Person Sheet


Name Ann Marie Ruesink65
Birth 6 May 1944, Adrian, Michigan65
Death 25 Mar 2004, Pierce Co, Wisconsin
Occupation Educator/administrator
Education B.A. & M.A. Oberlin, Ph.D. Michigan
Father (Living) Ruesink
Mother Alberta May Foltz (1913-1993)
Spouses
1 (Living) Lydecker
2 (Living) Favor
Children (Living)
(Living)
Notes for Ann Marie Ruesink
Taught at Gustavus Adolphus 1980-87, teacher/administrator at Mankato St 1987-92, founding dean of new School of Education at Bridgewater State College in Massachusetts 1992. In June 1996 Ann became Provost and Vice President for Academic Affiars at BSC, and in 2000 she became Chancellor at Univ. Wisconsin-River Falls.

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Statement on the Death of Chancellor Ann Lydecker
Katharine C. Lyall, President
University of Wisconsin System
March 25, 2004

"On behalf of the entire University of Wisconsin System family, I want to express our shock and deep sadness at the news of the death of Ann Lydecker. She was an inspirational and energetic leader, but as important, she was a warm and supportive colleague and friend to us all. She will be deeply missed.

"Our heartfelt sympathies go out to Ann's family, friends and the entire UW-River Falls campus community. Ann was a remarkable individual who was passionate about her work, shaping the future for the students of her campus. Her legacy will be with the university and the campus for many years to come. I am deeply grateful that Ann had put in place a very strong management team and I have asked Virginia Coombs to serve as the Interim Chancellor for UW-River Falls. I appreciate her willingness to help the campus through this difficult period. At the appropriate time, we will have more to say about the next steps in leadership transition, but at this time, we want to respect Ann's family and do what we can to remember and celebrate her life and achievements."
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From the Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune:

UW-River Falls chancellor killed in car wreck
Associated Press
March 25, 2004

OAK GROVE TOWNSHIP, Wis. -- The chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-River Falls was killed when the car she was driving collided with a pickup truck at a Pierce County intersection Thursday. Ann M. Lydecker died in the crash after she missed a stop sign at U.S. 10 and County Highway E, about seven miles south of River Falls at 6:39 a.m., Sheriff Everett Muhlhausen said. A man in the pickup truck was not seriously hurt, Muhlhausen said.
Lydecker, 59, took office as the university's first female chancellor in April 2001. UW System President Katharine Lyall described Lydecker as ``an inspirational and energetic leader.'' Lyall said Lydecker was a ``remarkable individual who was passionate about her work, shaping the future for the students of her campus.''
Virgil Nylander, who retired two months ago as vice chancellor of administration and finance, said Lydecker was extremely approachable, for administrators and students alike. ``She was a warm, open kind of individual,'' Nylander said. ``I don't know of an administrator that loved people more that she did.'' Nylander, as a member of the chancellor search committee, helped bring Lydecker to the 5,600-student western Wisconsin campus. ``One of her major pushes was to involve the university with communities in the region,'' he said. ``We could help them with economic issues, but there's also the artistic things.''
Before accepting the chancellor's position at River Falls, Lydecker had been on the faculty at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minn., and Minnesota State, Mankato.
She is survived by her husband, Bill, two grown sons and two grandchildren. Muhlhausen said another fatal accident occurred at the same intersection Jan.
Last Modified 25 Mar 2004 Created 26 Nov 2004 using Reunion for Macintosh

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