NEW LONDON, CONN. — Mohegan Chief Ralph Sturges, who helped shepherd his eastern Connecticut tribe through federal recognition and the development of its highly successful casino, has died. He was 88.
Sturges died Sunday night in Lawrence Memorial Hospital in New London of lung cancer, tribal officials said Monday.
The Mohegans earned federal recognition in 1994, two years after Sturges was elected chief for life. Their Mohegan Sun casino in Uncasville, Conn., one of the largest in the world, opened in 1996.
“We will miss his leadership, and his passing leaves a void not easily filled in our tribal government,” said Bruce “Two Dogs” Bozsum, chairman of the Mohegan Tribe. “I know that many of us considered him a friend and person we could approach for advice on any issue. At this time, our thoughts and prayers are with him and the entire Sturges family.”
Sturges, who was born on Christmas Day 1918, traced his Mohegan ancestry to his mother’s family. Before becoming chief, he was a payroll deliveryman for an armored- car company and a disaster-relief coordinator and public-relations director for the Salvation Army.
Sturges was part of the Civilian Conservation Corps and was involved in projects such as cleanup efforts after the Northeast hurricane of 1938. During World War II, he served in the Army’s intelligence division in New Guinea and the Philippines, earning a Bronze Star, the tribe said.
In 2005, Sturges was named man of the year by Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Southeastern Connecticut and citizen of the year by the Chamber of Commerce for Eastern Connecticut.
Sturges also was a sculptor. His works can be found at the state capitol in Hartford, New London City Hall, Montville High School and the cornerstone of Mohegan Sun, the tribe said.
The tribal flags at Mashantucket, home to nearby Foxwoods Resort Casino, the state’s other Indian casino, were lowered to half-staff Monday as a sign of respect.
“It was the Mashantucket Pequots’ honor and privilege to have assisted Chief Sturges and the Mohegan Tribe in seeking their federal recognition,” said Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Chairman Michael Thomas. “Chief Sturges was a valued leader of his people and an inspiration to native peoples everywhere. He led the Mohegan people through the difficult process of federal recognition. It was a success, in no small measure, because of his untiring efforts.”
Gov. M. Jodi Rell also lauded him.
“He will be forever remembered for his contributions not only as a wise leader – having most notably served his people during their successful campaign for federal tribal recognition – but as a skilled sculptor,” she said in a statement. “The state of Connecticut and the Mohegan Tribe have lost a great friend and treasured talent, but in cherishing him, we will maintain his spirit always.”
Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said Sturges touched countless lives.
“Ralph Sturges was truly a man for all seasons – a uniquely wonderful human being, a leader of courage and vision, a champion for Native Americans and a model of public service for all of us,” Blumenthal said.
Sturges was predeceased by his wife, Ida, in May. He is survived by a son, two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
OTHER DEATHS
Ned Sherrin, 76, the broadcaster who directed “That Was The Week That Was,” died Monday of throat cancer in his home in Chelsea, London, said his personal manager, Deke Arlon.
Sherrin was proudest of his work producing and directing the British Broadcasting Corp.’s satirical news show, which poked fun at current affairs and packed spoof news items between skits and songs. It took aim at farmers, restaurateurs, and British officialdom, and made light of the country’s crumbling empire.
At its peak the show attracted some 12 million viewers, but was axed in 1963 after two seasons.
Sherrin went on to act, write, produce and direct for stage and screen and presented BBC Radio 4’s Loose Ends for 20 years. He was nominated for a Tony Award in 1977 for “Side By Side With Sondheim,” and in 1985 won a Laurence Olivier Award for the West End production “The Ratepayers’ Iolanthe.”
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Alfred Audi, 69, who rescued the L. and J.G. Stickley Co. from near financial collapse and restored it as one of America’s pre-eminent furniture makers, died Saturday at his home in Syracuse, N.Y., after battling cancer for two years, said Audi’s wife, Aminy.
Audi bought the Stickley company in 1974. His father had been the biggest Stickley furniture dealer in the country at his store in New York City.
Stickley had only 22 employees and annual sales of $250,000 when Audi took over the company. Today, it has 1,600 workers at three manufacturing plants in New York, North Carolina and Vietnam. It has 13 retail showrooms in five states and its sales are in the millions every year.
In 1989, Audi reintroduced Stickley’s Mission-style furniture, which hadn’t been on the market since 1919. He correctly figured its simple, functional lines would again be popular, his wife said.
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Martha Anne Dow, 68, the president of the Oregon Institute of Technology and a microbiologist who taught for more than a quarter-century, died Saturday, Oregon’s governor said.
Dow died while receiving breast cancer treatment, the Portland Herald and News reported.
Dow was appointed president of OIT in May 1998 after serving as interim president for four months. She had spent the previous six years as provost and vice president for academic affairs. She taught for more than 25 years in the fields of biology, microbiology, environmental science and water quality.
