Dayton Docket
Law School In Memoriam 2024
As we reflect on this year, we want to remember those we lost from the law school family in 2024. If you know of any other law alumni who died this year but are not on the list, please email Jordan Burgess at jburgess1@udayton.edu.
David Allegrucci '87
David Eugene Allegrucci, 61, of Buckeye, Ariz., passed away on Feb. 26, 2024, after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer. He was born on July 6, 1962, in Scranton, Pa., to Jean Gallagher-Aronson and the late Eugene Allegrucci.
David was the proud owner of the Allegrucci Law Firm. He graduated from Bishop Hannan High School and went on to attend the University of Scranton and the University of Dayton Law School.
A nature enthusiast, David traveled on numerous African safaris and loved spending time outdoors, especially hiking in the desert to track wildlife. He had a deep appreciation for sunsets, his cats and the beauty of the desert after a rainfall. An avid Arizona Cardinals fan, David held season tickets for over 30 years. He enjoyed hunting, hiking, writing, reading and fly fishing in his leisure time. He was especially proud of his Italian heritage and spoke of it often.
Obituary from August J. Haas Funeral Home
Catherine (Cathy) Barber '79
The Honorable Judge Catherine (Cathy) M. Barber, 77 of Xenia, formerly of Fairborn, passed away on Monday, October 7, 2024.
Cathy was born on September 19, 1947 in Wilkes Barre, PA, the daughter of the late Lt. Col. (Ret.) Curvin, Jr. and Ellen (McNally) Miller. She was born with an adventurous soul and lived in many states in the US as well as several countries growing up as a military dependent.
A 1965 graduate of Fairborn High School, Cathy was active with the National Honor Society, Tri-Hi-Y, and the Prince of Peace speech contest. She graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Honors College of Ohio University in 1969 and earned a Juris Doctor degree in 1979 from the University of Dayton Law School.
She became the first female attorney to have a private law practice in Fairborn. In 1991 she was appointed as the first referee/magistrate/chief arbitrator to serve the general division of the Greene County Common Pleas Court and in 1995 became the first woman to be elected judge of the Fairborn Municipal Court, serving for twelve years. Post retirement, she continued to serve many area community courtrooms when there was a need for assistance.
Cathy was a member of the Ohio State Bar Association, past president of the Greene County Bar Association and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Ohio Association of Municipal and County Court Judges. A founding member and past president of the Fairborn Chapter of NOW, she has also been a member of the Fairborn Republican Women's Club, the Fairborn and Beavercreek Chamber of Commerce and a Paul Harris Fellow of the Fairborn Rotary. A former board member of the Greene County United Way, she was an initial inductee into "Women of Renown Around Town", a 2002 inductee into the Fairborn City Schools' Hall of Honor and was the Fairborn Sweet Corn Festival Queen in 2008.
Cathy's love for travel continued throughout her life as she visited 87 countries and her ability to speak 5 languages often helped during her journeys. She also had a fondness for Las Vegas where she and her husband had a second home. Cathy was an avid reader and had several first edition books, with a favorite being her collection of Gone with the Wind books.
Obituary from Belton Stroup Funeral Home
Sanford "Sandy" Casper '81
Sanford "Sandy" Casper, age 71, passed away on January 30th, 2024. Sandy was a true hippie at heart, he was born to run.
Obituary from Weil Kahn Funeral Home
David Gilmore '78
David was born in Dayton, Ohio, and a proud graduate of the University of Cincinnati, where he earned a B.A. in Political Science in 1974. He later attended the University of Cincinnati Graduate School of Business and received his law degree from the University of Dayton in 1978. After passing the Ohio Bar in 1980 and the Florida Bar in 1981, David built a distinguished career as an attorney, specializing in Wills, Trusts, and Estates Law. He was a Board Certified Attorney in his field and was admitted to the Supreme Court of the United States of America in 2004.
David was an active member of several professional organizations, including the West Pasco Bar Association, where he served as Past-President from 1992 to 1993; The Florida Bar, where he was a member of the Sections on Real Property, Probate and Trust Law, and Tax Law; and the North Suncoast Estate Planning Council, where he served as Past-President from 1987 to 1988.
David was a member of Pearl of the West Masonic Lodge No. 146 F.&A.M. in New Port Richey and a member of Shriners International.
