Obituaries

James L. “Jim” Ashbacher, age 77, of Defiance, Ohio, died at 8:35 A.M. on Saturday, February 27, 2016, in his home after an extended illness. Mr. Ashbacher was employed by All-Star Products near Defiance from 1956 until the plant closed in 1979 and worked for Oren Elliott Products in Edgerton, …

Donald C. Smith, age 95, of Ridgeville Corners, passed away Saturday, February 27, 2016 at the Fulton County Health Center in Wauseon. Prior to his retirement he had been a lifelong area farmer and worked at the Ridgeville Elevator for more than 20 years. Don was born in Ridgeville Corners …

Mary M. “Petie” Rychener, 89 years, of Bryan, passed away Wednesday, February 24, 2016, in Community Health Professionals Inpatient Hospice Center, Defiance. Petie was born June 12, 1926, in Bryan, Ohio to the late Oscar and Lola (Kintigh) Whitney. She was a 1944 graduate of Bryan High School. She married …

James W. Hutchinson, Jr., 84 of Montpelier and formerly of Tulsa, Oklahoma and Tavares, Florida, passed away Sunday evening at Evergreen Manor Nursing Home in Montpelier. He was born on November 25, 1931 in Detroit, Michigan to James William and Alice (Gleason) Hutchinson, Sr. In 1950 James graduated from Waldron …

Shirley A. Short, age 81, of Montpelier passed away at 4:30 am on Tuesday, February 23, 2016 at the Defiance Area Inpatient Hospice Center in Defiance, OH. She was born on September 17, 1934 in Northwest Township, Williams County, Ohio to Charles and Iris (Joyce) Pignataro. She graduated from Montpelier …

Lucile A. Seibert, age 89, of Bryan, Ohio, passed away peacefully in her sleep early Monday, February 22, 2016, at Genesis HealthCare-Bryan Center, where she was a resident. Mrs. Seibert was a 1944 graduate of Edgerton (Ohio) High School and also graduated from International Business College with an Associate Degree …

Robert M. Vorthman, age 79, of Bryan, Ohio, passed away at 1:00 A.M. on Sunday, February 21, 2016, at Genesis HealthCare-Bryan Center. Mr. Vorthman worked for over 30 years at the GM Foundry in Defiance. He was an avid reader and loved action movies. He considered himself a “foodie” and …

Philip J. Lupien, Jr., age 79, of Bryan, Ohio, passed away at 5:25 A.M. on Saturday, February 20, 2016, at Community Health Professionals Inpatient Hospice Center, near Defiance, where he was a patient. Philip was born on October 18, 1936, the son of Philip and Charlotte (Carpenter) Lupien, in his …

James R. Hopkins, 82, of Montpelier passed away Saturday morning at Defiance Area Inpatient Hospice Center. He was born on September 10, 1933 in Montpelier to Clarence Ross and Muriel E. (Jackson) Hopkins. James attended Montpelier High School. James proudly served his country in the United States Army during the …

Thomas W. Andres, 65 years, of Bryan, passed away Wednesday, February 17, 2016 at Community Health Professionals Inpatient Hospice, Defiance. Tom was born November 7, 1950 in Bryan, Ohio, the son of the late Ralph B. and Leada D. (Penrod) Andres. He was a 1969 graduate of Stryker High School …