Donald J. Slowinski, former president of CCBC Essex, dies
Donald J. Slowinski, the former president of the Community College of Baltimore County – Essex, died of multiple organ failure Feb. 19 at Stella Maris Hospice. The former Towson resident was 89.
Born in Newark, New Jersey, and raised in Irvington, he was the son of Julius Slowinski, a printing firm owner, and Nora Majewski Slowinski, who ran the family home. While a student at Irvington High School, the younger Mr. Slowinski met his future wife, Val Jean Sytko.
He earned both his bachelor's and master's degrees from Rutgers University in 1957 and 1963. His doctoral dissertation, completed at George Washington University, focused on the role of students as change agents within higher education.
'Donald believed strongly in the power of education to transform lives,' said his granddaughter Elizabeth C. Lewis.
He began teaching English at Highland Park High School in Highland, New Jersey, and soon became assistant admissions director at Rutgers. He moved to Maryland in 1963 as director of admissions at what is now Towson University.
'He was bigger than life. He was a faith-filled man,' said his daughter Donna Jean Pamfilis. 'He loved good food and a good laugh. He had a strong moral compass. He was an an early riser and a hard worker. He was a gifted public speaker and would write his talks in the pre-dawn hours.'
He later moved to what was then called Essex Community College and became associate dean of instruction and dean of students.
'Donald was a man of the people. His door was always open,' said F. Scott Black, a friend and CCBC faculty member. 'He was polite and a friend to everyone.'
In 1990, Mr. Slowinski was named the college's president, a post he held until 1996. He then received president emeritus status.
News Obituaries | Charles Barry Truax, former advertising executive, dies
News Obituaries | Rosetta Webster Graham, founder of the Family Bereavement Center, dies
News Obituaries | Dennis Patrick O'Brien, former Baltimore Sun reporter, dies
News Obituaries | Jane Blunt Clemmens, former pediatric nurse, dies
News Obituaries | Phebe L. McPherson, first woman to be ordained a priest in the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland, dies
On March 24, 2010, in recognition of Mr. Slowinski's dedication to higher education in the state of Maryland, then-Gov. Martin O'Malley proclaimed that day as a day of tribute to him.
Mr. Slowinski was a participant in the first class of the Leadership Maryland professional development program and went on to serve on its board.
After moving to Towson's Campus Hills neighborhood in 1963, he became an active member of Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Parish and was a past parish council president and lector. He was also a member of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.
Survivors include two sons, Donald J. Slowinski Jr., of Lawrenceville, Georgia, and James B. Slowinski, of Greenville, North Carolina; three daughters, Donna Jean Pamfilis of Wilmington, North Carolina, Mary E. Dorsey, of Midlothian, Virginia, and Patricia A. Curran, of Stevensville; 13 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. His wife, Val Jean Sytko Slowinski, a Community College of Baltimore County-Essex speech professor, died in 2014. A son, Christopher G. Slowinski, died in 2017.
A funeral Mass was held Feb. 22 at Immaculate Conception Church.
