CurePSP Tribute Funds

Priscilla J. (Whipple) Wirt, 80, of Muncy, Pennsylvania died Friday, June 16, 2023, at Heritage Springs Memory Care in Muncy. Born July 12, 1942, in Williamsport, she was a daughter of Robert M. and Vida B. (Fleisher) Whipple. She married James H. Wirt on December 26, 1965, and shared 49 years of marriage.

Priscilla was a loving and very devoted mother, sister, aunt, grand-mother, great grand-mother, sister, sister-in -law, mother-in -law, and friend. 

Priscilla was a member of the Montoursville Presbyterian Church and her family members reflect on her selfless contributions to her community through her involvement in the Lyter school PTO, as a Red Cross phone operator, long time swim team parent organization leader, Muncy Hospital Auxiliary member, Sunday school teacher, painting instructor, church board member and kitchen volunteer. 

Priscilla was raised as an Air-Force “brat” and her time spent living in Germany as a child influenced her to return during her Lycoming college pursuit of a degree in German (as well as political science). During her stay in Germany, Priscilla worked with an advocacy group who traveled between East and West Berlin to help families separated by the Berlin wall.

Priscilla had a creative soul which was reflected in her cooking (always in volumes), painting, crocheting (rugs and blankets), and the elaborate way she loved to decorate her home for holidays. The family recently learned that Priscilla was first taught how to knit at a knitting shop in Ocean City, NJ where she while also worked as a waitress during her high school summers.  

Priscilla courageously and boldly fought through a rare disease called Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), which is desperately in need of awareness and research.  Priscilla donated her brain to this cause so that research can be conducted to help understand this disease, assist in accurate diagnosis, and find treatments.

Priscilla is survived by two daughters, Carolyn (Kevin) Lynch, of Montoursville, Laurie (Bingo) Jenkins, of Hughesville; three grandchildren; Ryan Taylor, Andrew Taylor, Elijah Jenkins; three great grandchildren, Kelsey, and Gavin Taylor, Francesca Rundio-Taylor; two sisters, Malinda Allen of Leland, NC, Stephanie Hanna, of Cogan Station, and by a brother, Barry Whipple, of Montoursville. 

In addition to her parents, Priscilla was preceded in death by her husband, James Wirt.

Ray Lewis Nunnally was a warm, brilliant, funny man with a smile that lit up the world.  Ray earned his PhD in Biophysics and did scientific research at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas and the University of Oregon in Eugene.  As a pioneer in MRI and spectroscopy, Ray also worked for several Biotech corporations working to develop low cost MRI scanners and better MRI contrast agents.

Born in Denver, CO on December 19, 1945, Ray was devoted to his wife, Mary Hrapchak Nunnally, whom he met in graduate school at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and to his daughter Elizabeth (Lisa) Nunnally Gunderson, a commercial real estate management executive.  He is also survived by his mother, Ethel Williams; sisters Jennifer Loftus Carlson and Christine Nunnally Smalley; brothers John Loftus, Kevin Loftus and Nate Nunnally; and all of their spouses and children. 

Ray loved cycling, reading, photography and travel. He and Mary traveled extensively in Europe and the U.S. both professionally and for fun.  One of his favorite places was Santa Fe, NM where he and Mary had hoped to one day retire. 

Ray first exhibited symptoms of PSP in early 2013, and was finally diagnosed in November 2014 at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. He participated in a clinical trial working on treatment options at the University of California, San Francisco Aging and Memory Center and will further contribute to research efforts to find a cure for this cruel and devastating disease through the donation of his brain to the Mayo Clinic Brain Bank in Jacksonville, FL. 

The family wishes to express its enormous gratitude for donations made to CurePSP in Ray’s name.

Richard “Rick” Benoit was born in 1953, near baseball’s spring training fields in Tucson, Arizona. On cool spring evenings he listened to bats hitting balls and during the day he and his buddies wandered to those fields, where they found players willing to sign baseballs, talk about the sport, and offer kids a plug of tobacco. His love for baseball grew. He honed his skills, went on to pitch in college, and played in adult leagues.

