Gerald Wollan, 93, who retired in 1987 as vice chairman of Padilla & Speer, Minneapolis, died Dec. 15.
Wollan was secretary of PR Society of America in the 1960s and president of its Minnesota chapter. He founded Wollan and Wollan with his wife, Lois, in the 1960s. It was merged in the 1970s with P&S.
He was chairman of the Arthritis Foundation and taught at the University of Minnesota and College of St. Thomas. He was noted at P&S for training young PR professionals.
Born in Glenwood, Minn., Wollan won five battle stars while serving in the Army during World War II. His unit saw action during the Battle of the Bulge. After the war he worked for the Wisconsin News Service, La Crosse Tribune, Baxter Labs and Modern Medicine.
He was married in 1979 to Ottilie “Billie” (Bergdahl) Poindexter, who died in 2014. An ardent golfer, he won Wisconsin County and state amateur titles.
Surviving are children Eric (Pam) Wollan; Chris (Doug Boleen) Wollan; Lisa Wollan, and grandchildren, great grandchildren, and stepchildren.
Hugh Braithwaite, founder of Braithwaite Communications in Philadelphia, died Feb. 28. He was 63.
Alfred Horowitz, who was a PR counselor, educator, businessman and philanthropist, died February 14 of natural causes. He was 93.
Ginger Reeder, the former VP-corporate communications at Neiman Marcus, died Jan. 9. She was 64.
José Antonio Llorente, founding partner and executive chairman of Spain’s LLYC, died from cancer on Jan. 1. He was
Bob Dorf, who founded his own firm and then ran Dorf & Stanton with Alex Stanton, died Dec. 2. He was 74.
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