Gulch
The executive secretary in the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs died June 14 at age 59.
“When Ginnie passed away so suddenly and unexpectedly this summer, so many expressions of concern came from all over campus,” said Dr. Kaye Patten Wallace, vice president for the student experience.
“We originally were thinking of a small concrete bench that her family could take home and put in the garden,” she said. “But then a graduate assistant suggested a remembrance bench on campus.”
The graduate student, Michael Holsey, worked closely with Gulch and also suggested the location for the bench: beneath a dogwood tree atop the hill between University and Libbey halls.
“He recalled how she said she liked that area, how she walked by it every day,” Patten Wallace said.
A brief dedication ceremony will take place at 3:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 24. Patten Wallace will say a few words, and Pastor Craig Scholl of Memorial Lutheran Church in Toledo also will speak.
“This will give us a chance to have the UT community come together to remember Ginnie,” Patten Wallace said. “It also will give her family members a chance to come to campus, where Ginnie touched so many lives.”
A reception with refreshments will follow in Libbey Hall. Those planning to attend are asked to RSVP to the Office of Student Experience at 419.530.2665.
Donations came in quickly for the bench with an engraved plaque, as Gulch made an impression on many during her 12 years at the University. In 1999, she joined the staff as a secretary in the President’s Office and moved to Student Affairs in 2000.
In April, Gulch was recognized for her exceptional contributions to the UT community by the University Women’s Commission, which honored her with one of its Outstanding Women Awards.
“Ginnie truly was an outstanding person who touched many lives,” Patten Wallace said. “I was pleased she was recognized by the University Women’s Commission.”