Always ready to build a team, Rick relished his fraternity and found lifelong friends in Sigma Chi at Colorado College. He used his devilish grin and Cajun sense of humor to team build during his long career in sales. Starting as a young man at IBM and later at Intel, Rick became a sales consultant who traveled around the world. He trained sales forces in the shadow of the Pyramids of Egypt, coached companies near the Taj Mahal in India, and drove with a gun toting guide to his work in South Africa.

No matter where he was in the world, he always loved returning home to Lake Oswego where his wife of 41 years, Margaret, and his daughters, Elizabeth, Laura, and Wyatt, cheered him forward in life. Home was where he coached his daughters in various sports, stood proudly on the side lines of their games, and watched them develop their own interests and passions in life.

Who could have imagined that this athletic man would be stricken with a debilitating disease late in life? Rick was diagnosed with PSP, Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, in May of 2025. His body had been ailing for years, but doctors were unable to explain his symptoms. As the disease stole his ability to write, walk, and talk, he continued to watch baseball games with joy. In the early morning of New Years Day, 2026, with the sounds of cheers and fireworks wafting through the window, Rick hit a home run into the heavens.

Richard J. McCoid, born to the late Richard and Mildred McCoid, passed away peacefully on April 3, 2024 at the age of 76. Formerly a longtime resident of Spring Lake, New Jersey, Richard recently relocated to Sarasota, Florida, where he enjoyed relaxing by the water, taking in shade under palm trees and experiencing tropical breezes. Despite confronting the effects of PSP for many years, Richard remained courageous and cherished time with loved ones.

Richard is survived by his loving wife of 49 years, Janet; three children: Jean Hausmann (Andrew) of Chicago; Robert of Atlanta; and Meredith of Sarasota; and grandson, Finley Hausmann; sisters Patricia, Deborah, and Barbara; brother Timothy; and all the other countless persons that he also playfully teased over the years, leaving everyone grinning! Richard's dedication to wife and children was unwavering and he actively supported their various educational pursuits and extracurricular activities.

Born and raised in Nutley, NJ, Richard attended Nutley High School and later graduated from Southern Freehold Regional High School in Howell, NJ. Richard received a bachelor’s degree in accounting from St. Peter’s College in Jersey City. He later became a Certified Public Accountant and practiced accounting at Seaman and Company, Perth Amboy, NJ, and William E. Antonides & Co., Brick, NJ.  Richard’s expertise in financial planning inspired a venture, Key to College, which provided guidance to families navigating the complexities of funding higher education.

Among his interests, Richard was an enthusiastic sailor for many years. He and Janet navigated the waters around the Chesapeake Bay, coastal New England, and the Eastern Caribbean. Richard was thrilled that his children had the opportunity to learn sailing at a young age and that they continue to enjoy the sport along with his wife. Richard also felt at home when barbecuing ribs. If you ever struggled to polish them off, Richard was always more than happy to help. Later in life, his fascination with the art of bread baking took center stage. Richard not only enjoyed the therapeutic process but also loved when family and friends raved about his baked perfections.

Prior to his relocation to Florida, Richard was a member at the Metedeconk River Yacht Club in Brick, NJ. His grilling mastery was not a secret for long and often shared his bounty of savory barbeque ribs during yacht club events such as Friday Night Dinners and on bus rides to NYC theater shows.

The McCoid family thanks the staff at Westminster Point Pleasant in Bradenton, FL, for the special care given to Richard as he battled the advanced stages of the disease.

Toale Brothers Funeral Home will oversee his cremation. A celebration of Richard’s life will be held at a later date.

A devoted husband, father, friend, educator, historian and lover of animals, Richard "Rick" Thomas Spain, III was truly one of a kind. With a Diet Coke in hand, he could almost always be found making people laugh by saying aloud what everyone else was thinking.

He earned his associate’s degree from Louisburg College and his Bachelor of Science and graduate degrees from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). Rick left a lasting impression on thousands of students throughout his 31-year career as a well-respected history teacher and department chair in Chesterfield County, Virginia. He truly cared about his students' well-being, which is most evident by the countless letters of gratitude he received over the years.

