Donald Laing, Jr. [1931-2009]
The ASCSA is sad to report that Donald R. Laing, Jr. passed away on Thursday, April 2, 2009. He had been battling complications from lymphoma over the last year, but in recent weeks had recovered to the point where he was able to move into an independent living apartment at Renaissance Retirement Community, North Olmstead Township, Ohio. Born October 5, 1931 in Richeyville, Pennsylvania, he was the devoted husband of the late Daryl L. (nee Wachs) and the late Lois Marie (nee Show); beloved father of Karen Diller (Jon), David (Pam), James (Joyce), Cindi Kimble (Darren), Ried Zulager, Dana Zulager (Cody), Kae Zulager (Ron); eleven grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Professor Laing taught at Washington and Jefferson College (1954-59), for the Department of History at the University of Cincinnati (1960-61), and in 1962 he joined Case Western Reserve University’s Department of Classics where he remained active even after his retirement in 2003.  Among the positions he held at Case Western Reserve University were chair of the Department of Classics, Assistant Dean for Study Abroad in the Office of Collegiate Affairs, and Associate Professor Emeritus of Classics.  His research interests included Greek History, especially Athenian naval inscriptions, on which he published several articles including “A New Arrangement of the Fragments of IG II2 1951” [AJA 73 (1965): 240], “A Reconstruction of IG II2 1628,” [Hesperia 37 (1968): 244-54), and “A Reconstruction of the Text of IG II2 1613” [AJA 75 (1971) 207].  He was a long-time member of the Cleveland Archaeological Society and served as both its vice-president and president; an annual lecture of the Society has been endowed and named in his honor. He served as the Phi Beta Kappa chapter secretary for many years, and also served on the Board of Directors of the Cleveland Association of Phi Beta Kappa. He received his A.B. at Washington and Jefferson College in 1953, an M.A. in Classics from the University of Cincinnati in 1960, and his Ph.D. in Classics in 1965, also from the University of Cincinnati. Laing was a member of the 1957 Summer Sessions and a Research Fellow of the School 1967-1968, holding the AIA Olivia James Fellowship. He was the Director of Summer Session II in 1976 and Summer Session I in 1987.  Laing represented Case Western Reserve University to the ASCSA Managing Committee beginning in 1968, serving as a voting member up to 2008, when he requested to become a non-voting member of the Managing Committee.  He worked closely with Henry S. Robinson at the excavations on Corinth’s Temple Hill in the 1970s as part of the Case Western Reserve University expedition team, and at the time of his passing he was working on some unpublished Greek inscriptions unearthed during those excavations.  In 2008 he donated most of his and Robinson’s epigraphical and archaeological material, books, and offprints to The Ohio State University, where it is split between their Center for Epigraphical and Palaeographical Studies and their Museum of Classical Archaeology. A funeral/memorial service was held on Monday, April 6 at Busch Funeral Home in Parma, Ohio. The family asks that rather than sending flowers, consider donating to the charity of your choice. Condolences may be sent to his daughter: Ms. Karen Diller, 2372 CR 109 Lindsey, OH 43442.