Joseph Charles Ayer

Joseph Charles (Joe) Ayer, 89, of Mount Pleasant Retirement Village passed away on Friday, December 2, 2005 at the Middletown Regional Hospital. He was born on April 7, 1916 in Windham, Connecticut to Edward Perkins Ayer and Laura (nee Wilford) Albertine. His father was a clergyman in the Congregational Church and became chaplain in the State Senate.

He and Laura M. Burton were married in Hamilton County, Ohio on October 4, 1951.

Joe was in the United States Army during World War II and Laura was an army nurse with General George Patton’s Third Army. She attained the rank of Captain at the time of her discharge. They happened to meet on the ship when Joe was returning home and Laura was on leave. He was badly injured and she tended him. He was honorably discharged as a First Lieutenant in the 47th Infantry Division. He had gone to France six days after D-Day in 1944. He was injured by land mine shrapnel in both legs which resulted in his being sixty percent disabled and was relieved from active duty and discharged on May 15, 1946. He was awarded the Purple Heart, Combat Infantry Medal, Bronze Star and others given to World War II servicemen.

Joe was a graduate of Otterbein College, Westerville, Ohio class of 1940 with a BSE and a BA in History. He was editor of the school newspaper, class Treasurer and Quiz and Quill President (a club for writers and poets). He also received a B.Ed. from University of Cincinnati and a M.Ed. from Xavier University and became a teacher and was later principal of Withrow High School in Cincinnati. He joined Miami University at its Middletown campus in August 1967 as co-ordinator of Student Affairs and was named Director of Student Affairs in 1975. He retired in 1977 but returned the same year as counselor to part-time students. He resigned on May 16, 1986. He then lived on Orchard Street in Middletown. He and Laura moved to Mount Pleasant Retirement Village in Monroe, Ohio in 1988.

Joe was preceded in death by his wife Laura in 2002, and a half sister, Harriet Ayer Whitmore of New York City who had a daughter, Angela and a son, Ralph Jr.. Joe has two cousins living, Rebecca Lane and Winthrop Smith, both of Branford, Connecticut.

Joe had many friends and admirers. Among those was Nell Griffin, formerly assistant principal at Norwood High School, who met again when both became residents of Mount Pleasant. She says Joe was noted for his graciousness and his quiet effectiveness in all he undertook. Joe in his latter days was shown great devotion by Kathryn Proctor of Monroe, who had his power-of-attorney and took care not only of his business affairs, but visited him almost daily.

A Memorial Service will be held at Mount Pleasant Retirement Village, 225 Britton Lane, Monroe, Ohio, on Thursday, December 8, 2005 at 2:00 pm. officiated by Reverend Patrick Warren of Monroe Presbyterian Church, of which Joe was a member, and Chaplain Stan Gockel. Joe was an elder of the Presbyterian Church of Middletown. At his request, he will be cremated and his remains will be buried by those of his late wife, Laura, at Dayton National Cemetery in Dayton, Ohio.

Funeral Home:
Wilson-Schramm-Spaulding
3805 Roosevelt Blvd.
Middletown, OH
US 45044