Richard M. Cheski

Born in Canton, Ohio on September 29, 1935, he was the son of the late Sigmund and Henrietta (Makowski) Hiczewski.

He is survived by his loving wife of 57 years, Mary (Sica) Cheski, daughters Karen Taylor (Michael) and Valerie Cheski (David Clark), granddaughter Hannah Taylor, sister-in-law Emelia Sica McGuire, and many cousins including special cousins David and Rose Forgach.

Richard graduated from Central Catholic High School in 1953. He graduated from Kent State University, where he was a member of Theta Chi fraternity, earning Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science in Education degrees. In 1963 he earned a Master of Arts in Library Science from Kent State University and subsequently spent over thirty years in library administration and library development.

He directed public libraries in Ohio as well as in Oceanside, New York. In Colorado he was Director of the State Library. He returned to Ohio in 1978 as State Librarian of Ohio, holding that position until his retirement in 1995.

Through the years he was an active member of various professional library organizations in the states in which he served. He served as president of COSLA (Chief Officers State Library Agencies) and held various committee chairmanships as a member of Council of State Governments. He especially enjoyed traveling to present a paper at a meeting of the International Federation of Library Associations. He was pleased to have been one of the founding members of the Ohio Humanities Council in 1972. In Columbus, he was a member of the Aldus Society, a member club of the Fellowship of American Bibliophilic Societies.

After retirement, he enjoyed spending his winters in Sarasota, Florida where was active as a member and served as president of the ASOLO Theater Guild. He was a member of the Sarasota Opera Guild and the Verdi Circle. Theater and opera were his favorite pleasures, although he also enjoyed his memberships to the Ringling Museum and Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.

For many years Richard and Mary enjoyed spending several weeks every summer in Ontario, Canada at the Shakespeare Festival in Stratford and the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake, seeing as many plays as possible – usually all that were presented. He especially enjoyed the works of George Bernard Shaw and was an enthusiastic member of the International Shaw Society.

Memorial Mass will be celebrated December 7, 2015 at 9:00 at St. Thomas More Newman Center, 64 W. Lane Ave. Burial will be in Sarasota, Florida at a later date. Friends who wish may contribute in his memory to OhioHealth Hospice and Kobacker House 800 McConnell Dr Columbus, Oh 43214 or to a charity of their choice.