Rick was born and raised in the small town of Waverly, Virginia. He grew up building tree forts and exploring the woods around his family’s home. While earning his teaching degree at VCU, Rick met the love of his life, his wife of 42 years, Gloria Davis Spain. He would be the first to say that marrying Gloria was the best decision he ever made. From there they built a life in Midlothian, a southern suburb of Richmond. They joyfully welcomed their son, Richard “Rich” Thomas Spain, IV, and the rest is history. Anything that Rich was interested in became Rick’s interest; making memories as a family was all that mattered to Rick.

Rick was a fierce friend. He maintained relationships unlike anyone else and treated his friends like family. He loved a medium rare steak, baked potato and “telling it like it is.”

In the summer of 2016, as the best man at his son’s wedding, Rick and Gloria welcomed their daughter-in-law, Lauren, to the family. It was just a year and a half later, two months before their first grandchild was born, at 66, that Rick would lose his courageous battle with PSP. Now with two grandchildren here to carry on his legacy, we take comfort in knowing the difference his life has made and will continue to make by sharing his story here.

His kindhearted nature, ability to make anyone laugh and be happy while in his presence will never be forgotten. This tribute page is a reminder that if we all work together, we can have a positive influence on those affected by PSP, CBD and MSA. We know that this tribute fund will continue his impressive legacy and help other families affected by rare neurological diseases like PSP.

Sampa Basu, born on 8th of August 1961 was a loving mother, a beautiful wife and an adorable grandmother. She was raised in the city of Kolkata, India in a very tightly knit Bengali family. She had such an amazing soul, and possessed this incredible ability to find kindness and love in everyone.

She had such an amazing soul, and possessed this incredible ability to find kindness and love in everyone. She was admired by everyone who knew her closely. From my earliest childhood memories, I remember her as someone who always put the happiness and needs of her family before anything. Being the younger of her two children, I am probably guilty of getting the most amount of love from her. She loved listening to classical Bengali music, especially Rabindra Sangeet. She loved to dress and travel. Her favorite moments include our weekly trip to the movie theatre and dining at a restaurant. 

After spending most of her life in Kolkata, she moved to Delhi as my father started a new job there. She took care of the whole family, while me and my sister were finishing up our high school and undergrad studies respectively. In 2012, she and my father temporarily migrated to Jakarta, Indonesia. She made many friends, and enjoyed her time travelling and living in a foreign country. 

During her time in Indonesia in 2015, she began to show some neurological problems. After a few failed diagnoses, she was finally diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2016. But within a year, we realized that her symptoms were diverging from a regular Parkinson’s patient. Eventually, she was diagnosed with PSP-P in Delhi.The whole family gave their very best, especially my father to find some kind of a way out for her.

She showed amazing grit, and dedication to get better, and slow the progressive disease down. But finally, after a very brave fight, she gave in to a battle which couldn’t be won. Swallowing difficulty led to an aspiration problem in the lungs. She passed away very peacefully on the dawn of 31st of December 2020, with a hint of smile on her face. She was only 59 years young. Her demise was devastating for the entire family but we took solace from the fact that she had been relieved of her pain by God’s blessings, and her soul rests in peace in heavenly abode. 

Me and my sister are blessed to have an amazing family around us, who helped us see through these tough times. I am sure that our mother would like us to remember her as she was before she got sick. Therefore, our family is committed to celebrate her loving, caring and jolly energy alive. 

We really appreciate your kindness and support. We are especially grateful to organizations like CurePSP that are dedicated to provide assistance and fund clinical research to find a cure for these rare degenerative diseases. Your donation will help serve the community and take a small step towards a day when no loved one is lost because of PSP. 

