In Memoriam
Rotary District 5240 has recently lost several esteemed and vibrant members. We are saddened at their passing.
EDWARD T. HAGER, M.D., (84) Rotary Club of Thousand Oaks, Arch Klumph Society.
On February 23, the 111th Anniversary of Rotary International we lost a dear friend of Rotary in District 5240 and especially to the Rotary Club of Thousand Oaks. A Rotary club member since 1999 and District 5240 Rotarian of the year in 2009-10, he was accepted into the Arch Klumph Society in 2010 and then reached the status of Arch Klumph Level 2 before his passing, a total contribution to Rotary International of well over $500,000. Without question he guided RC of Thousand Oaks into the big leagues of philanthropic giving. To the members of his home club, though, he will be remembered for his embracement of the Spirit of Rotary and his marvelous sense of humor. Born February 16, 1932 in Reading, Pennsylvania, Ed had an outstanding academic education, including Mercer Academy, Middleburg College, Duke University and UC Berkeley. He received his MD degree from Baylor University. He practiced medicine in Santa Monica and Culver City, CA specializing in Internal medicine and Geriatrics. After 20 years as a physician, Ed became very involved in the field of investing, which led to his spending 6 years as a member of the Pacific Stock Exchange.
In Rotary, Ed found an organization that matched his passion for making a difference. In one instance, Ed initiated a matching donation drive that raised over $100,000 for the club's Rotary Foundation. Every year you could count on Ed to come up with some matching challenge program to make club member giving a success.
His favorite Rotary Foundation project was Polio Eradication. As a physician he understood firsthand what a terrible impact this disease has on both the child and their family. Ed believed that the Polio partnership with the Gates Foundation demonstrated that the world recognized what he had found: An appreciation for how effectively money is used and managed by Rotary.
Ed was equally involved in the community. In addition to his school alumni organizations and church activities he was very active in horticulture. A major financial contributor to the Botanical Gardens in Thousand Oaks, Ed was oftentimes found at the Gardens weeding and planting with other volunteers. He was a major contributor to Special Olympics and was instrumental in the establishment of the highly successful annual RC Thousand Oaks wine event fundraiser held every August.
Ed was quoted as saying “If someone ever brings peace to the world, it will be Rotary, because Rotary solves problems and brings people together.”
Ed was happily married to Andrea who preceded him in death after 34 years of marriage. He is survived by three adult children, Daniel, Robert and Christa.Larry was eulogized in the last newsletter, although we had not received his obituary. It is shown here:
9, 1945, in Highland Park, Michigan, to Philip and Louise VanEyck Emrich.Larry graduated from San Marcos High School in 1963 and graduated from UCSB in 1970 with a Bachelor's Degree in English. He dedicated his life to education and began his teaching career at Fillmore High School where he also coached basketball. He was the principal of Ventura High School beginning in 1994 until his retirement in 2006. Larry was highly thought of by colleagues and students alike, and was known for his positive disposition, good judgement and fairness.
He was a dedicated member of the Ventura Rotary Club where he served on the board of directors and as President in 2009/2010. He was the recipient of numerous Paul Harris Fellowship Awards, given to Rotarians for service above self to the community and to Rotary projects.
Having survived polio as a child, Larry was an advocate for polio eradication and had participated in the National Immunization Day representing Rotary in India on two occasions. He was very proud to have his son Triston accompany him on one of these NID trips to India. On behalf of District 5240, Larry visited many Rotary Clubs promoting participation in Rotary's goal of worldwide polio eradication.
Larry was an avid surfer, a voracious reader and enjoyed playing cribbage.
He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Karin Emrich of Ventura; son and daughter-in-law, Tristan and Christi Emrich and grandson, Finn of Valencia; brother and sister-in-law, Bud and Mary Emrich of Santa Barbara; as well as nieces, nephews and many other family members.
Memorial contributions may be made in Larry's name to the Julius Guis Memorial Foundation, Ventura Rotary Club, P. O. 2100, Ventura, CA 93002-2100.