Remembering Mike DeWine
James M. DeWine
August 22, 1944 – November 28, 2021
James Michael DeWine, 77, of Bellingham, Washington and Naples, Florida, passed away Sunday, November 28, at home in Bellingham. He succumbed to a very rare, aggressive form of cancer, so his battle was short lived.
He was born in Xenia, Ohio on August 22, 1944, the son of Pauline and Edward DeWine Sr. He was the last surviving sibling of five children: Ed DeWine, Jerome DeWine, Elizabeth Anne Dornhuber, and Therese Hummel.
Mike was married to Sue DeWine, and they have two children: Leigh Anne DeWine in Seattle and James DeWine in Bellingham, both of whom were with him constantly in his final weeks. Family members include Leigh Anne’s spouse Dave Roth and their two children Cora (7 years old) and Kate (5 years old) and James’ spouse Katie DeWine, and their two children Hattie (2 years old) and Ruth (2 years old). Mike was very proud of his four granddaughters and instilled in them a love of science, insatiable curiosity, and appreciation of the natural world. A close family friend, Gloria Stewart, was with the family in Mike’s final days, supporting Mike and Sue in every way possible. Mike’s many nieces and nephews are too numerous to list, but they should know that he cared deeply about all of them, family being paramount in his life.
Throughout his life, Mike served as a mentor to others. He was kind, loving, and a lifelong teacher. Many of his closest friends learned from his vast knowledge of the word in general, but especially of science. Perhaps he could have been a Jeopardy champion! He certainly loved playing it at home. He leaves behind close friends in all corners of the country, but particularly in those places he called home: Bellingham, WA, Naples, FL, Hanover, IN, Athens, OH, Centerville, OH, Oxford, OH and Xenia, Ohio.
Mike received his BA and MA from Miami University in Science Education, and his ABD from Indiana University, in Earth Science and Education. He believed in hands-on learning and instilled that in all the students he taught over the years. He worked in the Centerville, Ohio school system as an educational specialist and for The Ohio University in College of Osteopathic Medical training doctors to become teachers for over 20 years. At Marietta College and Hanover College he and Sue worked as a team in upper administration. Especially at Hanover College, as the spouse of the president, Mike worked with the catering staff and the landscaping staff to make two important aspects of a student’s experience better: the food and the spectacular beauty of the Hanover College campus.
A small family celebration of life will be held in Bellingham on December 4. For those he loved, please toast Mike this weekend with a Harp beer, one of his favorites. Cards are welcome (4737 Spring Brook St., Bellingham, Washington, 98226) and donations to honor him can be made to the Templeton Scholars Program at Hanover College. Mike believed strongly in equity and equal opportunity, particularly in respect to education. The Templeton Scholars Program provides scholarships to students who have worked to bridge gaps among economically, socially, and racially diverse groups within their communities and is a program championed by Mike and Sue in their time at Hanover.
Donations to the Benjamin Templeton Scholar Scholarship Fund may be made online.
