Moll, Kenneth L.

Kenneth L. Moll, 79, died at his home Wednesday, April 11, 2012. Memorial services will be held at 4 p.m. Sunday, April 15, at Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service, Iowa City, with the Rev. Sam Massey officiating. The family will greet friends from 3 to 4 p.m. Sunday, with a reception to follow at The Kirkwood Room. Committal services will be held at 9 a.m. Monday at Oakland Cemetery.

Kenneth was born Oct. 16, 1932, in Jackson, Mo., the son of Wilbert and Helen Moll (nee Roloff). He graduated from Jackson High School and completed a B.S. degree at Southeast Missouri State College in 1954. After two years of military service, he came to Iowa City for graduate study in the Department of Speech Pathology & Audiology at the University of Iowa. In 1957, he married Earline Settle of Fayette, Mo. Ken received a Ph.D. in 1960 and from 1960-65, held joint research-faculty appointments in the Department of Speech Pathology & Audiology and the Department of Otolaryngology. Following completion of a Special NIH Fellowship at the University of Michigan in 1965-66, he returned to Iowa as associate professor in the Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology (now Communication Sciences & Disorders). He was promoted to professor and served as department chair from 1968-76. Ken joined the University of Iowa central administration in 1976 in the office of the vice president for academic affairs (now the Provost's office.) He served in various positions including associated dean of faculties, associate vice president and during 1981-82, as interim vice president. He returned to his faculty position in 1989 where he taught until his retirement in 1995.

Ken was recognized for his research on the physiological aspects of speech production in normal speakers and those with cleft lip and palate. He held a number of NIH research grants and published extensively in books and scientific journals. He was a Fellow of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) in which he held numerous committee and board positions and served as national president in 1974. In 1984, he received the highest ASHA award: The Honors of the Association.

Ken enjoyed travel, Cardinals baseball, Hawkeye football and basketball and was an avid reader, especially mysteries and espionage.

Most important to Ken was his family, especially time spent playing cards and attending his grandchildren's sports events and their other activities.

Survivors include his wife, Earline of Iowa City; a son, Jeff, his wife, Suzie, and children, Emily and Christopher, of Cincinnati, Ohio; a daughter, Katy Stutsman, and her sons, Tyler and Tanner, of Hills, Iowa; and a brother, David and his wife, Lynn, of Fort Myers, Fla.

Ken was preceded in death by his parents; an infant brother, Wayne; and his in-laws, Earl and Hazel Settle of rural Fayette, Mo.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Iowa City Hospice or the Communications and Sciences Disorders Scholarship Fund c/o University of Iowa Foundation.

Online condolences may be sent to www.lensingfuneral.com

Published April 13, 2012 in The Gazette