Congratulations to Sister Sally Duffy, Gary G. Miller and John A. Ruthven for their induction into the 2018 Class of the Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame sponsored the Ohio Department of Aging.
These outstanding individuals join more than 450 Ohioans age 60 or older who have been inducted into the hall of fame since 1977. An induction ceremony took place on May 31 at the Ohio Statehouse Atrium.
Ohio’s Senior Citizens Hall of Fame honors and recognizes individuals age 60 and older who are native-born Ohioans or who have been Ohio residents for at least 10 years who are active, productive and lead purposeful lives in their communities. Nominations are evaluated on the impact of current contributions or a continuation of work and accomplishments.
When others run from trouble, you’ll find Gary G. Miller running toward it. For more than 40 years, this “Master of Disaster” has devoted his career and talents to helping people and communities prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters, both natural and man-made.
Mr. Miller is a Certified Emergency Manager and was one of seven individuals in the United States identified by the American Red Cross to serve as the Senior Red Cross Director for Major Disaster Operations. He was an administrative director of the American Red Cross Critical Response Team, which represents Red Cross at the Homeland Security Emergency Operations Center in Washington and responds to terrorism incidents and aircraft crashes. Read more about Mr. Miller.
Sister Sally Duffy, SC, has devoted her life to sacrifice, love, faithfulness and justice with a mission to improve the world around her. Calling on her expertise in education, political science, pastoral and crisis counseling, and health care administration, she works with community leaders and organizations to create safer and healthier neighborhoods in southwest Ohio.
From 2004 to 2017, Sr. Sally was president and executive director of Sisters of Charity Ministry Foundation. Sr. Sally’s advocacy and leadership contributed to greater access to affordable health care through the expansion of Medicaid in Ohio, as well as through the establishment of a free health clinic in Cincinnati’s Price Hill community. She fought to protect vulnerable residents in low-income neighborhoods from predatory lending, and drove the development of a homesteading program in Price Hill to remove the barriers to home ownership for deserving families. Read more about Sr. Sally
As a naturalist, author, lecturer and internationally known master of wildlife art, John A. Ruthven is often called the “20th Century John James Audubon.” Like his childhood hero, Mr. Ruthven made a name for himself by expressing the wonders of nature and wildlife through his incomparable art with infinite detail.
He grew up in Walnut Hills, spending many days on the banks of the Ohio River, sketch pad in hand. After serving in World War II, he studied at the Cincinnati Art Academy and the Jack Storey Central Academy of Commercial Art. He founded his company, Wildlife Internationalè, Inc., and moved to historic Georgetown, Ohio. His goal was to build a career in wildlife art and, like his mentor, with birds in particular. Read more about Mr. Ruthven