Dash Between: Les Slaman, 78, dentist, outdoorsman, trainer of bird dogs

Les Slaman with his dogs
Annie and Sam around 2007.
(Photo courtesy of the family.)

Les Slaman, who had been a dentist in Bay Village, trained English Setters and Weimaraners for bird hunting and field trials at his farm in Lodi.

The Dash Between Dec. 9, 1932, when he was born in Cleveland, and May 13, 2011, when he died at age 78, includes stories about his dog training philosophy, his playing baseball and basketball at Lakewood High School and his appearing on Captain Penny's children's TV show on WEWS TV to promote the proper way to brush teeth.

Click here to read his Dash in the June 6, 2011, edition of the Medina County Gazette and here to view his photo gallery.

Les Slaman after pheasant hunting on a farm in Creston, Iowa, with dog Willie in 1959.(Photo courtesy of the family.)

Dash Between: Dan Brattoli, 89, Army Air Forces pilot, Distinguished Flying Cross recipient

1st Lt. Dan Brattoli, a tactical reconnaissance pilot, sits on the wing of a P-51 Mustang fighter aircraft, which bears the nickname of his wife, Vernie. He received the Distinguished Flying Cross and Air Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters for his service during World War II. (Photo courtesy of the family.)

As a kid, Dan Brattoli built wooden model airplanes with flaps that worked through a lever inside and a tail that could be moved by a tiny joystick in the cab of the plane.

His love of flight and of country led to his serving in the Army Air Forces as a tactical reconnaissance pilot, who served in the Philippines during World War II. He left the service with a Distinguished Flying Cross and Air Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters.

After the war, Brattoli frequented Ohio airfields, where he rented planes and took members of his family for rides until he was around 50 years old.

Click here to read the story in the June 5, 2011, edition of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram about Brattoli's wartime service and the rest of The Dash Between Sept. 6, 1921, when the retired Elyria carpenter was born in New Lexington, Ohio, and May 4, 2011, when he died at age 89.

View photos showing Brattoli at various stages of life at this link.

Veronica and Dan Brattoli often could be seen holding hands, even in their later years. (Photo courtesy of the family.)

Dash Between: Wally Kaczay, 84, hockey coach, ice skating instructor

Wally Kaczay

Wally Kaczay taught hundreds - possibly thousands - of youngsters to ice skate and/or play hockey from the 1950s until hanging up his skates in 2000 due to a bad hip.

The retired carpenter and home builder, who died April 21, 2011, at age 84, helped organize hockey leagues in Northeast Ohio and for several years coached the varsity hockey team at Elyria High School.

Kaczay even created an ice rink in his backyard, which served as a baseball diamond in summer and became a hangout for neighborhood kids.

Click here to read about Kaczay's Dash Between, which was published May 22, 2011, in the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram. And click here to see a gallery of photos provided by his family.

Lorain Strollers hockey team, 1940s. Kaczay is in front row, 2nd from right.

Double Dash Between: Guadalupe and Pete Flores, parents of 13, mentors to many others

Pete and Guadalupe Flores, shown with three of their 42 great-grandchildren, had 13 children, and 36 grandkids.

Guadalupe Delgado left Lorain High School in 1947 to marry Pete Flores and raise a familly. They had 13 kids, two of whom died in infancy.

While their kids were growing up, the couple volunteered with PTAs, band boosters and Mexican cultural clubs to show their support of their youngsters' activities and to be an ever-present influence, steering their kids toward productive, responsible lives. Neighborhood children gravitated toward the pair and benefitted from their example and counsel.

When their youngest were old enough for school, Guadalupe went back to school, obtained her G.E.D. and began working as a teachers' aide with preschoolers in a Head Start program. She also enrolled at Lorain County Community College, became a Head Start teacher and at one time visited migrant worker camps to persuade them to send their young kids to a day care center in western Ohio.

After graduating with an associates diegree in early childhood education, she directed a preschool program in her own neighborhood.

Click here to read more about the The Dash Between Jan. 26, 1930, when Guadalupe Flores was born Guadalupe Delgado in Lorain, Ohio, and April 24, 2011, when the retired preschool director died at age 81; and The Dash Between Nov. 3, 1926, when Pete Flores was born Pedro Flores in Fort Worth, Texas, and Feb. 27, 2011, when the Lake Terminal Railroad retiree died at age 84.

A photo slideshow is accessible at the end of their Double Dash in the May 8, 2011, Mother's Day edition of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram.

Here are the 11 children whom Guadalupe and Pete Flores raised. Two of their 13 children died in infancy.

Dash Between: Mahadeo Chand, 83, man of parables and service to others

Mahadeo Chand, center, was involved in so many government projects in India that his family couldn't be sure about the occasion on which this photo was taken of him with Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. (Photo courtesy of family.)

Dr. Mahadeo Chand, 83, a retired pathologist from India, who moved to Northeast Ohio to help care for his grandchildren, was known for his knack for seeing larger life lessons in everyday objects and occurrences.

Dr. Mahado Chand
(Photo courtesy of David Lariviere)

He held leadership posts in numerous medical, cultural and social service organizations.

Click here to read the Dash Between Jan. 1, 1928, when Chand was born in Supaul, India, and April 7, 2011, when he died at age 83.

View more photos by clicking this link.

Mahadeo Chand and his wife, Sushila Mohanka (Photo courtesy of family.)

Dash Between: Henry Schriver, 96, the "Farmer Philosopher"

Henry Schriver, Farmer Philosopher

Henry Schriver, who died March 27, 2011, gave presentations on farming and the benefits of cooperatives with the zeal of an evangelist and the humor of a stand-up comedian to farmers, youth groups and community organizations across the United States as well as in Canada, Taiwan and Russia.

One of his talks was filmed and shown to farming communities around the world by the State Department.

Schriver, who delivered his speeches in rhyme and injected amusing phrases and anecdotes that one would expect from a lifelong farmer, served in the Ohio House of Representatives for one term and on the former Belden School Board for many years.

He and his wife, Dot, raised strawberries, Holstein cattle and 11 children on their dairy and fruit farm.

"One of my favorite things that Dad did in his later years, at Mom's encouragement, was write down notes of things that interested him during his life," said his daughter Carol Schriver Carpenter. "One day in the summer of 2005, he gave me a thick (3/4"-1") stack of papers and said, 'You'll know what to do with this.' "

She organized the material, put it in booklet form and distributed it to the family.

"I'd like to encourage anyone who has vivid memories of their past to do as he did--even if it requires pretending to have a nagging spouse to keep one on target!" his daughter said. "Write down those precious memories!"

As a result of Schriver's diligence, his family had no problem sharing stories from his life for "The Dash Between" obituary feature that was published in the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram on April 24, 2001.

Due to a technical glitch, the many photos his family provided were not posted with his story online. Click here to view the photos and read the captions, which are loaded with even more information about Schriver.

Henry Schriver and his wife, Dot

Dash Between: Damon Hill, 82, delivered mail in Oberlin during a bygone era

Damon Hill, Oberlin postman

Damon Hill began delivering mail on foot in Oberlin, Ohio, in the mid-1950s, when the price of a postage stamp was 3 cents and zip codes did not exist.

He took a disability retirement in 1983, shortly before 5-digits-plus-4 zips were introduced.

Click here to read his Dash Between in the April 10, 2011, edition of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram.