Visiting hours and memorial service scheduled for Dorothy Driskell
Dorothy Driskell, former president of the International Association of Torch Clubs and of the Columbus Torch Club, passed into heaven on January 5. Dorothy made everyone she met feel loved and appreciated. She was a devoted and loving wife, mother, grandmother and friend. A resident of Westerville, Dorothy had just celebrated her 91st birthday on December 16.
Dorothy is survived by husband Gary Hinzman and was preceded in death by husbands Jerry Chappell and Tom Driskell. She is survived by children Eric Driskell (Wendy) and Annetta Driskell, and step-children Sherry Chappell (Vince Mancuso), Laura Chappell Miyazaki (Andy), and Janice Chappell Clough (Randy). She also is survived by grandchildren, Jeremie Driskell, Mathew Driskell, Leandra Clough, Chelsea Clough, Justin Clough, Jailyn Miyazaki, Tiffany Tramell, and Tim Tramell.
Visiting hours will be Thursday, January 29, from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Hill Funeral Home, 220 S. State St., Westerville, Ohio. At 12:30 p.m., a graveside service will be held in the Bellville Cemetery, 144 Church St., Bellville, Ohio.
Dorothy’s celebration of life service will be held Friday, January 30, at 11 a.m. in the First Presbyterian Church, 41 W. College Ave., Westerville. A luncheon will follow immediately.
Dorothy graduated from Mansfield General Hospital’s Registered Nurses Diploma program. She received B.S. degree in nursing from Bob Jones University and M.S. degree in health education from The Ohio State University.
See tribute by her stepdaughter at: Dorothy Driskell Tribute
Welcome to the Torch Club of Columbus, Ohio. Join us for intelligent and respectful discussion in challenging, even chaotic, times. Our club has people from many different professions and disciplines. They meet monthly in the spirit of good fellowship to share their knowledge and exchange points of view through the presentation and discussion of a Torch paper.
Meetings are at the OSU Faculty Club. (For directions, click on OSU Faculty Club Directions and enter your address as a starting point.)
Dues, which are payed annually, include a three course dinner, coffee and tea, and a subscription to The Torch, the magazine of the International Association of Torch Clubs. (See below)
For list of recent and upcoming programs, click here
Naomi Wriston
Presentation by Naomi F.Wriston on February 5:
“Preventive Medicine: What Are ‘They’
Currently Stating for Health Maintenance!”
In her Torch paper on February 5, Naomi Wriston will bring more than four decades years of experience in medicine to the seemingly ever-changing topic of how to stay healthy.
Naomi has practiced medicine in central Ohio since the mid-1980s, initially in family medicine and subsequently in occupational medicine. Prior to attending medical school, she taught high school lab science, chemistry and physics.
“During my years in medicine, I have seen the pendulum swing on recommendations to stay healthy,” Naomi says. “I have loved learning about the far-reaching influences within our bodies on our health. I hope to present some current recommendations – with the caveat of knowing the ‘story’ could change – and some misconceptions regarding some of the current recommendations.”
Naomi is Board Certified in Family Medicine with a Certificate of Added Qualifications in Occupational Medicine. She graduated from West Virginia University with a B.S. in education, the University of Maryland with an M.S. in science education and the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine with a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree.
She is a past president and a fellow of the American Osteopathic College of Occupational and Preventive Medicine; former president of the Columbus Academy of Osteopathic Medicine; former chairman of the Family Practice Department of Doctors Hospital; former clinical associate professor with the Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine; and former clinical assistant professor in family practice with Ohio State’s College of Medicine. Most recently, she is assistant medical director of onsite and wellness services with OhioHealth Employer Solutions.
She is retiring in February 2026 from OhioHealth Employer Solutions where she provided occupational medicine and annual evaluations for various employers, including wellness exams for Japanese expatriates and fit-for-duty exams for bus drivers.
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Two ways to support the Columbus Torch Club and its members The Board of Directors asks you to consider two ways to contribute to your Torch Club and to keep our fellowship strong as we look forward to our club’s centennial in 2026.
1. You may contribute funds directly to support the club by writing a check to “Torch Club of Columbus, Ohio.” Mail the check to our club’s treasurer, Kent Bermingham,521 RetreatLane W., Powell, Ohio 43065. (Donations to the club do not qualify as a charitable tax deduction.)
2. You may pay for the crudités or other foods served during the cocktail hour that precedes the monthly meetings. Anonymous donors paid for the crudités served at the October and November meetings and for the December meeting. The cost for the crudités is about $430, but there also are less expensive options. For information on donating the crudités or other options, please contact the club’s treasurer, Kent Bermingham who works closely with the Faculty Club on the menu and costs of the monthly dinners. Kent is at Kent1942@gmail.com
Torch Club’s monthly meeting agenda:
4:30-5:30 p.m. Board of Directors meeting
5:30-6:15 p.m. Cocktails and conversation
6:15-6:35 p.m. Business matters
6:35-7:30 p.m. Speaker
7:30-8:45 pm. Dinner and table discussion
Columbus Torch Club dues for 2025-26 Program Year
Good news! Dues will remain the same as last year.
As a result of a number of cost-cutting measures, the Board of Directors at its August meeting agreed not to raise the Torch Club’s dues for 2025-26. The dues will remain at $460 per person and $870 per couple. The cost for a guest, which should be paid by the club member inviting the guest, will be $45 (except for the December meeting when it will be $50).
To pay your dues, make your check payable to: Torch Club of Columbus and send to our Treasurer, Kent Bermingham, 521 Retreat Lane W, Powell, Ohio 43065. Or bring your check to the first Torch Club meeting on October 2, 2025 at the OSU Faculty Club.
Options for club members not attending Torch due to COVID
Although most Torch Club members have attended the in-person monthly meetings that resumed in October 2021, there are a few members who have been reluctant to attend in person due to ongoing concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic. These members or persons in their households may be at greater risk for the illness for a variety of reasons. As a result, the Torch Club at its March 3 meeting set aside an area of socially distanced seating for members particularly concerned about COVID-19. This will permit them to hear the Torch paper. In addition, the Faculty Club will prepare a take-home dinner for these members. If you require a takehome dinner, please indicate that in your RSVP to Thom Seelbach’s monthly Evite.