Hall of Fame 2008

Hall of Fame 2008


Dr. Roseann “Chic” Canfora, Class of 1968

Canfora attended Kent State University where she earned her B.S. in Education, M.A. in Journalism & Public Relations, and a Ph.D. in Educational Administration. She is the author of The Gifted Experience in Retrospect: A narrative case study of the Barberton Major Work Group.

Canfora has taught high school journalism for 27 years, launching school newspapers and journalism programs in three different high schools earning state and national awards. Currently, she is Executive Producer of Studio H TV-25 in Hudson, where she teaches broadcast journalism at Hudson High School. Canfora also teaches journalism at John Carroll University and continues to work as a suburban correspondent for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, where she has covered Summit County elections for more than 15 years.

Mary Hurbean Jones, Class of 1981

Jones graduated from the University of Akron with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science in 1985. She then attended the Akron University School of Law earning her Juris Doctorate in 1988. She put this degree to use by working with the Summit County Prosecutor’s Office. Jones then worked for the Summit County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities as their Labor Relations Director. Jones has been serving as Vice-President and legal counsel at the Oriana House, Inc. since 1996. She has also been a Chair and Board Member of Tarry House since 1997. Tarry House owns and operates residential treatment centers and programs for persons that have mental handicaps and disabilities. Jones was also selected and served as a member of Leadership Akron Class of XXII.

Robert E. Parmelee, Class of 1943

In 1950 Parmelee earned his Bachelor Degree at Heidelberg College. He earned his Master’s in Business Administration at Harvard University in 1958. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1943-1946. During these years he served as a signalman on a destroyer during WWII and participated in invasions of Normandy, Southern France and Okinawa. Parmelee rose from salesman to Vice President in the packaging industry and served as the New York Regional Director of marketing and economics consulting practice for PMM & Company. He then went on to be Senior Vice-President/CMO for a group of Control Data Corporations, Commercial Credit Companies, and Financial & Insurance Companies. He served on the Heidelberg College Board of Trustees for 32 years. Parmelee was married 47 years before his wife passed away in 2001. Together they raised two fine sons. Parmelee passed away on March 8, 2008.

Dr. Phillip Paul Ray, Class of 1974

Ray earned his Bachelor Degree in Mathematics, with a concentration in History, in 1978 at the College of Wooster. He earned his Master’s in 1980 and a PhD in 1987, both in Mathematics, from The Ohio State University.

Ray submitted a dissertation at OSU on Classical Kac-Moody Algebras in Characteristic P. He is a Mathematics professor at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Ray was an elected member of the Wooster College Phi Beta Kappa Honorary Society in 1977. He was the Valedictorian of the BHS Class of 1974; starting pitcher for the BHS 1974 baseball team; and a member of the 1972-73 BHS basketball team. Ray lives in Indiana, Pennsylvania.

Terry J. Renninger, Class of 1959

In 1963 Renninger earned his Bachelor Degree in Accounting from the University of Akron. He did post graduate studies at the University of Dayton, Butler University, and the University of Akron. Renninger earned the rank of Captain serving five years with the U.S. Army.

Renninger has been married for 45 years to BHS grad Elizabeth (Betsy) Thompson and is the father of two children and has three grandchildren. He served as Senior Vice-President for Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. and was Chief Financial Officer for A G Simpson, Inc., Toronto, Canada. Renninger is a member of the Barberton Kiwanis and has worked with Habitat for Humanity. He is retired and currently resides in Uniontown.

Dr. Donald Swarts, Class of 1947

Swarts graduated from the University of Akron with a Bachelor of Science Degree and earned his Doctorate in Organic Chemistry from the University of Cincinnati. He then started a 40 year career with Dupont where he was instrumental in the commercial production of Corian. In December 1995, Swarts received the Corian Global Business Award at the International Corian Marketing Conference to recognize him as a worldwide pioneer of DuPont Corian. Swarts was active in the local educational community, and a member of the American Chemical Society and its local Western New York affiliate. He was married to Evelyn Miller for 15 years before he passed away on May 14, 1966. He had two sons, a daughter and a granddaughter.

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