In Memoriam
Members of the Chagrin Valley Astronomical Society who have passed away, but whose contributions, mentorship, and friendship continue to shape the club we are today. Per aspera ad astra.
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Marty Niemi “Martin Niemi”
Member · Indian Hill Observatory builder
Marty Niemi of Concord Township was, in Ian Cooper's words, the reason "Indian Hill would not be the facility it is today." A renaissance man whose technical capabilities spanned construction, electronics, electrical work, computers, and of course astronomy, he was the main spark plug for CVAS during the years he was with us. The club established a memorial fund in his honor after his passing in 2011. His obituary ran in the News-Herald.
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Larry P. Lovell “Larry Lovell”
Mentor · Hickox Observatory, Auburn OH · AAVSO photoelectric photometry pioneer
Larry (8 June 1921 – 3 June 2010) was not a CVAS member but a beloved mentor whose Hickox Observatory in Auburn Township, Geauga County became the training ground for the club’s variable-star and photometry program in the mid-1960s and 70s. Working alongside Art Stokes’ electronics expertise, Larry was one of the first amateur astronomers in the country to do photoelectric photometry, and he generously taught the technique to a generation of CVAS observers. He co-authored peer-reviewed papers with Dr. Doug Hall of Vanderbilt’s Dyer Observatory (HR 7275, 1982; IM Pegasi multi-year study). Larry and his wife Elizabeth Kennedy Lovell (1924–1985) took members to the AAVSO meeting honoring Leslie Peltier in 1968. After Elizabeth’s passing in 1985 he continued his observing work for another 25 years; he is buried alongside her at Auburn Center, Geauga County. He is one of the four mentors and teachers to whom We Observe — the CVAS 50th anniversary history — is dedicated. FamilySearch record.
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Arthur Stokes “Art Stokes”
Friend of CVAS · AAVSO President 1981–82 · Donor of the IHO 16-inch · Founder, Reuter-Stokes Electronics
Art Stokes lived in Hudson, Ohio from 1926 onward, and was a long-time member of the AAVSO (joined 1962) and the Cuyahoga Astronomical Society — not CVAS directly, but a close friend whose generosity made CVAS what it is. He founded Reuter-Stokes Electronics, designed the radiation detector that flew aboard the Mariner Mars Lander, pioneered the AAVSO Photoelectric Photometry Committee and chaired it for over a decade, and served as AAVSO President 1981–82. The IHO 16-inch Newtonian still in service today was built by Art alongside Norman Oberle; CVAS acquired it from him in 1978 and re-aluminized the mirror at NASA before installing it at Indian Hill. His original pier design was the template for the IHO pier still holding that telescope. He attended the IHO dedication on September 10, 1983 and remained a close friend of the club until his death on November 6, 2001 — two days after returning from the AAVSO Annual Meeting. He is one of the four mentors and teachers to whom We Observe is dedicated. AAVSO maintains an obituary and photo gallery.
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Norman Oberle “Norm Oberle”
Friend of CVAS · Co-builder of the IHO 16-inch · Founder, Cuyahoga Astronomical Association
Norm Oberle was a legend among Ohio amateur telescope makers. He was a charter member and first president of the Cuyahoga Astronomical Association, taught countless local amateurs to grind their own mirrors, and built — alongside Art Stokes — the 16-inch Newtonian that CVAS purchased in 1978 and that remains our flagship instrument at Indian Hill today. Norm passed away on February 14, 1996 at age 57 after a battle with cancer. His widow Sandy later donated his 25.5-inch Newtonian mirror to the Geauga Park District, which became the Oberle telescope at Observatory Park (dedicated August 2011) — a fitting continuation of Norm's life mission to open the heavens to the public. Astra's Stargate tribute.
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George Diedrich
Mentor · Telescope maker
George Diedrich was one of CVAS's quiet builders — a mentor at countless mirror-grinding sessions and a fixture at Indian Hill on dark Saturday nights. He is one of the four mentors and teachers to whom We Observe — the CVAS 50th anniversary history — is dedicated. If you have biographical details, photos, or stories about George, please contact the historian to expand this entry.
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Vivian Starr
Mentor
Vivian Starr was a beloved figure whose name closes the dedication of We Observe — one of the four mentors and teachers to whom the 50th anniversary history is dedicated. We carry her memory with the rest of the club's history. If you have biographical details, photos, or stories about Vivian, please contact the historian to expand this entry.
Names are listed in chronological order of passing where known. To suggest an addition, correction, or remembrance, please reach out via Contact us.