Have a news tip? Contact Jacques Kelly at jacques.kelly@baltsun.com and 410-332-6570.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
a day ago
- New York Post
Archaeologists may have finally solved the mystery of Roanoke's ‘Lost Colony'
A team of researchers believes they may have cracked one of America's most enduring legends: Where did the settlers of the Roanoke Colony go? The Roanoke Colony, also known as the Lost Colony, was the first permanent English settlement in the United States. A group of over 100 colonists settled on North Carolina's Roanoke Island in 1587, led by Sir Walter Raleigh. John White, the governor of the colony, returned to England for supplies in 1587. When he came back to Roanoke Island in August 1590, he found the settlement mysteriously abandoned – and all the colonists, including his daughter Eleanor Dare and his granddaughter Virginia Dare, gone. One of the only clues remaining at the site was the word 'CROATOAN' carved into a palisade. It either referred to Croatoan Island, which is now called Hatteras Island, or the Croatoan Indians. The mystery has haunted Americans and Brits for the past four centuries, with several investigations launched into the matter. Whether the colonists were killed by Native Americans, starved to death, or left for greener pastures has eluded historians. But new research suggests the colonists' fate may not have been tragic after all. Mark Horton, an archaeology professor at the Royal Agricultural University in England, spoke with Fox News Digital about his findings. 5 A team of researchers believes they may have cracked one of America's most enduring legends: Where did the settlers of the Roanoke Colony go? Getty Images For the past decade, the British researcher has worked with the Croatoan Archaeological Society's Scott Dawson to uncover the mystery. Horton said they've uncovered proof that the colonists assimilated into Croatoan society, thanks to a trash heap. 'We're looking at the middens — that's the rubbish heaps — of the Native Americans living on Hatteras Island, because we deduced that they would have very rapidly been assimilated into the Native American population,' Horton said. The smoking gun at the site? 5 The mystery has haunted Americans and Brits for the past four centuries, with several investigations launched into the matter. Youtube/IslandTimeTV Hammerscale, which are tiny, flaky bits of iron that come from forging iron. Horton said it's definitive proof of iron-working on Hatteras Island, which could have only been done by English colonists. 'The key significance of hammerscale … is that it's evidence of iron-working, of forging, at that moment,' he said. 'Hammerscale is what comes off a blacksmith's forge.' Start your day with all you need to know Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more. Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters Horton added, 'This is metal that has to be raised to a relatively high temperature … which, of course, [requires] technology that Native Americans at this period did not have.' Hammerscale shows that the English 'must have been working' in this Native American community, according to the expert. But what if the hammerscale came longer after the Roanoke Colony was abandoned? Horton said that's unlikely. 'We found it stratified … underneath layers that we know date to the late 16th or early 17th century,' he said. 'So we know that this dates to the period when the lost colonists would have come to Hatteras Island.' 5 The Roanoke Colony, also known as the Lost Colony, was the first permanent English settlement in the United States. Getty Images 5 'We're looking at the middens — that's the rubbish heaps — of the Native Americans living on Hatteras Island, because we deduced that they would have very rapidly been assimilated into the Native American population,' Mark Horton, an archaeology professor at the Royal Agricultural University in England, said. Youtube/IslandTimeTV 'It's a combination of both its archaeological position but also the fact that it's evidence of people actually using an English technology.' At the site, archaeologists also found guns, nautical fittings, small cannonballs, an engraved slate and a stylus, in addition to wine glasses and beads, which all paint a vivid picture of life on Hatteras Island in the 17th century. When asked if the colonists could have been killed in a later war, Horton said they survived among the Croatoans and successfully assimilated. 'We have one little snippet of historical evidence from the 1700s, which describes people with blue or gray eyes who could remember people who used to be able to read from books,' he said. 'Also, they said there was this ghost ship that was sent out by a man called Raleigh.' 5 When asked if the colonists could have been killed in a later war, Horton said they survived among the Croatoans and successfully assimilated. Youtube/IslandTimeTV Horton added, 'We think that they assimilated into the Native American community and their descendants, their sons, their granddaughters, their grandsons carried on living on Hatteras Island until the early 18th century.' When asked if he's officially solved the mystery, Horton said that though the archaeological evidence is definitive, the legend will probably still endure. 'Have we solved the mystery? Well, you know, it's pretty good evidence, but there's always more work to be done,' he said. Horton added, 'And people love mysteries. They hate resolving things one way or the other. So I'm sure that the mystery will continue, you know, whatever the scientific evidence says.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Donald L. Agler, Austintown, Ohio