His dedication to his profession and his clients was widely respected by peers and colleagues.
Outside of his professional life, David was an avid golfer and a lifelong fan of Ohio State Football, always sharing his love for the game with family and friends.
Obituary from Thomas P. Dobies Funeral Homes and Crematory
Stacey Jackson '99
Stacey Jackson, a 1999 graduate of the University of Dayton School of Law, died on May 5, 2024.
Jackson had been the District Attorney of the Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit.
Learn more at WTVM.com or at the Ledger-Enquirer
Daniel Kosanovich '77
Daniel Nicholas Kosanovich, age 72, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on Thursday, January 4, 2024. Dan was born in 1951, growing up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with a loving family of father Rudy, mother Mary Lou and brother Rodney. He graduated from Carrick High School (Class of '69). As starting quarterback of the Carrick football team, he dated a cheerleader at South Hills High School, his school's archrival. The romance worked out as he was married and devoted to his high school sweetheart, Bobbie, for over 50 years.
He played football and graduated from Washington & Jefferson College (Class of '73), where he served as president of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity. After college, he worked as a high school teacher before attending law school at the University of Dayton (Class of '77). Admitted to the bar in Ohio in 1977, he joined the law firm of Logothetis and Pence in Dayton serving unions in the field of labor law.
In the 1990s through retirement, he utilized his expertise to create his own venture serving as a mediator and arbitrator and was a member of the National Academy of Arbitrators. In addition to co-authoring the book "In Pursuit of Positive Solutions," he served as an adjunct faculty member at both the University of Dayton School of Law and Antioch University's McGregor School. Despite numerous professional achievements, Dan is most notably remembered for his devotion to family, whether it was serving as the coach for every single soccer, basketball or baseball team for each of his four children, or leaving love notes and writing poems to surprise his wife. He lived for the yearly family trips to the Outer Banks or Virginia Beach to relax with family and long-time friends. Dan's legacy can be found in the laughter and stories shared as a reflection of his well-lived life.
Richard Schaedler '78
Richard John Schaedler, known affectionately as Rich by his loved ones, passed away peacefully on August 1, 2024, at the age of 72. Rich was a lifelong resident of Hellertown, born there on February 25, 1952.
Rich was a man of profound integrity and intellect, a pillar of his community, and a friend to all who knew him. After graduating from Hellertown-Lower Saucon High School, he pursued higher education with a fervent spirit, earning his undergraduate degree from Moravian College in 1974. His passion for justice and order guided him to the University of Dayton Law School, where he honed his skills to become a respected estate attorney. Rich dedicated his career to serving others at the law firm of Butterfield, Joachim, Schaedler, & Kelleher in Bethlehem, where his expertise and compassion were unmatched. His commitment to the legal profession was further demonstrated through his active involvement with the Pennsylvania State Bar Association and Northampton County Bar Association. Rich was also an avid sports fan. He especially enjoyed attending hockey, baseball, soccer and formula one racing with friends.
Rich's life was not all work; he was deeply rooted in his faith as a devout member of the St. Theresa of the Child Jesus Roman Catholic Church in Hellertown. His spirituality was a guiding force in his life, providing him with strength and solace. Rich’s presence in the congregation was a testament to his unwavering belief in kindness, community, and the power of faith.
Obituary from Cantelmi Long Funeral Homes
Chelsea Shekmer Hintzen '18
Chelsea Rhea Shekmer Hintzen, 35, of Beavercreek, passed away surrounded by family on Wednesday, August 28, 2024, at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. She was born on April 22, 1989 in Voorhees, New Jersey, the daughter of B. Rene Shekmer and John L. Hintzen. Chelsea grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and graduated from Grand Valley State University and the University of Dayton Law School. She married Andrew Sullivan on July 2, 2023. They lived in Beavercreek, Ohio. Chelsea loved spending time with family, traveling the world, and rescuing stray animals.
Obituary from Conroy Funeral Home
Robert "Bruce" Snyder - Advisory Council Member
Robert Bruce Snyder, 79, passed away on December 9, 2024, with his beloved wife and daughter by his side.
