Maurice Umble

Maurice L. Umble, age 89, recently of Lebanon, Ohio, passed away suddenly Tuesday, May 24, 2016 at Atrium Medical Center.  He was born Sunday, July 18, 1926 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Maurice L. and Lena (nee Hoover) Umble.

Maurice grew up in Moorestown, New Jersey.  In June of 1944, he graduated from Moorestown High School after attending all 12 years in the Moorestown school system.  While in High School, Maurice had a Physics teacher that was a former machine gunner in the trenches of World War I.  He counseled the senior boys about military life explaining, "You have two choices.  Join the army and you'll go hungry and sleep in the mud.  Join the navy and you'll have food to eat and a place to sleep -- but if anything goes wrong you can't get off and walk."  With this advice, Maurice enlisted in the US Navy following graduation.  Boot camp began in July of 1944 at Camp Perry, Virginia followed by signalman school at Bainbridge, Maryland before Maurice was assigned to the Joseph E. Connolly (DE450) in March 1945.  The ship sailed from New York City through the Panama Canal to San Diego, Pearl Harbor and Eniwetok, after which it was attached to the Third Fleet in the Western Pacific acting as a screen ship during the final naval strikes at the Japanese mainland.  With a length of only 306 feet and a 190 man crew, they were over shadowed by the aircraft carriers, battleships, tankers and just about everything in that mighty US fleet.  After the Japanese surrendered, the ship provided logistic support to occupation forces in Ulithi (Solomon Islands), Tokyo harbor, Jinsen (Korea), Manila, Singapore and smaller Pacific islands before returning to Green Cove Springs, Florida in June 1946 where it was decommissioned.  Maurice was discharged as QM 3/C in June of 1946.  After spending 15 months on the Destroyer Escort, Maurice realized that while he opted for the food and bunk and joined the Navy, there were many times when it was too rough to prepare meals, let alone eat and not always was there an accessible bunk.

Maurice began his college career September 1946 attending Drexel Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania until June 1947 when he joined the US Merchant Marines.  For the next 7 months, he was on various oil tankers sailing from Philadelphia to the Gulf of Mexico as a seaman and helmsman.  Starting in January 1948, Maurice enrolled in Montclair College, Montclair, New Jersey.  Graduating Magna Cum Laude, Maurice received his BA in June 1950 with a major in history and a minor in accounting.  After graduating from University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School with a MA Political Science, he worked for Headquarters United States Air Force, Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia as organization and methods specialist in Research and Development Directorate.  It was here that he met Lois Elwood who was also at the Pentagon as the secretary of the Judge Advocate General, Headquarters United States Air Force.  Their friendship blossomed and Maurice and Lois were married Saturday, August 22, 1953.

In March 1955, Maurice and Lois moved to Cincinnati, Ohio.  Maurice secured a job with General Electric Company, Research and Development Department, Jet Engine Division where he was Supervisor of Technical Recruiting.  The Umble's moved to Mason, Ohio in 1956, occupying the first of three homes in that town.

From January 1961 to December 2004, Maurice was Principal in Umble, Gayhart and Jacobsen CPAs in West Chester, Ohio; beginning as sole proprietor, developing into a partnership and then a professional corporation.  He retired from active management of the firm in 1991 and continued as a consultant for 10 years.

Maurice and Lois enjoyed traveling.  Trips to Europe began in 1976 and were made frequently during the 9 year period when Mark and Jan lived there.  Following his retirement, Maurice and Lois focused more on travel in the United States.  In addition to travel, Maurice enjoyed research and genealogy publishing two books relating to his forebears.

Maurice was a past president of the Mason Chamber of Commerce, member of the Kiwanis club of Mason, parishioner of St. Patrick's Episcopal Church in Lebanon, Ohio and a member of the Ohio Society of Certified Public Accountants.

He was preceded in death by: his parents, Maurice and Lena Umble; sister, L. Jeanne Kay and brother-in-law, William D. Kay.

Maurice is survived by: his loving wife of almost 63 years, Lois (nee Elwood) Umble; children, Mark E. (Terri) Umble, Jan A. (James) Wilson and Paul L. (MstSgt Jose Agosto) Umble; grandchildren, Lance G. Umble, Michael M. Umble, Kristen E. (Michael) Loera, Steven (Lisa) Wilson, Alisa (Jason) Vrable and Shawn Cameron; great-grandchildren, Elianna Rose Loera, Sydney Wilson, Owen Wilson, Jack Vrable and Sam Vrable; niece, Barbara E. Kay; nephew, William D. Kay, Jr.; and many other loving family members and friends.

A Memorial Service will be held Saturday, July 9, 2016 6:30 PM at St. Patrick's Episcopal Church, 232 E. Main Street, Lebanon, Ohio 45036.  The family will greet guests following the service.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations made in Maurice's memory to be directed to either the Kiwanis Scholarship Foundation, PO Box 392, Mason, Ohio 45040 or to Mason Food Pantry, 406 4th Avenue, Mason, Ohio 45040.