AUSTINTOWN, Ohio (MyValleyTributes) – Donald L. Agler, 92, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, surrounded by his family. He was born to the late Paul L. and Kathryn Ruegsegger Agler on October 17, 1932 in Beach City, Ohio. Find obituaries from your high school Donald wed Mary Lou Muzenjack on October 6,1956, and they celebrated 57 wonderful years of marriage. Mary Lou passed away February 2014. Donald was a 1950 Chaney High School graduate, affectionately nicknamed 'Hogs'where he played football, basketball and baseball. Following graduation, he honorably served in the United States Marine Corps from June 1952 through June 1955. His military service took him overseas during the Korean War. Following discharge, he began his career at Ohio Bell Telephone and remained there for 32 years, retiring as a Central Office supervisor. He then went on to work as a toll collector at the Ohio Turnpike, Gate 15, for 14 years. Don will be remembered for his friendly demeanor and his quick wit combined with sarcasm. He enjoyed coaching his son on various Little League teams in the Millcreek Junior Baseball League. Frequent vacations were taken with his wife MaryLou to Las Vegas and Florida, especially enjoying 'Youngstown Day.' Don also loved calling his Ohio Bell retiree friends to remind them of the monthly breakfast, which he never missed. Anyone who knew Don also knew of the passion he had for horse racing at Waterford/Mountaineer Park. At one time, he was the proud owner of his own race horse, J.O. Stoop, which he enjoyed several wins with at Mountaineer. Donald is survived by his son, Donald Jr. (Carol) of Boardman; daughter, Betsy Agler of Austintown; grandchildren, Shelby Parker (T.J.) of Austintown and Anthony (Alicia) Morocco of Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina; six great-grandchildren, Anthony and Adriana Morocco of Mt. Pleasant and Kenley, Mila, Trey and London Parker of Austintown; sister-in-law, Jennie Costas of Columbus; and several nieces and nephews. Donald also leaves his granddog, Bella, who would sit on his lap for hours to receive endless attention. In addition to his parents, Don was predeceased by his brothers, Paul Rodney and John Robert Agler; nephew, Thomas Agler; sister-in-law, Beverley Agler; and brother-in-law, James Costas. He was also predeceased by his step-father, George Salaggi. The family wishes to thank the staff of Aventura at Humility House Assisted Living for the wonderful care and always going above and beyond to keep a watchful eye on Don. Family and friends may call 9:00 – 11:00 a.m Thursday, June 12, 2025, at Higgins-Reardon Funeral Homes, Austintown Chapel, 4303 Mahoning Ave., with a funeral service to follow. Entombment will be at Calvary Cemetery in Youngstown, where military honors will be performed in recognition of his service to our country. Donations can be made to Friends of Fido, ℅ Mahoning County Dog Pound, 1230 Meridian Road, Youngstown, OH 44509 in memory of Don. Family and friends may visit to send condolences to Don's family. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Donald L. Agler, please visit our flower 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Guilford Woods protected by Piedmont Land Conservancy
GREENSBORO, N.C. (WGHP) — The last-standing underdeveloped woods in Greensboro will be saved. Guilford Woods is packed with rich history from the Revolutionary War to the Underground Railroad and is an oasis of ecology. Guilford Woods is where the revolutionary soldiers once walked,and the freedom seekers hid. It's a home to many ecologies. Through the Piedmont Land Conservancy and Guilford College's partnership, the area will be officially protected. To Jim Hood, a retired English professor from Guilford College and a former interim president of Guilford College, Guilford Woods is a special place. 'I spent a lot of time walking around here and learning the names of the plants and animals that lived here,' Hood said. He said in a rapidly developing suburban area, Guilford Woods is the last remaining forest that is untouched, and that is important. 'These trees clean the air. This forest cleans the water for Greensboro,' Hood said. The memories, meaning, and legacy are rooted in nature. Hood highlighted the witness tree, which is approximately 350 years old. It's a silent witness to the operation of the Underground Railroad. 'Freedom seekers hiding out in these woods on their ways to Indiana or other parts of the north to get away from the evils of slavery,' he said. Guilford College and the Piedmont Land Conservancy have teamed up to preserve 120 acres of the most valuable areas of the woods. Now, Guilford Woods can continue to be used as an outdoor classroom and financially benefit the college. 'It's a way for the college to withdraw some money from an asset that was increasing in value not in a tangible kind of way, but this makes it more tangible,' he said. For Kevin Redding, the executive director of the Piedmont Land Conservancy, retracing the steps of the revolutionary soldiers made preserving the land a cause worth fighting for. 'Hundreds of years old forest. It has the history component to it. It has the educational component to it. It has a public available recreation part of it. It has everything we would wish in a conservation property,' Redding said. The Piedmont Land Conservancy plans on raising $8.5 million through private donations. In total, they will be preserving about 245 acres of land in the area, including Price Park. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
