ago cannot be reported in this column.
Terry Glenn Olandese
October 29, 1958-October 28, 2021
Terry Glenn Olandese, age 62, of Cincinnati, Ohio, passed away Oct. 28, 2021 due to complications of COVID-19. He was born in McAlester, Okla. on Oct. 29, 1958 to Philip Olandese and Cynthia Berry Olandese (nee Campbell).
Terry graduated from the Oklahoma School for the Blind in Muskogee, where he did track, baseball and band. He graduated from Tulsa County College for the Blind in 1987, where he earned his associate’s degree. Terry went on to become a certified masseuse in 2005.
Terry was serving as the first vice president of the American Council of the Blind of Ohio, where he was also a board member. He was recently elected president of the Northern Kentucky Council of the Blind, and he was awarded a lifetime membership in the Greater Cincinnati chapter of Ohio, where he was president for eight years. Terry was active in numerous committees, and was the former president of the Western Hills Lions Club.
He composed, wrote and performed multiple musical pieces over the course of his life. His music was eclectic and always heartfelt. He performed solo, as well as in several bands, visiting nursing homes, churches, the ACB of Cincinnati, and regularly for family and friends. Terry performed in numerous plays with the Margie Books Company. Terry is well known and lovingly nominated as the World’s Best Storyteller, and is known as the social butterfly.
He was preceded in death by his parents, and twin brother, Anthony Lynn Olandese.
Terry is survived by his beloved son, Anthony Olandese; daughter, Stephanie Olandese Hammonds; grandchildren, Kayley Olandese, Nicole Olandese, Anthony Olandese, Kaizlee Olandese, Kohen Olandese, Jonathan Hammonds, and Tony Hammonds; great-grandchild, Liam Niggemann; sisters, Sherri Olandese and Carletta Johnson; brothers, Philip Olandese and Harley Olandese; girlfriend and soul mate, Penny Simpson; bonus son, Richard (Sheree) Simpson; bonus daughter, Carletta (Joshua) Bishop; and a host of other family members and friends.
In loving memory of Terry, contributions may be made to the ACB of Ohio’s Cincinnati chapter.
A Celebration of Life Service was held on Nov. 6, 2021. To share a memory, or sign the guest book, visit https://www.newcomercincinnati.com/Obituary/206088/Terry-Olandese/Cincinnati-OH. The guest book is near the bottom of the page; the “Share Memories” button is near the top.
Julia Daily Slaymaker
January 13, 1942 – July 20, 2021
Julia was born January 13, 1942, in Lexington, Ky., to Henry and Grace Daily. Julia and her younger sister, Martha, attended Lexington schools, including the University of Kentucky (UK). The family lived in a comfortable neighborhood close to the university where Henry taught. After receiving her bachelor’s degree from UK in 1964, Julia volunteered for Peace Corps service and was sent to Nigeria to teach in a private school for girls. This was one of the most important and memorable experiences in her life. She sponsored one of her Nigerian students to study in the U.S. and maintained close relationships with Nigerians in the U.S. and with former Peace Corps members.
Julia married a returned Peace Corps volunteer, Don Stosberg, in 1967. The newly married pair lived in Lexington until they bought a 19th century farm near Frankfort, Ky. Julia and Don began a decades long project to restore and rebuild the onsite log house. During this time Julia and Don adopted two children, Stephen and Katherine, and later she birthed her son Mark. This period of their lives was filled with work and challenges, such as creek flooding near their home and harsh winters in the 1970s. They lived in a barn trailer while they restored the log house. Despite the natural challenges of rural life, they were able to meet and make lifelong friends with people in the Frankfort area. Julia, who had obtained a master’s degree in geography from UK, began her educational career at Kentucky State University in Frankfort. Don and Julia eventually divorced in the 1980s.
At Midway College in Midway, Ky., Julia taught social science courses and also met her future husband, Bill Slaymaker, who taught English courses at Midway. Julia convinced Bill to buy a house in Frankfort, and this move led to matrimony as they got to know each other and appreciate their common interests and shared values.
Bill was offered a job at Wayne State College in Wayne, Neb. He accepted the offer and Julia helped him move there in 1989. Bill proposed, Julia accepted, and they were married in Kentucky in 1991. Julia moved to Wayne and found work with a local Nebraska Educational Service Unit (ESU), which helped her to certify as a teacher of the visually impaired. She completed the certification and drove the windy prairie roads to rural small-town schools to help students with vision problems. She loved her job but hated winter weather in the northern plains. After serving ESU for almost two decades, she convinced Bill to find a warmer place, further south, closer to Kentucky, where they could both retire.
In 2008 they bought a house in Bloomington, Ind., where Bill had attended Indiana University graduate school. Julia retired and moved to Bloomington in 2012, and Bill joined her in 2014. Bloomington offered Julia what she had yearned for: milder climate, a cosmopolitan culture, and opportunities to do volunteer work for organizations such as Habitat for Humanity and the T.C. Steele State Historic Site. The move allowed more frequent visits with her 10 grandchildren, and she was able to relocate her sister, Martha, from Lexington to Bloomington in order to provide greater care and support. Also, her son Mark and family relocated to the same neighborhood in Bloomington.
Julia had been a traveler during her life. In retirement she enjoyed many hiking and biking tours with Road Scholar. She also took many international trips with Bill to Nigeria, Turkey, England and Ireland, Australia, Russia, Sri Lanka, India, Poland, and Martinique. The pandemic of 2020 curtailed her travels, and then in 2021, pancreatic cancer made future travel plans impossible. She received an outpouring of sympathy cards, flowers, and visitations from her many friends. It was obvious she had touched many people in positive ways and had made loyal friends who felt connected to her no matter where they lived. She died July 20, 2021.
The members of her religious community and the friends she had made in Bloomington during the nine years of residency celebrated her life, as did her three surviving children and husband Bill, all of whom provided her comfort, compassion and love through home care until her death. Hospice supported her for the last five months of her life.
A green burial graveside service was held July 22nd. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.DayDeremiahFrye.com.