Sharon Grabbe Kleinik, age 84, of rural Nokomis, passed away on August 11, 2025 following a long courageous battle with the rare condition of Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, a Parkinson’s plus condition. She gave it a brave fight with Kenneth, Kendra, Tim and Kendall supporting her along the way. Sharon was not one to take a break or stop so the dash between the years was filled to the fullest. She graduated from Eastern IL University in 3 years with a double major in Accounting and Education. Upon graduation, she immediately went on to become the first female auditor for the Springfield Illinois Division of the Internal Revenue Service. She worked as an auditor for 16 years and the second 16 years was in numerous management positions ending with the Estate and Gift Tax Group under her direction. Sharon was a manager in the IRS offices of Decatur, Springfield, Champaign, Mattoon, and Quincy. The highest civil service award given in the IRS is the Albert P Gallatin Award and Sharon was awarded this prior to her retirement of 32 years in 1994.

Sharon married Kenneth W. Kleinik in 1965. They recently celebrated 60 years of marriage but to them they really celebrated 67 years as they began dating in High School. Their marriage was known as one of a very special enduring bond of love and support. During their marriage they lived on the farm they purchased together in rural Christian County where they raised corn, soybeans, cattle and champion American Quarter Horses. Sharon was a member of the Nokomis United Methodist Church, Daughter’s of the American Revolution(DAR) and American Quarter Horse Association. Sharon & Kenneth had one daughter, Kendra (Timothy) Kleinik Davis and one Grandson, Kendall Timothy Davis. Sharon had 3 siblings, Philip (Kay) Grabbe of Fillmore, Sally (Ronald, deceased) Sides of Nokomis and Gus (Chris) Grabbe of Lee and many nieces and nephews.

Sharon was preceded in death by her parents Vern and Alene (Hauser) Grabbe, as well as her West Highland White Terriers she so loved: Westie, Molly and Jamie. She was also preceded by her beloved horses: Peanuts, Lil Bit and Zippo.

She exited this world on March 2, 2006, five years to the day after her first grandchild was born. Consequently, this day will forever be remembered by her family as a bittersweet reminder of the essence of life and death itself.

Born on January 4, 1940, she was the daughter of an Air Force officer, Col. Leroy E. Loftis, who served in both WWII and the Korean War. Because of his service obligations, she had to become accustomed to moving around quite a bit as a young girl, growing up on military bases in exotic locales such as Guam. She continued to relocate, not by choice, after marrying and starting a family – from Denver, CO (where her 1st child David was born), to El Paso, TX (where her second son Richard was born), to Dallas, TX, Los Angeles, CA, back to El Paso, Richmond, VA, Pleasanton, CA and finally back to the Denver area for good. The constant moves explain why she grew to dread change later in life and cherished her daily routines, however mundane they appeared.

As a young, single, career-minded woman, there came a point in her life when she had a critical decision to make. She could have followed her heart and married her race car driver boyfriend, but instead she chose the presumably safer and more secure path of marrying a seminary student. Fast forward to the beginning of the 21st century, now divorced and living in Aurora, CO, on the outskirts of Denver, Sharron began experiencing unexpected and unexplained falls.

Originally diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, ultimately she was correctly diagnosed with PSP. Her family – her two sons and ex-husband — quickly became intimately familiar with the challenges of PSP. Thanks to the tireless efforts of individuals from Human Network Systems in Denver who helped organize and supervise her home health care, Sharron’s last wishes were honored and she was able to live out the last short years of her life in the comfort of her own home, without ever needing to be transferred to an assisted-living or full-care facility. Towards the end, Sharron had the benefit of round-the-clock live-in caregivers and ultimately hospice attendants to ease her passage. The care and grace that they exhibited cannot be overstated. 

Her living legacy are her sons, Dave and Rick Markell (and her two grandchildren).

Stephen (Steve) John Maassen was a beloved husband, father, brother, colleague and friend. Born on May 2, 1951, he was the second of five children and the only son of John and Harriet Maassen. A “Preacher’s kid” in the Dutch Reformed Church of America (RCA), he spent his childhood moving between parishes in Michigan, Wisconsin and Iowa. While the peripatetic lifestyle wasn’t always easy, he cherished his childhood and his family and loved to tell stories of his legendary Wisconsin winter walks to school. After graduating from Lincoln High School in Des Moines, IA, he earned his B.A. from Central College in Pella, IA in 1973. While he nearly went on to become a high school history teacher, a strong LSAT score propelled him towards law school. He obtained a J.D. from Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, IN in 1977, where he was the managing editor of the Law Review.

