Nina I. McClelland PhD

Nina Irene McClelland, PhD, a woman of faith who generously used her time, talents and treasure to benefit others died Sunday August 16, 2020 five days prior to her 91st birthday. Nina McClelland was born August 21, 1929 the daughter of Lillian and Henry McClelland. She was preceded in death by her mother, Lillian Welker McClelland, her aunts Valda Collins and Fern Mervos, dear family friend Lavone Witting, her cousin Willard Collins, her second cousins Kenneth Collins and Gary Hoodlebrink. She is survived by her cousins Richard (Barbara) Collins of Bradenton, FL, Janet Hoodlebrink of Pemberville, OH, Karen Collins of Bellfontaine, OH, Robert Mervos (Phyllis) of Lancaster, PA, Mary Jo Gibson (Edward) of Berryville, VA, and Joy Benedek (John) of N. Huntingdon, PA. She is also survived by ten second cousins and eleven third cousins. Nina was raised by a single mom; she enjoyed the love and support of her grandparents and her beloved Aunt Fern. Her exposure to women in scientific fields started early in life; she was sitting in a calculus class at seven years old at the University of Toledo, taught by her Aunt Fern. While Nina found great academic success in her life, she would have been quick to tell she initially was not a serious student. One was more likely to find her name in the college newspaper for hitting a softball or sinking a basket as she was involved in just about every team sport on campus. She joined the Alpha Chi Omega sorority, where she learned to play bridge and pinochle with the best of them and was darn good at euchre too. She switched majors a number of times, landing on Pre-med. She was accepted into medical school, but had to turn it down to stay in Toledo to help her newly widowed Grandmother. She took a laboratory job in Toledo for the sum of $16 per week. It was this job that got her hooked on chemistry. In the 1960’s people were beginning to understand how human activity could affect the environment. Her research as a graduate student was part of the immense effort to change the chemical structure of surfactants in household detergents to make them biodegrade more easily. Dr. McClelland, a member of Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Honor Society, is internationally recognized for her expertise in environmental chemistry and she dedicated her life to using science to make this world a better place. During her career she was a principal and consultant with the International Clean Water Program, a humanitarian program dedicated to providing health care, safe drinking water, good education, disease control and other essential needs to developing countries. She also served on the National Academy of Sciences Committee on Water Treatment Chemicals and for three terms on the Environmental Protection Agency’s National Drinking Water Advisory Council. Dr. McClelland addressed the United Nations on the issue of clean drinking water. While living in Ann Arbor and working as President and Chief Executive Officer of NSF International she gave freely of her time to the Ann Arbor community. Her leadership as chairman of the board at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital Ann Arbor was recognized this past fall by naming their board room the Nina I McClelland, Ph.D. Board Room. Her ability to apply consensus principles to management decisions and her reputation for fairness, objectivity and innovation served her well as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Toledo. Nina was intensely motivated to work, but found time for fun. She enjoyed family time at Lake George in Indiana with her mother, friend Shorty and her cousins. She loved being on the water in her Inland Cat sail boat dubbed La Nina by her friends or her power speedboat christened Nina’s Folly. Nina loved being at the center of the action, whether standing next to Sally Ride during a space launch, sitting with the University of Michigan President when her beloved Toledo Rockets football team beat the Michigan Wolverines or being with Mike Ilitch when the Detroit Tigers won the World Series in 2006. Nina was recognized as an amazing woman with an untold number of accomplishments. Her network of friends and colleagues spans the globe. She was the quintessential networker, always ready to make a call to help a friend or solve a problem. She valued her family and friends above all else and appreciated all those who reached out to her in her final years. Special thanks for the wonderful care Nina and her beloved dachshund dog Haileigh received during her final days at Sunset Village. Friends are invited to visit on Wednesday, August 19, 2020 from 2:00-8:00p.m. in the Ansberg-West Funeral Home 3000 Sylvania Avenue (between Secor and Douglas Roads). Masks will be required for entry and social distancing recommendations will be followed. Funeral services conducted by Reverend Richard Habrecht will be private on Thursday at 1:30pm. Due to current conditions caused by the ongoing pandemic, we are offering a Live Stream of the service beginning at 1:15pm for those who wish to attend the Service virtually. To view the Live Stream of Nina’s Funeral Service, please click here. To register for the Live Stream so you receive a reminder email and calendar invite, click here Registering for the service will both help the family know who attended as well as providing the opportunity for technical support, if you should need any, before and during the service. Private Interment will be in Toledo Memorial Park. Those wishing to make memorial contributions are asked to consider making donations to the Dr. Nina McClelland Laboratory for Water Chemistry and Environmental Analysis (fund #1302517) at the University of Toledo Foundation, 4510 Dorr Street, Toledo, Ohio 43615-4040.

Nina I. McClelland PhD

August 21, 1929 - August 16, 2020