50 Year Award Recipients

Congratulations to the below individuals who, according to the records from the State of Ohio Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors, have reached reached their 50^th anniversary of obtaining and retaining his or her professional license during 2024. In recognition of this extraordinary accomplishment, the Ohio Funeral Directors Association (OFDA) will be honoring these individuals during the awards ceremony on Wednesday, April 24, 2024, in the Regent Ballroom during the OFDA 144th Convention and Exhibition.

Please note: 25-Year Recipients will also be recognized during the awards ceremony.

50-Year Award Recipient	City	50-Year Award Recipient	City
Charles W. Anderson	Franklin	Mark S. Lindsey	Republic
Jeffrey G. Bell	Mansfield	John E. Love	Ottawa
Claren Blackburn	Hopedale	Barry F. Luse	Fremont
Larry A. Born	Caledonia	Martin F. O'Connell	Toledo
Jacalyn S. Burge	Avon Lake	Donald R. Onstott	Hartford
William M. Clark	Upper Sandusky	Beverly D. Potts Good	Cincinnati
William E. Cox	Warsaw	Henry J. Radel	Cincinnati
Jack R. Crates	Findlay	Robert L. Ransom	Castalia
James N. Dyer	Lancaster	George A. Reeb	Sylvania
Eric M. Gleine	Parma	Barry A. Richardson (posthumously)	Hamilton
Clarence E. Glover	Cincinnati	Arthur L. Rogers	Cleveland
Donald S. Good	Cincinnati	Frank B. Rosenacker	Cincinnati
Clorinda G. Hall	Proctorville	Jerry L. Sowers, CFSP	Piqua
James F. Hoskins	Maineville	Carl J. Vensil	Frazeysburg
George H. Jardine	Strongsville	Charles H. Wisby	Bethel
Donald C. Jones	Howard	William P. Wheeler	Brilliant
George M. Linder (posthumously)	Parma	Kent A. Zechar	Greenville

NOTE: The 50-year anniversary is undoubtedly a milestone to celebrate. However, achieving this milestone is not an exemption for continuing education. Please read below for clarification and further information if you are considering applying for the CE Exemption Waiver.

Licensees who attain 50 years of licensure do not automatically receive the “50 Years of Licensure Exemption from Continuing Education” from the Ohio Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors (OBEFD). Individuals must apply for the exemption at funeral.ohio.gov. Should you have any specific questions regarding the exemption, we encourage you to contact OBEFD directly.

Exemption Requirements:

Licensees must wait until their full 50-year anniversary date before applying.
If a licensee holds both an embalmer and funeral director license, they will become eligible for the exemption on the anniversary of their most recently issued license.
Licensees are not permitted to serve as a funeral director actually in charge (AIC) of and ultimately responsible for a funeral home or an embalming facility.
Licensees must continue to pay renewal fees.