After graduation, a clerkship brought him to downstate IL. While the first hot and humid summer didn’t make a great impression (almost melting in the Cardinals’ old Busch Stadium), he did accept an offer with a law firm in Alton, IL. He made Alton his home, and relished learning and recounting the history of the Mississippi river town north of St. Louis (home of Robert Wadlow, the world’s tallest man, birthplace of Miles Davis and site of the final, famous Lincoln-Douglas Debate). He traveled widely in the region for work and for pleasure, spending many summers at the Lake of the Ozarks with family and friends.

He spent over 40 years with his law firm (recently incorporated into Rynearson, Suess, Schnurbusch & Champion, LLC). He briefed and argued more than 100 cases before both State Supreme Courts and Federal Courts of Appeal, and was admitted to practice in IL, MO and IN. Steve was a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation (an honorary society limited to 1% of licensed attorneys) and the International Association of Defense Counsel, as well as numerous other Bar Associations in IL and MO. He also took on countless pro bono cases and was active in charitable causes, including serving as the President of Illinois Easter Seals.

Steve first caught sight of his future wife, Diana, at an office Christmas party in 1981. Yet it took until the next Christmas party in 1982 for him to get up the nerve to ask her on a date. 2024 marks 40 years of loving marriage. His daughter, Alison, was born in 1986 and his son, Jonathan, in 1991. Steve was devoted to his family and deeply engaged in his children’s lives. As they grew, he imparted practical wisdom that has aged like a fine wine. He also lived his principles, pushing himself and his kids to keep their commitments (like Saturday morning soccer games in the rain), making sacrifices for family, leaving space for autonomy and making mistakes, loving unconditionally and "never underestimating the value of being competent."

While deeply interested in the world (coming from a family with many missionaries), he did not get his first passport until his 60s. Instead, he literally gave his children the world, starting with three-week People to People student trips to Europe. As he memorably put it: “I’d love to go to Europe for three weeks – I’ve never been. But the reality is that I am a 50-year-old lawyer with two kids. If I go, I’ll still be a 50-year-old lawyer with two kids when I come back. If you go, however, it might actually change your life.” (Duly noted that Alison is now married to a European and lives in Europe. Could the trip have been the gamechanger, after all?)

He put both kids through college at George Washington University in Washington DC and drove them to and from campus in road trips full of philosophical conversations about life. He didn’t bat an eye when Alison decided to spend a whole year studying abroad in the Middle East, cheering on her adventures. He later drove to the opposite coast for Jonathan to attend the University of California in San Diego for his master's degree. In 2015, he walked Alison down the aisle as she married Roman García Rodríguez, a Spaniard she’d met in DC. He and Diana also purchased their dream retirement home on a golf course in Venice, FL.

In 2018, after a series of falls and fender benders, Steve was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. Fortunately, the diagnosis did not stop him from finally traveling to Europe in the spring of that year to meet his new grandson, Paulo, and make his first and only visit to "the moederland" of the Netherlands. However, the illness progressed, faster than expected, and, in 2021, Steve’s diagnosis was updated to PSP. While he and his family mourned his lost autonomy (particularly his love of driving), he never once complained or asked, “why me?” Neither did Diana, for that matter, as she and Jonathan dedicated their time to managing his endless medical appointments and visits from various therapists, eventually becoming his courageous around-the-clock caregivers. Together, they found big and little victories in the face of PSP, like taking the whole family to the Magic Kingdom or simply enjoying a piña colada in the Florida sunshine. In 2023, Steve got to meet his new granddaughter, Kate. However, he also entered hospice as the illness progressed. On February 27, 2024, he passed away peacefully, surrounded by loved ones.

As Steve would have said, "You never finish, you just run out of time." Yet in the time that Steve shared with us, he left indelible impressions on those around him and made profoundly positive contributions to the world. He will be fondly remembered by all who knew him for his boundless generosity, enthusiasm for learning, pragmatic philosophy and kindness of spirit.