Nina Redenbacher, 91, the wife of popcorn entrepreneur Orville Redenbacher, died Wednesday in San Diego after a heart attack. The Redenbachers moved to San Diego 15 years ago from Valparaiso, Ind., where they married in 1971. Mrs. Redenbacher frequently accompanied her husband on his promotional tours, but was never active on the business end of the popcorn operations.
John Gray Trezevant, 67, described as "the quintessential journalist" by former colleague Ann Landers, died Thursday in Tiburon, Calif. Mr. Trezevant, who began his career with the San Francisco Chronicle and later became an executive with the Field publishing organization in Chicago, died Thursday at Marin General Hospital after a short illness. The cause of death was not disclosed. Mr. Trezevant was on the editorial staff of the Chronicle from 1942 to 1955, and later was managing editor of Colliers magazine and an executive with the National Association of Broadcasters. He joined the Sun-Times in 1958 as the Sunday editor. He began editing the Ann Landers advice column while he was managing editor of the Chicago Sun-Times in 1965 and continued doing it for 13 years. Before retiring in 1984, Mr. Trezevant was executive vice president of Field Enterprises Inc.
and chairman of the Field Newspaper Syndicate.
Retired Maj. Gen. Earnest Hodges Briscoe, 84, former chief of staff of the Ohio Air Guard who helped developed safety policies for the Air Force, died recently in Columbus, Ohio. Mr. Briscoe, who retired as chief of staff of the Ohio Air Guard in 1964, had most recently lived in Naples, Fla., and Sky Valley, Ga. During his military career, Mr. Briscoe was assigned to the Army Air Force, Office of Safety. He was responsible for investigating the causes of air accidents and involved in writing safety policy. This policy was the forerunner of the flying safety and accident prevention program is use by the Air Force today. Along with his military career, Mr. Briscoe formed the Briscoe Manufacturing Co. in the early 1950s. He invented and developed heat sensitive materials that were used in military aircraft and space vehicles.
Gertrude Zeising Kemper, 101, a civic and cultural leader who was active in philanthropy as chairwoman of the Kemper Educational and Charitable Foundation, died Wednesday in Chicago. She lived in Chicago and Palm Springs, Calif. A long-time opera fan, she was the 1985 recipient of the Carol Fox Award from the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Mrs. Kemper a member of the Lyric Opera Women's Board and the Women's Board of the Chicago Boys Club and was a Red Cross volunteer during World War II.
Victor Cornelius, 86, whose company is said to be one of the nation's largest manufacturer of restaurant menus, died Friday in Abilene, Texas, of a heart ailment and kidney failure. Mr. Cornelius' company, Victor Cornelius Menus, employs about 65 people with an annual payroll of $1 million. In 1938, he patented an invention he called the Nap-Ad. It attached to napkin holders in cafes and could be used to display selections on the jukebox or advertising for movie theaters. Another of his inventions, the Redi-Clip, was patented in 1966 and allows cards advertising "daily specials" to be clipped to the menu. He sold millions of the clips, he once said.