Lew Spurlock led walking tours of Cincinnti’s nature preserves, introduced sky-watchers to the stars and the planets, and prognosticated about the weather like a living Farmer’s Almanac during his more than 30 years with the Cincinnati Outdoor Education Centers.
The Cincinnati Recreation Commission naturalist, who died July 29, 2009, at age 86, directed various Cincinnati nature centers including California Woods, Avon Woods, Trailside Nature Center and Wolff Planetarium, the oldest planetarium in Ohio.
In 1981, he helped start the Zinzinnati Wanderers, a club that leads "volkssports" events at which people get together to walk a scenic trail and enjoy each other’s company. Lew served as the group’s first vice president.
After retiring as a naturalist in 2004, he remained involved in outdoor activities. He volunteered at Clermont County Park District events and coordinated various nature events, including a fishing outing for his church, First Lutheran in Cincinnati.
He was born Lewis Waldon Spurlock in Auburntown, Tenn., but started elementary school in Akron, Ohio, in 1930.
Lew lived in Oak Ridge, Tenn., before moving to Cincinnati in 1952. He graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a degree in speech and English in 1968.
He is survived by several cousins.
Visitation will be from 9-10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 1, 2009, at Jennings and Ayers Funeral Home, 820 S. Church St., Murfreesboro, Tenn. Graveside services will follow at 11 a.m. at Odom Cemetery in Auburntown, Tenn.
A memorial service and reception will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 6, 2009, at First Lutheran Church, 1208 Race Street, Cincinnati.
Condolences and more: Staley-Crowe Funeral Home, Cincinnati or Jennings and Ayers Funeral Home, Murfreesboro.
This obituary was posted originally on ObitsOhio.com on July 30, 2009.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment