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Denny Vincent Ayres
20, of Plum, Pennsylvania, passed away surrounded by his family, after a brief illness on December 22, 2022. He was enrolled at West Virginia University pursuing a dual degree in mechanical and aerospace engineering and participated in the WVU Rocketry Club. Ayres is survived by his parents Dennis and Melissa Ayres, sibling Samantha (Matthew) Myers, grandparents Dennis (Mary) Ayres, Mary Margaret Tedesco and Mildred Maddy, uncles and aunts Rori Jae Myers, Karen (John) Moses, Michael Maddy and Merry Stawowczyk, great aunt Deborah (Chris) Gathagan, many cousins, and the love of his life Emma McLaughlin. Crowdfunding has been started to create a scholarship in Ayres honor. Visit the WVU Foundation for more information. -
Ismail Celik
71, of Shepherdstown, passed away on March 9, 2023. Celik earned his bachelor's and master's degrees at Roberts College in Istanbul while working as an engineer for TEKSER Engineering Company and as a high school instructor at Bogazici Lycee. He spent the next four years as a research assistant at the University of Iowa and was a research assistant professor for the Institute of Hydromechanics for the University of Karlsruhe in Germany. Celik joined the faculty of WVU in 1985. He was widely recognized for his expertise in computational fluid dynamics and numerical methods, and his contributions to the field of fluid mechanics were numerous and impactful. Throughout his career he published over 200 research papers in top-tier journals and presented his work at numerous international conferences. He was particularly interested in turbulence modeling, combustion modeling, and multiphase flows, and his work in these areas was instrumental in advancing our understanding of fluid mechanics. During his tenure at WVU he was a Fulbright Senior Lecturer for the Department of Aeronautical Engineering at Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey and acted as a visiting professor for the Institute for Energy and Power-plant Technology of the Technical University of Darmstadt in Germany. Celik was a beloved mentor to his students, and he inspired countless individuals to pursue careers in engineering and sciences.
"Dr. Ismail Celik had an incredibly successful career as a renowned researcher and educator in our department spanning nearly four decades," said Jason Gross, associate professor and chair of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. "He has left a lasting legacy through his numerous contributions in the field of computational fluid mechanics and numerical methods as well as through the countless students that he mentored in research and inspired in the classroom. His dedication to our students and the department continued into his retirement through his capacity as professor emeritus with him developing and teaching a new graduate course in the department as recently as the Fall 2022 semester."
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Hugh Felton
92, of Short Gap, died on December 20, 2022. He attended West Virginia University under the GI Bill and received a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from the Statler College in 1959. While attending WVU, he was a member of Omega Chi Epsilon, the chemical engineering honor society, and Tau Beta Pi, the engineering honor society. He is survived by his loving wife of 71 years, Helen M. (Funk) Felton, children Gerald “Jerry” Felton and wife Cindy, Connie Felton and partner Ann Chinnis, Beverly Richards and husband Rodney and Susan Coleman, grandchildren Brandon Felton and wife Stephanie, Brent Felton and wife Alex, Shawna Weikle and husband Nathaniel, Jacob Richards, Zachary Coleman and Jack Coleman and great-grandchildren Lilly, Colton, Emily, Kiara and Kailey. -
Elmo J. Hurst
92, of Bonita Springs, Florida and formally Beckley, passed away on Friday, March 3, 2023. Hurst attended Bluefield College, where he studied pre-engineering for two years before transferring to West Virginia University, where he worked for the Mining Extension Department as a student. He also worked during the summers as a coal miner at the Keystone Mine in McDowell County. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mining engineering from WVU in 1953. After graduation, Hurst was commissioned to serve in the Navy during the Korean War. After completing his service, he returned to West Virginia in 1956 and accepted the position of assistant chief engineer with Winding Gulf Coal, Inc. Hurst would go on to serve in executive roles for several companies before retiring at age 58. After retirement, he pursued entrepreneurial endeavors and became the majority or part owner of multiple companies. Throughout his professional career, Hurst became a registered professional engineer in three states and held membership in many national, state and local engineering and mining societies. He founded the Association of Bituminous Contractors and served as president of the association for almost 30 years.
As a loyal Mountaineer, Hurst served on the Board of Directors of the WVU Foundation for 20 years and served a two-year term as its chairman. Hurst and the companies he ran were major contributors to the construction of the facilities building at Mountaineer Field and he was instrumental in the establishment of the Spindler and Holland Professorships at the College of Mineral and Energy Resources. As a former Advisory Committee member of COMER, he and his wife Betty established a Charitable Remainder Trust to benefit mining engineering students. In gratitude for their support, the University named and dedicated the atrium at the new COMER building on the Evansdale campus to honor them. In 1994, Hurst was inducted into the WVU's Order of Vandalia, the highest honor the University bestows upon its graduates. He was also inducted into the Woodward Circle, The Irving Stewart Society and the Business Hall of Fame. -
William Lewellen
89, of Morgantown, died of Alzheimer’s disease at his home on November 24, 2022. He was valedictorian of his 1951 graduating class at Spencer High School and studied engineering at WV Tech for two years. After serving in the Navy for two years, he enrolled at West Virginia University using the GI Bill, where he earned a bachelor's degree in aeronautical engineering in 1957. Lewellen went on to work for the Aeronautical Research Associates of Princeton, eventually becoming senior vice president of the organization. He then returned to WVU in 1993 as a research professor in mechanical and aerospace engineering, where he worked until he retired in 2009. He was inducted into the WVU MAE Academy of Distinguished Alumni and was a long-time member of the WVU MAE Advisory Committee. He is survived by his wife and best friend, Marge, two sons Kevin (Perri) and David (Cindy), three grandchildren Paul, Jacob and William, two great-grandchildren Adrian and Julia and two sisters Marybelle Hobbs and Ada Daniels. -
John “Jack” Pascoli
87, of Wheeling, passed away Monday, November 21, 2022. He received his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Carnegie Tech and a master’s degree in computer engineering from WVU. Pascoli worked at the West Virginia Department of Transportation as a senior staff engineer and played an integral role in the development of many major interstates and bridges, such as the New River Gorge. He was a member of the West Virginia Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers. He served two terms as the organization’s President and was a member of the Board of Directors for the West Virginia Society of Professional Engineers and an active member of the West Virginia Board of Professional Surveyors. He is survived by his two sons, Bart (Liz) Pascoli and Sean (Lisa) Pascoli, as well as his two grandchildren, John “Jake” and Annabella “Bella” Pascoli, and several nieces and nephews. -
Gary Winn
73, of Prosperity, died suddenly on Tuesday, January 10, 2023. For 31 years, he was a professor in the Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering at WVU’s Statler College. Winn conducted research in the area of safety management and published award-winning manuscripts. He served as coordinator for the college's doctoral program in Occupational Safety and Health. He drafted safety legislation now in place in over a dozen states. He also owned and operated the Winn Forensic LLC. Winn was a Certified Health and Safety Tech working as an expert consultant with attorneys and others as a professional witness. Winn was awarded William E. Tarrants Outstanding Safety Educator Award by the American Society of Safety Professionals for his highest level of achievement in occupational safety and health teaching, scholarship and professional service.
“Gary was fully committed to the success of the safety management program at WVU. He was a dedicated educator and mentor who ensured that young safety professionals received the necessary training, mentorship, and support to be successful and be ready to take on workplace challenges. He left a lasting legacy for the safety management program and the field of occupational safety and health,” said Ashish Nimbarte, chairperson of the Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering at the Statler College.
Winn is survived by his wife of six years, Ava Caudill Winn, daughter Laura E. Winn, son Austin L. and his wife Deanna Winn, two grandchildren Alice and Caroline, sister Cheryl and her husband Bob Oberer, and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his brother, Dennis Winn.