Professor Emeritus Donovan J. Ochs, 73, 122 Oreole Dr. NE, Solon, Iowa, died January 18, 2012, at home. A Celebration of Life will be from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, January 28, 2012 at Brosh Chapel in Solon. Professor Ochs was born October 2, 1938 in Charles City, IA to Joseph and Ardith (Hagarty) Ochs. He graduated from Immaculate Conception High School in Charles City in 1956. He received his bachelor of arts degree from Loras College and his master of arts and doctoral degrees from the University of Iowa. He married Joan Walsh on January 27, 1962. He taught at Loras College, Regis High School, Cedar Rapids, IA, the U.S. Army Base at Fort Leonardwood, MO, the University of California, Davis, CA, the University of Illinois, Champaign, IL, and the University of Iowa. At Iowa he was joint-appointed in the Department of Rhetoric and in the Communication Studies Department from 1967 to his retirement in 1995. For four years after retiring he taught short courses for the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center in the Henry Tippe College of Business. During his academic career he authored nine books; published over a hundred book chapters, reviews, and journal articles; and, presented numerous professional papers. He directed over two dozen students in their doctoral dissertation work. In 1993 he was awarded the University of Iowa Collegiate Teaching Award. He was an active member of the Iowa Communication Association and served on a number of their committees as well as co-editing The Iowa Journal of Communication. As a member of the Central States Speech Association he both edited the journal and served as President of the professional society. He was also a member of the Speech Communication Association and served on many of their national committees. Throughout his life he was an outdoorsmanfishing, hunting, and gardening were his major avocations. After his retirement he was a volunteer on a number of community projects, i.e. the Solon Community in Action Committee, the Solon Library Building Campaign, and the Solon Library Board of Trustees. Survivors include his wife, Joan Ochs, daughter Cindi Ochs, daughter Michelle (William) Kinney, and son Daniel (Karen) Ochs, and five grandchildren. His family would like to thank all of the friends and neighbors and Home Choice Senior Care that helped him remain in the home he so dearly loved. He will be remembered for his integrity, humor, conversational skill, storytelling ability, loyalty, work ethic, and playfulness. Memorials may be made to the Solon Public Library Foundation.