Dana Castle

Dana Furth Castle passed away on January 8, 2017, at the age of 85.

She was born and raised in New York City and was indelibly influenced by the culture of the city's golden age. She enjoyed theater, opera, classical music, museums, literature, and travel throughout her life. She was an ardent Brooklyn Dodgers fan who attended many games with her mother and friends and even appeared once on the Red Barber Show. She was graduated from Cornell University and began a career in marketing research on Madison Avenue.

Life later took her from her beloved New York to Akron, Ohio, where she made her home. Seeking a means to help others, she enrolled in the University of Akron School of Law and received her Juris Doctor in 1973. She was one of only three women in the class. Recognizing her ability and determination, Dean Albert Rakas offered her employment at the School of Law, where she taught until her retirement as Professor Emeritus in 2000. She was revered by her students and respected by her fellow faculty members. She was privileged to serve as a visiting professor at the University of Wolverhampton in England, and she received the Outstanding Alumni Award in 2003 for her exemplary service to the community and the legal profession. In addition to teaching, she served as a Trustee on the Medina County Mental Health Board and, a three time cancer survivor, she volunteered at Stewart's Caring Place.

She is survived by her loving and now bereaved family, children Jonothan Castle and Sarah and Gregory Rossi, grandchildren Caitlin and Bridget Castle and Matthew and Grace Rossi, and brother and sister in law, Leon and Bea Furth of Dunwoody, Georgia. The Castle clan will forever miss her words of wisdom, Christmas Eve celebrations, return visits to New York, and family trips to Cape May. She was a lovely, gracious person who possessed a keen mind and wit to the very end. She had an ever present sense of beauty that was evident in her home, her gardens, and all she did. When our tears fall, we will remember how very blessed we were to have her in our lives.

We are grateful for the love and support shown by the many friends she came to know along her remarkable journey. We are especially beholden to Chris Elzholz, Darren Dirksen, Carolyn Dunlavy, Damiano Taffone, Susie Dempster, Sarah McNally, and Dr. Melodie Phillips who allowed her to retain her fierce independence and to remain in her home.

The family will receive friends on Friday, January 13, from 4-7 p.m. at the Billow FAIRLAWN Chapel, 85 N. Miller Road, Akron, Ohio 44333. A remembrance of life service will be held on Saturday, January 14, at 11:00, at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Akron, 3300 Morewood Road, Fairlawn, Ohio 44333. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Professor Dana F. Castle Award Fund at the University of Akron School of Law, the Unitarian Universalist Church of Akron, or Stewart's Caring Place. T (Billow FAIRLAWN Chapel)