The Ohio Department of Aging (ODA) will induct northeast Ohio residents into the Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame during a special ceremony at the Statehouse Atrium in Columbus tomorrow – Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023.
Ella Massaro Kick, PhD, RN, of Wooster, will be recognized by ODA, Governor Mike DeWine, the Ohio General Assembly, Ohio's area agencies on aging, and leaders from Ohio’s aging network.
She is among eight outstanding older Ohioans being inducted into the Hall of Fame this year for their lifelong contributions to their communities, their professions, and their vocations.
The Ohio Channel will livestream the induction ceremony. Starting at approximately 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, the event will be viewable at the following link:
Watch the ceremony live: Tuesday, Sept. 19, @ 1:30 p.m.
Ella Massaro Kick, PhD, RN, 93, Wooster
A dedicated and active volunteer, Ella Massaro Kick’s service started at a young age. She lived in the basement of Kinney and Smith Hospital as a high schooler, and after school she volunteered as a nurse’s aide for three hours a day.
She had a long career in nursing and then in academia at multiple universities, eventually becoming Dean of Nursing at Ashland University. Besides her career in nursing, her early dedication to volunteering shone throughout her life. While she was working at Wooster Community Hospital, Ella started the “Nurse on Duty” program, where she volunteered nursing services to community members on Friday nights.
Since 2014, Ella volunteers as a home visitor for the St. Vincent dePaul Society in Wooster, helping those in need pay rent, pay utility bills, and find employment. Ella even has held a role with the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman program for over five years and received the Direction Home Volunteer Ombudsman Award of Distinction in 2022.
Colleagues say that Ella makes being community-driven in your 90s look easy. To this day, she attends city council and commissioner meetings to advocate for older adults. She always brings homemade dish scrubbers and pizzelle cookies to share.