Tuesday, April 21st, 2020
Rose-Marie 'Rody' Oppenheim Dilenschneider
Rose-Marie "Rody" Oppenheim Dilenschneider, 86, passed away peacefully, surrounded by all her family, on January 17, 2020.
The seventh child of Ted and Anna Oppenheim of Coldwater, Ohio, Rody was born in Lima, Ohio, on May 23, 1933.
She is survived by her sister Sr. Ramona Oppenheim (M.M.), her loving husband John (Jack), her adoring children: Anne, John (Monica), Charles (Jamie), Joe (Ayano), Ted, Frank (Michelle), Mary (Tim), David (Mary), Bob (Kathy), Rose (Mike), 24 wonderful grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
With a deep belief that education is essential for a progressive society, Rody graduated from Saint Mary's College, Notre Dame, IN, in June 1954 (History, Secondary Education).
On September 11, 1954, she married the love of her life Jack and began teaching in the Baltimore school system. In 1959, she and Jack moved to Upper Arlington, Ohio, where she began a 30-year run teaching Sunday school at both St. Agatha Parish and the St. Thomas More Newman Center. From 1964 through 1968, Rody served as the first laywoman on the Diocesan Board of Education.
When Rody saw a need in her community, she found a way to address it. In 1968, she created the summer Junior Great Books Program for the Upper Arlington community. She directed it for 25 years, ultimately involving over 600 children every summer. Throughout the 1960s and 70s she also led the Adult Great Books programs. Rody was recognized for her community work by a commendation from the City of Upper Arlington in 1976.
In 1980, while raising 10 children, Rody saw another need and became involved in the literacy movement. While tutoring immigrants, she became certified by Laubach Library Action as a tutor and trainer in both Basic Literacy and English as a Second Language (ESL).
With the Columbus Literacy Council, Rody eventually trained over 3,000 tutors, composed workshops, and was selected to be on the Council's Board of Trustees from 1985-1991. She also developed and ran training programs for Laubach Literacy across America and Canada. The materials she created are still used today.
In 1982, the Upper Arlington School District asked Rody to design, teach, and coordinate a district-wide ESL program. Rody taught in the Upper Arlington Schools until 1998.
An avid supporter of the arts, Rody not only staged backyard Shakespearean plays but also annually attended the Stratford and Shaw Festivals for over 40 years. She enjoyed the opera and loved old movies. After an accident limited her upper arm mobility, she continued to knit scarves and blankets for her children and grandchildren in their college school colors. She believed all forms of art fulfilled the tenet "leave a place a little nicer than you found it."
For her tireless work, Rody received multiple recognitions from the Columbus Literacy Council and Laubach Literacy. Additionally, from 1986 and 2002 she received many honors: City of Columbus Mayor's Award for Volunteer Service; Northwest Optimists' Woman of the Year; JCPenny Community Leadership Award; Columbus Dispatch Service Award; Columbus Metropolitan Library Celebration of Learning Award; Laubach National Outstanding Trainers Award; Ohio Literacy Network Adult Literacy Services Award; and the Time Warner Vision in America Award.
In 2009, in recognition of more than 50 years of service, Rody received the Humanitas Award from Saint Mary's College.
Her legacy extends beyond awards. It is seen in the thousands of lives she touched through education, her 69-year love story with Jack, and the beautiful bond among her children. She would advise us all to "each one, teach one" and to "love one another."