Bruce was born on December 7, 1945, in Dayton, OH, the son of Robert C. and Miriam Snyder. After graduating from Oakwood High School in 1964, Bruce graduated from Yale University in 1968, cum laude. Bruce then proudly served his country for two years with the Army as a personal actions specialist in Korea, where he was awarded an Army Commendation Medal. After serving, Bruce attended The Ohio State University School of Law and graduated in 1973, summa cum laude, where he was elected a Fellow of the Order of the Coif.
In 1975, Bruce married the love of his life and best friend, Linda (Amann) Snyder and the forever couple went on to build their lives in their mutual home community of Oakwood, OH. It was there where they raised the light of their life and daughter, Gretchen.
Bruce was a partner in the Dayton, Ohio firm of Estabrook, Finn & McKee at the time of the merger into Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP and served for 19 years as Partner-in-Charge of the Dayton office.
Bruce was active in his community where he demonstrated generosity through gift of time, talent, and resources. He was a member of the Dayton Country Club (former Board of Directors and General Council), the Dayton Yale Club (former President), the City of Oakwood Personnel Review Board, the Dayton Bicycle Club, Oakwood High School Athletic Booster Club (form Membership Chairman), Oakwood High School Rules of Conduct Revision Committee (former member), and Miami Valley Hospital Health Foundation (former Grant Committee Chairman). Bruce also served for over 25 years as the Trustee of the Hubert A. and Gladys C. Estabrook Charitable Trust to benefit law schools and legal education in Ohio and as an Executive Committee member of the University of Dayton School of Law Advisory Council.
Despite Bruce’s many professional and personal accomplishments, he will be most remembered as a devoted husband, hero to his daughter, and empathetic mentor and friend to those that were fortunate enough to know him.
Patricia Suttmann '84
Patricia Aileen Suttmann was born November 23, 1948, in Dayton, Ohio.
My sister, my best friend, made the Great Leap on March 19, year of our Lord two thousand and twenty-four.
She is survived by her only sibling, Clement Charles Suttmann with hundreds of cousins and a niece, Mara Lea-Suttmann and two nephews, Noah Christopher Suttmann and Logan Nicholas Suttmann who she loved most. She was their pull toy.
There aren’t enough words in any language that could describe the number of people who loved her, her massive accomplishments in the fields of academics, professional careers, volunteer work, and fighting for the legal rights of abused mothers and children. Her work, on a volunteer basis with the University of Michigan Depression Center, probably remains the precedence.
She held two Master’s degrees, an MBA from the University of Dayton, a Master’s in City Planning from ‘that’ school in Columbus, Ohio and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Dayton. She served on the law review board for years at her almamater (and her favorite school), THE University of Dayton Flyers.
Over all our years together, while we did not talk daily, we probably did five times a week. We remained the best of friends a sister and a brother ever achieved. One of my favorite memories is when she and I would climb out my old bedroom window at my parent’s farm, call Sugarbrush, in Southern Ohio, and drink adult beverages, and talk and talk and talk, all the while gazing at the splendor of a sky with no light pollution and stars by the billions. She was my confidant. Now she is among those very stars.
I am fortunate because I know exactly where she Is! She is without tears and pain (or that damn ileostomy pouch) which, despite being her worst fear for decades, she handled for years with grace and dignity.
She is embraced with all the Divine Love He offers, which is endless, and she is again with those she loved most, our Pop and Mom. Her incredibly strong faith was nothing short of exceptional. Her love of people endless. Her charity work with her time never ending.
To say I will miss her is the most massive understatement one could say. I also know I can now talk with her endlessly, like I do Mom and Dad, because where she is…
Absolutely anything is possible.
All my love Shorty, forever
Your ‘big’ younger brother
C
John (Jack) Yetter '96
John Patrick (Jack) Yetter, 53, of St. Charles, died unexpectedly Monday, September 2, 2024, at the University of Chicago Hospital, Chicago.
He was born August 4, 1971, in Park Ridge, IL, the son of the late Duane and Marilyn Yetter.
Jack, an attorney, was employed by Northern Illinois University as the Director of Privacy. Jack had a lifelong commitment to the sport of swimming, beginning at age 5 and competing through college. After finishing his competitive career, Jack continued to give his time to the sport as a coach, official, and swim dad. Jack was an integral part of USA Swimming, Illinois Swimming, and St. Charles Aquatics.