June 18, 2018 at 9:48 am

Alumni News | Psychologist Inducted into Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame

Gail J. Rymer, Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame

The Parkersburg News and Sentinel reports that Ohio University alum Gail Rymer was inducted into the Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame.

Rymer earned a B.S. in Biological Sciences from the College of Arts & Sciences, followed by an M.Ed. in Community Agency Counseling and a Ph.D. in School Counseling from the Patton College of Education at OHIO.

Gail J. Rymer of Little Hocking was recently inducted into the Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame.

“Dr. Rymer has helped many in her community feel loved, feel valued and remain engaged with the world and people around them in a very positive way,” said Beverley Laubert, interim director of the Ohio Department of Aging.

Rymer operates an office on Joe Skinner Road, outside of Belpre.

She was give recognitions by the Ohio Senate and the Ohio House of Representatives for her lifetime of work when she was inducted into the Hall of Fame.

The Ohio Department of Aging biography of Rymer says, “Dr. Gail Rymer believes that all human beings deserve to live with dignity and respect, and have opportunities to remain engaged with the world around them. She devoted her life and career to lifting others up when they could not stand up for themselves.

“…Her career began with jobs in health planning and the ministry. She noticed that there were not many opportunities in the community for older adults to feel valued, loved and engaged. She organized efforts to visit elders and host senior luncheons and fellowship meetings. She reached out to other churches to recruit their congregations in these efforts. She started food banks and Christmas Day dinners for those who were alone during the holidays.

“After Dr. Rymer earned her doctorate degree, she worked in community mental health and later opened her private practice. Today, much of her practice focuses on services to the elderly and she advocates for quality of life. Older adults are often victims of abuse, neglect or exploitation. An elder is abused every five seconds in America. That is a fact that she simply will not accept.”