Pioneer principal
ALEXANDRIA – Services Kathleen Poole, one of the first female principals in Rapides Parish public schools, will be Saturday. She died March 5 at age 75.
She began her teaching career at St. Frances Cabrini School, then joined the Rapides system. She became principal at Lincoln Road 6th Grade Center, then Acadian Elementary and J.B. Nachman Elementary, before rejoining the diocese as principal at St. Rita Catholic School.
Survivors include her husband Ralph, a son and a daughter.
Arrangements are by Kramer.
Physics professor
BATON ROUGE – Services for retired physics professor Drt. Rama Mohanty will be Saturday. He died at age 75.
He was a former U.S. Army lieutenant colonel. He was a professor at LSU, Southern, Cal-Berkley and chairman of the Physics Department at Morehouse College, New York.
Survivors include his wife Anasuya and a son.
Arrangements are by Resthaven.
Pioneer businesswoman
MONROE – Arrangements are pending for Ruth Cooley, one of the first women to own a business in Northeast Louisiana. She died March 5 at age 85.
She opened The Monroe Letter Shop in 1948. The family firm operates today as Cooley Printers. Cooley was the a Women in Business Advocate or the Year.
Department store owner
OAKDALE – Services for long-time department store owner John Abrusley, Sr. will be Saturday. He died March 5 at age 85.
He owned Abrusley’s Department Store in downtown Oakdale.
Survivors include his wife Nelva, two sons and a daughter.
Arrangements are by Rush.