GIRARD, Ohio – Gretchen Roemer Birrell, died on Oct. 18, 2009.

She was born on Feb. 8, 1925 in Canton, Ohio to May Ethel and Henry A. Roemer.

After attending Ellis School in Pittsburgh and Abbott Academy in Andover, Mass., she graduated from Vassar College in the class of 1945-4 choosing to accelerate her degree in chemistry, during World War II.
While in college, she acquired her private pilot’s license with the goal of joining the Women’s Air Force, but this plan was vetoed by her father.
After graduation from Vassar, she worked for E.I. Dupont in Cleveland, Ohio until her marriage in 1947 to G. Fordyce Gayton, who preceded her in death in 1982.

In the 1950s, she began a life-long path of volunteer community service with specific interest in Planned Parenthood of Mahoning Valley, serving as a board member and its president.

During the 1960s, she taught mathematics and investments at Youngstown State University.

She was actively involved in the hospital community of Youngstown serving initially as member and chairman of the Women’s Board of the Youngstown Hospital Association and in 1981 was named the first female member of the Board of Trustees of Western Reserve Care System. In 1991, she was then elected as its first female Chairman.

In 1985, she was married to Carl Dennison, who preceded her in death in 1987.

Her passion for golf led to her appointment to the Women’s Committee of the United States Golf Association and she also officiated at the US Open, Curtis Cup, and US Amateur tournaments. Her game was excellent as well, maintaining a single digit handicap and won the Women’s Club Championship at the Youngstown Country Club numerous times.
She also competed in the Women’s Ohio State Championship. An avid traveler, she drove golf balls on all seven continents.

She is survived by her husband, Bruce Birrell of Girard, Ohio; three children, Happy Hawn of Ketchum, Idaho, Fordyce Gayton and wife, Jan Bergman of Bellvue, Colorado, and Gretchen Babcock and husband Judd Babcock of Edwards, Colo.; three stepdaughters, Lee Wick Dennison of Chevy Chase, Md., Barbara Hyde of Chardon, Ohio and Lisa Turner of Chagrin Falls, Ohio; and one granddaughter, Jenica Dickerson of Ft. Collins, Colo.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions be made to Planned Parenthood of Northeast Ohio, 77 E. Midlothian Blvd., Youngstown, OHIO 44507