Obituaries
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A Better World
David Sachs
Senior Copy Editor
I
ris M. Ovshinsky not only dreamed of
a better world, she committed her life
to bringing one about.
Dr. Ovshinsky, 79, a scientist, who along
with her husband, Stanford, founded
the innovative technology firm Energy
Conversion Devices Inc. (ECD Ovonics),
drowned Aug. 16, 2006, while swimming
in a pond at their Bloomfield Hills home.
Family members speculated that cardiac
failure played a role in her death.
ECD Ovonics was founded by the
Ovshinskys in 1960 to research and use
new science and technology to solve seri-
ous societal problems. Working as a team,
they pioneered breakthroughs in energy
generation and storage, information sys-
tems and atomically engineered synthetic
materials.
ECD Chairman and CEO Robert
C. Stempel called Dr. Ovshinsky, the
Rochester Hills-based company's vice
president of special projects, "a woman of
great vision."
"Iris fought for peace, equality and
justice with empathy for everyone," said
her daughter, Dr. Robin Dibner. "She found
great happiness in creating new industries
that resulted in high-value jobs. She was
full of life and spar-
kle, bringing joy to all
who met her?'
In 2000, the
Ovshinskys were
honored with the
American Chemical
Society's Heroes of
Chemistry Award as
"innovators whose
Iris Ovshinsky
industrial work in
chemistry or chemi-
cal engineering has made significant and
lasting contributions to global human wel-
fare?" The couple were featured this year
in the documentary film Who Killed the
Electric Car? which examined how General
Motors discontinued the EV1 automobile,
which was powered by a battery developed
by ECD.
In the Jewish community, the
Ovshinskys were active in Workmen's
'
Circle-Arbeter Ring.
"Iris was a dear member, friend and
supporter along with Stan for many
decades:' said Ellen Bates-Brackett, the
Workmen's Circle Michigan district direc-
tor."Just a few a weeks ago when the
movie was out, Iris and Stan did a presen-
tation to us about their environmental and
energy work, which they saw in the con-
text of social and economic justice. Their
work was groundbreak-
ing — huge.
"We honored them
in: Michigan with our
Besere Velt [Better
World] Award about
eight years ago;'
Bates-Brackett said.
"Nationally, we hon-
ored them two years
ago in New York with a
gala performance. That's
where their hearts were, with Workmen's
Circle?"
Dr. Ovshinsky held degrees in zoology
from Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania
and in biology from the University of
Michigan. She earned a doctorate in
biochemistry from Boston University.
Her husband, originally a machine shop
owner, never attended college but went
on to become an inventor with hundreds
of patents. He also developed a new field
of physics based on the semiconducting
properties of certain alloys — which was
named "ovonics" after him.
Combined, Iris and Stan brought five
children to the marraige: Iris had a son and
daughter, Robin and Steven; Stan had three
sons, Ben, Harvey and Dale.
"Iris radiated warmth, generosity and
unconditional acceptance': said Harvey.
"She helped raise the company and simul-
taneously was able to raise the family?'
Regarding Who Killed The Electric Car?
Harvey said, "one of the more uplifting
elements of the movie were my father
and Iris — they were the energy that
allowed that electric car project to go as
far as it did.
"They were fully committed to leaving
this place better than when they found
it?'
Iris Ovshinsky is survived by her hus-
band, Stan; daughter, Dr. Robin Dibner
of New York; sons and daughters-in-law,
Steven Dibner of San Francisco, Ben
and Eileen Ovshinsky of Berkley, Calif.,
Harvey Ovshinsky and Cathie Kurek-
Ovshinsky of Ann Arbor, Dale Ovshinsky
of Miami; grandchildren, Natasha and
Noah Ovshinsky, Sylvie Polsky and Pablo
Dibner.
Interment was at Workmen's Circle
Cemetery in Akron, Ohio. Contributions
may be made to the American Civil
Liberties Union-Michigan Chapter, 60 W
Hancock, Detroit, MI 48201; Physicians for
a National Health Program, 29 E. Madison,
Suite 602, Chicago, IL 60602; or Workmen's
Circle-Arbeter Ring, 26341 Coolidge, Oak
Park, MI 48237. A memorial tribute will
be held at a later date. Arrangements by
Dorfman Chapel.
on the Word Network at 8
every night. "It's amazing
that God can use one of
Jewish descent to propagate
the gospel of Christ all over
the world:' said Bishop
Ellis.
"This man had a vision.
Now so many people in
the urban community
have hope and inspiration
because Frank Adell and
[his son] Kevin made that possible.
"We will love him, and we will miss him?'
Rev. Jesse Jackson also spoke at the
funeral and remembered the beginnings
of the network. "Frank brought Kevin
to Chicago to talk about the network ...
What it could mean to people who had
been overwhelmed by decadent and
degenerate television: a chance for some
wholeness, a chance for some healing, a
chance for some access:' he said.
Mr. Adell had "a long and good life
of strength and a life of character': Rev.
Jackson said.
Frank Adell is survived by his daughters
and sons-in-law, Laurie and Dr. Jeffrey
Fischgrtmd of Bloomfield Hills, Julie and
Paul Verona of Bloomfield Hills; son and
daughter-in-law, Kevin and Joelle Adell of
Bloomfield Hills; grandchildren, Andrew
Goldman, Melanie Goldman, Bradley
Verona, Brandon Verona, Jessica Verona
and Savonna Adell; companion, Patricia
Rodzik; Jeffrey's children, Michelle, Marcy
and Mark Fischgrund.
Mr. Adell was the beloved husband of
the late Sharron Adell.
Interment was at Clover Hill Park
Cemetery. Contributions may be made to
a charity of one's choice. Arrangements by
Ira Kaufman Chapel.
❑
Word Power
F
ranklin Z. Adell succeeded in two
quite different careers — auto-
motive parts manufacturing and
religious broadcasting. He was the inven-
tor and manufacturer of the door guards
used on new vehicles. Later in life, he
founded WADL-TV (Ch. 38 in Detroit) and
the Word, a cable-satellite TV network for
African American Christian ministries.
Mr. Adell, 78, of Bloomfield Hills, died
Aug. 13, 2006, of heart failure. Speaking at
the funeral, Rabbi Harold Loss of Temple
Israel in West Bloomfield noted that when
the Detroit-born Mr. Adell was in his 20s
he was involved with a Packard franchise.
When new cars came in from the factory,
he often had to touch up the sides of the
doors. In response, Mr. Adell invented and
patented the door guard, a stainless steel
molding, and began a manufacturing
company, supplying original equipment
parts to automakers.
In 1966, he built a manufacturing facil-
78
August 24 • 2006
IN
ity on 24 acres in
Novi. In 1989, he
moved the opera-
tion to Dallas and
convinced the
city of Novi to
change its zon-
ing and develop
his 300,000 sq. ft.
building into the
Novi Expo Center.
Frank Adell
As his focus
turned to broadcasting, Mr. Adell won one
of the last television licenses in the Detroit
area with Ch. 38. He was also the founder
and CEO of the Word Network, the "urban
religious channel" seen in more than 200
countries. The Word is the only religious
network featuring African American min-
istries and gospel music.
Speaking at Mr. Adell's funeral was
Bishop Charles H. Ellis III of the Greater
Grace Temple in Detroit, who appears
❑
Senior Copy Editor David Sachs
contributed to this report.