Marlene Lankenau

Marlene Jennifer (Reddick) Lankenau of Kent, Ohio, born in Chicago, Illinois on October 2, 1952; Graduated from St. Rita School for the Deaf, Cincinnati, Ohio in 1971 and Gallaudet University Alumni. Beloved mother, grandmother, and sister passed away on March 5, 2022 at the Marymount Cleveland Clinic Hospice in Garfield Heights, Ohio. She was 69 years old. Marlene will be greatly missed by her daughters Joyce Kraus and Sabrina “Sabby” Laura Baltenbach-Lankenau. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Joyce’s children, Arthur “Jack”, Joseph and Emily.

Marlene had been heavily involved with National Fraternity Society of the Deaf as President and Secretary, Ohio State Association of the Deaf as Recording Secretary, local Akron Ohio Association of the Deaf as President and Secretary, Board member of St. Rita School for the Deaf, and St. Rita School for the Deaf Alumni as President and Secretary. One of her favorite activities was hosting many holiday events for Ohio deaf families in the club and organizations. Affectionately, she was loved by locals as black jet hair and blue-eyed lady with a beautiful white smile. She was a true deaf children ambassador who fought in a formerly small town, Kent, Ohio to have a better education with sign language with Dr. Harold Johnson, Kent State University Special Education Professor. She also met her late husband Robert “Lanky” for guidance with the disability law advocacy through daughter, Sabrina, since she needed access to get a total communication education in elementary school with both oral and sign language. Marlene made sure that her daughter and other kids had the sign language interpreters in mainstream classes. She was a wonderful role model to many deaf children with hearing parents. The hearing parents followed and listened closely to her, since she gave them confidence in their disabled children as deaf. She mentored many interpreters at Kent State University and University of Akron while studying Software Development. Some of her mentored interpreters are currently interpreting for Gallaudet University. Kent State University eventually started an educational interpreter program for college graduates to interpret for deaf children in the elementary and secondary schools. No one in her family could beat Mom’s champion in patience and she even made Sabrina cry when she told her to be patient at her deathbed. She was a great muse to many leaders and educators at Gallaudet University and St. Rita School for the Deaf. She tutored Microsoft Office, World Civilization and Art History at Gallaudet University while she was a student. She was a High School Mathematics Teacher, Star Program Teacher, IEP Evaluator, toddlers Supervisor at the Loft, Apraxia Program Supporter, and Librarian at St. Rita School until she retired in 2009.

For dear long distance and local friends, Marlene was quiet in her last years after becoming blind for 4 years since 2011 and regained some eyesight at the Cleveland Clinic Main Campus. She was so grateful to be able to see her biological daughter, Joyce who found her in 2015 with a big surprise 3 grandchildren. Later she found that she had Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer and Metastasis Cancer in Lungs on February 1, 2021. She had 5 chemotherapy treatments and ended up being unable to walk permanently. She had a positive attitude and fought cancer like cancer patients with many goals until the end, when she decided to join her family and late husband Robert “Lanky”.

She was preceded in death by her deaf parents Merle Frances Reddick-Ronchen, Chicago Sun-Times Foreman and Theresa J. MacEachin-Reddick-Ronchen, The Banker Insurance Co. Medical Recorder; her late deaf husband, Robert “Lanky” Oscar Lankenau, Firestone Supervision Chemist; her deaf sisters Drucilla Ronchen, University of Chicago ASL Lecturer and Karen Ronchen, Glendale Medical Building Medical Recorder; her hearing brother Kevin Ronchen, Chicago Taxi Dispatcher/Cab Driver and family interpreter.

The family would like to express their gratitude to Cleveland Clinic and Hospice of the Marymount Cleveland Clinic. Per Marlene's wishes, cremation will take place and a Memorial service will be held on Thursday at 6:00PM at Bissler and Sons Funeral Home and Crematory, 628 W. Main St. Kent, Ohio and will be livestreamed on Bissler and Sons Funeral Home Facebook page.  Her urn will be buried in her late Husband Robert’s grave. Any further contact or questions, contact Joyce Kraus, JoyceKraus1234@gmail.com and Sabrina “Sabby,” devisqueowl@gmail.com