Wendell Horn, former BJ promotions department, passes away
Wendell Horn, 88, who was BJ assistant to the promotions director after he
graduated in 1955 from Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism, a
fellow alumnus of my State Desk editor Pat Englehart when I began at the BJ in
1969, passed away Sunday, April 10.
His resume includes having a hand in the BJ-sponsored Soap
Box Derby and Spelling Bee and as vacation substitute for the Beacon’s Movie
Critic, TV Editor and Home Section Editor.
Wendell was chairman of the Canton Literacy Commission (2021-2022),
presiding at board meetings and as ex officio member of all the Commission
committees. In 1987-88 he was senior copywriter for Goodyear Tire & Rubber
Company and its publications. From 1960-87 he managed a staff of 4 copywriters
preparing ads for Firestone dealers and stores nationwide.
Wendell graduated from Canton’s Lehman High School in 1951.
He lived in North Canton, once named New Berlin till World War and Germany
made that unpopular, for his final 18 years. Previously he lived in Akron and
Cuyahoga Falls. Wendell also was a deacon at North Canton’s Zion Lutheran
Church.
His father, Clayton
G. Horn, had a long newspaper career. The attached article from December 1971
about Clayton Horn’s retirement talks about his career.
Wendell worked under long-time director Ralph Iula whose son, Jeff Iula,
took over the Soap Box Derby responsibilities later from Ralph.
Wendell’s father, Clayton Horn, was executive director of Thompson-Brush-Moore
Newspapers. Clayton retired after 43 years with T-B-M and was a Kent State
trustee (1964-71). He also was vice president of the Pro Football Hall of Fame
in Canton since its inception. He was managing editor of the East Liverpool Review,
the Canton Repository. Clayton was born in Bellvue, Ohio.
Wendell’s obituary:
NORTH CANTON - Wendell G
Horn, 88, of North Canton, passed away on Palm Sunday, April 10, 2022. He was
born on April 19, 1933, to the late Clayton G. and Juanita K. Horn of Canton.
He attended Clarendon and Avondale grade schools and was a 1951 graduate of
Lehman High School where he played varsity basketball.
He graduated with a
Bachelor of Science Degree in Journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill
School of Journalism. It was there, he was also a member of Pi Kappa Alpha
fraternity and was Vice President his senior year.
Wendell’s first job
after college graduation in 1955 was as assistant to the promotions director at
the Akron Beacon Journal. It was there he met the love of his life, Arlene
Mosely. They were married May 21, 1960 and celebrated just under 62 years
together as loving and dedicated husband and wife.
At the Beacon
Journal he helped with coverage of the newspaper’s sponsored events, including
the Soap Box Derby and Spelling Bee. He also served as vacation substitute for
the Beacon’s Movie Critic, TV Editor and Home Section Editor.
In 1960, he started
work for the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company as Catalog Writer. He was later
promoted successively to sales promotion specialist, manager of newspaper and
supervisor of advertising.
When Firestone
moved its sales and advertising departments to Chicago in 1987, Wendell opted
to stay in NE Ohio retiring from Firestone and working as a senior writer for
the Goodyear Tire Company.
A year later, when
Goodyear closed its creative and advertising department, Wendell joined Loos
and Sexauer advertising agency in Akron, serving as senior writer and creative
director. These were positions he would next serve with Taylor-Hawkins ad
agency. He retired in 1997 at age 64.
In retirement
Wendell chose to put his energy and experience into volunteer work. He served
as president of Friends of the Stark County District Library, chairman of the
former Mayor’s Literacy Commission of Canton, and president of the Malone
University Associates. In 2013, Wendell was honored as a Distinguished Alumnus
of Lehman High School in the Civic/ Community category.
Wendell was known
as a frequent contributor to the Letters to the Editor section of The Canton
Repository. He was always surprised at how many people in the community commented
on his letters, which were often political in nature. He served two terms as
precinct committeeman for the North Canton Republican Party.
He was an avid,
lifelong sports fans, rooting for the McKinley Bulldogs, Northwestern Wildcats
and Cleveland’s Indians, Browns and Cavaliers. He felt fortunate to have
attended several major sporting events: an Indians win in the 1948 World
Series, two major league no-hitters (one of them by Indians pitcher Dick Bosman
in 1976), the Indianapolis 500, the 1981 NBA All-Star Game and the 1984 Major
League All-Star Game. He also attended four McKinley High School state
championship games – two each for the Bulldogs’ football and basketball teams.
Wendel referred to
himself as a “survivor” having conquered tuberculosis, leukemia and
non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in his adult years. He lost his sophomore year of Lehman
basketball when he had a successful operation that corrected a rare congenital
urinary tract condition.
Wendell loved his
family dearly, and enjoyed vacationing with them, including several vacations
in Siesta Key FL. He leaves his loving wife Jill and four children: Laurie Horn
of North Canton, Holly (Dylan) Atkinson of Canton, Mark (April) Horn of
Glendale AZ, and Christopher (Sabine) Horn of Goettingen, Germany and
brother-in-law Terry (Lynn) Manning of Deland FL.
Wendell was a
38-year member of Zion Lutheran Church in North Canton, where he served as
deacon. He later spent 11 years as a member of the former Martin Luther
Lutheran Church in Canton, serving as a lector and outreach chairman. When that
church closed in 2009, he became a member of Canton’s Holy Trinity Lutheran
Church.
A funeral service
will be held April 21. Calling hours will be from 10 to 11 am followed by a
service at 11 in Holy Trinity Lutheran Church at 2551 55th St., N.E. Canton,
44718. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s
Research Hospital, online at www.stjude.org .
Arnold-Canton
330-456-7291 www.arnoldfunerahome.com
