By Osiris Bahena
Staff Writer

Over the Thanksgiving break, the California State University Dominguez Hills campus community lost three highly regarded instructors who contributed a cumulative 95 years to the university before their retirements.

Doctor Ken Ganezer worked in the physics department for 27 years until his retirement in 2017. Antoinette Joan “Toni” Marich worked in the department of kinesiology for 33 years and retired in 2014. Alan Ryave worked in the department of sociology for 35 years and retired in 2004.

Ken Ganezer

Professor John W. Price, of the physics department, sent a massive email on Nov. 24, informing colleagues and friends of Ganezer’s passing. According to the email, Ganezer received his doctorate at UCLA in 1983.  He worked in the private industry before arriving at CSUDH in 1990. He spent several years as chair of the physics department, and served on many committees at all levels at the university.

According to Price, Ganezer’s work in the medical applications of physics, specifically in the field of non-contact ultrasound, led to a master thesis of at least one CSUDH student, and research projects for many others. 

Price expressed that, “Ken was a devoted researcher, a conscientious faculty member, and a dedicated family man,” he continued, “The time he spent on Earth was too short; the void he leaves with his passing, too large.”

Ganezer appeared to touch those outside of his department as well. Parking Specialist, Cheryl Anderson replied to Price’s email saying, “he [Ganezer] was a wonderful person who did much for the world as well as this university, he will be greatly missed.”

Antoinette Joan “Toni” Marich

Upon his return from Thanksgiving break, professor and chair of the Department of Kinesiology, Mike P. Ernst announced Marich’s passing. According to his email, Marich began teaching part-time as a lecturer at CSUDH in 1981 in the College of Education and quickly progressed to become a full-time lecturer in the Department of Kinesiology. After 33 years of distinguished service to CSUDH, Marich retired in 2014. 

“Marich taught courses on lifetime fitness and wellness, dance education, pedagogy for elementary and secondary physical education and methods for teaching dance to children,” said Ernst.

Director of Student Health and Psychological Services, Janie MacHarg mentioned that for many years Marich was the sole faculty member on the Student Health Advisory Committee, (SHAC). 

“Oh, what an advocate for students she was,” said MacHarg.

Alan Ryave

Phillip LaPolt, Dean of the College of Natural and Behavioral Sciences, said via email Ryave was appointed in 1969 and retired in 2004. He served as a graduate coordinator for a majority of his years at CSUDH. Ryave was professor emeritus in the Department of Sociology. 

Bill Blischke, also emeritus faculty in the sociology department and close friend of Ryave, along with others who knew him, compiled a summary of Ryave’s contributions. According to the summary, attached in LaPolt’s email, Ryave created a paradigm-shifting qualitative research method that is being adopted and used by researchers to this day. 

His book, Systematic Self-Observation, published Dec. 13, 2001by Sage Publications, is a research method text that has been translated into Japanese and chosen by the publication for its online series. Ryave’s research in ethnomethodology and the study of everyday life has been published in scholarly journals such as Qualitative Sociology, Shakaigakku Ronson, Semiotica, the Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, Studies in the Organization of Conversational Interaction, and Ethnomethodology, according to the contributions’ summary.

According to LaPolt’s email, Ryave’s family has requested donations be made to one of the two programs he was instrumental in creating: the Anne Peters Endowed Memorial Scholarship or the Loether Memorial Social Research Scholarship, for those who wish to honor Ryave’s memory.   

Ganezer’s funeral service was held Nov. 27, 2018 at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Santa Monica. Marich’s funeral service was held Monday, Dec. 3, 2018 at Green Hills Memorial Park. Funeral services for Ryave are unknown at this time.