Austintown’s Adams honored at Valley Legacy Awards

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Neighbors | Submitted.The Valley Legacy Class of 2010 recipients are, from left; (front) Martha Whelan Murphy, Outstanding Advocate for Seniors, Elizabeth Cole Clark, Outstanding Senior, Jean M. Schlecht, Outstanding Senior; (back) Chuck Whitman, Outstanding Senior and Bill Adams, Outstanding Advocate for Seniors.

The sixth Annual Valley Legacy Awards were presented Oct. 14 at Mr. Anthony’s Banquet Center in Boardman. This year, 25 people were nominated with five receiving the award.

The 2010 Valley Legacy Award recipients were Charles H. “Chuck” Whitman of Canfield, Elizabeth Cole Clark and Jean M. Schlecht of Warren for being outstanding seniors.

Austintown’s William Adams and Martha Whelan Murphy of Youngstown received the award for being outstanding advocates for seniors.

The first Cliff Johnson Valley Legacy Memorial Award for Timeless Service to the Community was presented honoring the memory of Bruce Gordon.

“The Valley Legacy Awards are designed to honor living members of our communities who believe legacies are meant to be lived, not just left,” said George Hays, Valley Legacy Committee co-chair.

“This year, with the loss of committee member and Valley Legacy Outstanding Senior recipient Cliff Johnson, the committee saw an opportunity to honor Cliff’s memory and that of an outstanding community member with creation of the Cliff Johnson Memorial Valley Legacy Award for Timeless Service to the Community,” Hays said.

Lillie Johnson, a recipient of the Outstanding Senior Award in 2008 with her husband Cliff, joined in the presentation to Gordon’s family.

Six years ago, Shepherd of the Valley launched the Valley Legacy Awards to recognize, in a significant and public way, the contribution, service, sacrifice and compassionate actions performed by or for the senior citizens in the Valley.

In the past four years, more than 80 individuals were nominated and 17 awards presented. This year, the Class of 2010 saw 25 nominations and five recipients added to that August assembly.

Nominations were received from across the Valley and hailed from Austintown, Brookfield, Berlin Center, Canfield, Girard, Poland, Negley, Warren and Youngstown. They included women and men and spanned a multitude of interests, occupations and talents with educators, community volunteers, veterans, police officers, Rotarians and business people nominated.