Andrew Cayton

Services:

Memorial Service
Monday December 28th 2015 at 2:00 pm

Holy Trinity Episcopal Church
25 E. Walnut Street
Oxford , OH 45056

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Obituary

Surrounded by his loving family, Andrew Robert Lee Cayton passed away in Columbus, Ohio, on December 17, 2015, after a seven-month battle with cancer. He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on May 9, 1954, and graduated from Marietta (Ohio) High School in 1972. Drew received his B.A. in History from the University of Virginia (1976), and his A.M. (1977) and Ph.D. (1981) in History from Brown University. An eminent scholar of Early American and Atlantic World History as well as a gifted teacher, he taught at Harvard University, Wellesley College, Ball State University, Miami University, Leiden University, and The Ohio State University. At Miami University, his academic home for twenty-five years, he held the title of University Distinguished Professor. In Fall of 2015, he moved to The Ohio State University to occupy the Warner Woodring Chair in History. He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Mary Kupiec Cayton; his daughters, Elizabeth (Victor) Broccoli, Cranford, New Jersey, and Hannah (Mark Tucci), Canton, Michigan; and grandson, Elliott Cayton Broccoli. He is also survived by sisters, Renanne (Jeffrey) Welch, Marietta; Amy (J. Robert) Lazear, Columbus; Ellen S. Cayton, Columbus; and Daphne (Terry) Styer, Marietta; also by ten nieces and nephews; and by hundreds of friends and colleagues; and by thousands of former students. A memorial service will take place on Monday, December 28, 2015 at 2:00 p.m., at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, 25 E. Walnut St,, Oxford, OH (45056) The family asks that in lieu of flowers, contributions be made to the James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute of The Ohio State University, or to the National Humanities Center, Research Triangle Park, NC. Arrangements entrusted with JOHN QUINT TREBONI FUNERAL HOME, 1177 West Fifth Avenue, Columbus (43212). Condolences may be sent via www.johnquint.com.

Contributions

Contributions may be directed to any of the following
OSUCCC James 
Office of Development
National Humanities Center

Condolences for Andrew Cayton

From : Bill and Mav Bonar
To : the fami;y of Drew Cayton
Date: December 20th 2015

Please accept our deepest sympathy at the passing of your dear loved one. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all at this difficult time. From The William Bonar family
From : Steve Moriarty
To : The Cayton Family
Date: December 21st 2015

I had the pleasure of meeting Drew in the fall of 1975 when we endured the same major thesis seminar. He was not only the smartest student in the class, I think he was the preeminent history major in the department. It was a real treat to reconnect with him many years later. I am very sorry for the entire Cayton Family, as it has lost a truly fine man.
From : LaVerne Schatzman
To : Drew Cayton's Family
Date: December 21st 2015

Whatr a shock! I was lifelong friends with Mr. and Mrs. Lee Pelly, Vivian and Bob Cayton and had communicated with Drew in the last couple of years concerning his mother's death. I had no idea he was so ill. I cannot tell you how sorry I am to read of Drew's passing. With deepest sympathy, LaVerne
From : Debbie Long Armstrong
To : Mary
Date: December 21st 2015

Dear Mary, my deepest sympathies to you and your family. May God give you strength and may you find peace and comfort in the many warm memories you have of your beloved Drew. Love, Deb
From : David Miller
To : The Cayton Family
Date: December 21st 2015

Dr. Cayton was one of my favorite professors at Miami University, and a great man. I enjoyed my first class with him so much that I decided to take three more. His lectures were always thought provoking and inspiring. I'll remember his passionate lectures for the rest of my life. He will be sorely missed. I'm sorry for your loss.
From : D. Harris
To : The family
Date: December 21st 2015


Dear Family,
I am so sorry to hear of the loss of your dear loved one and send you my sincere condolences. May you find comfort from God's word at Revelation 21:3,4 and John 5:28,29. Heartfelt prayers are with you and your family.
From : Alan Hall
To : Family of Drew Cayton
Date: December 21st 2015

My sincerest sympathies to the Family of Drew Cayton. I am a member of the Marietta High School Class of '72 and Drew and I emailed back and forth following the publications of his books, sharing Ohio History and making sure I acquired each book for my library system. He leaves a tremendous legacy of Words for our civilization.
From : Mary Whitson Hamilton
To : The Cayton Family
Date: December 22nd 2015

I am so sorry to hear of Drew's passing. I remember your family fondly and our visit to Marietta years ago. I am sorry for your loss & keeping you in my prayers.
From : Keral Wagner Fell
To : Drew Cayton's Family
Date: December 23rd 2015

I was so saddened by the news of Drew's passing. I graduated from Marietta High School in 1971. He was the Editor to the school's newspaper at that time and I worked closely with him in editing it. He made a definite impression on me. What a very bright person he was. His life work speaks for itself. My condolences to his family that you lost him so early. May God bless you in your sorrow.
From : Kate Gilbert and Steve White
To : The Cayton family
Date: December 23rd 2015

We are so very sorry to hear of Drew's passing. It was a great pleasure to get to know him at the National Humanities Center in 2012-13. Our sympathy to all of Drew's family, friends, and students.
From : The Kabakoff's
To : The Cayton Family
Date: December 25th 2015

Our sincere condolences to your whole family. Drew contributed so much to McGuffey when he was on the board. He will be missed by everyone he ever worked with, and especially by his loved ones.
From : Cindy (Rittinger) Lindsay
To : The Cayton Family
Date: December 26th 2015

I was one of the thousands of former students of Dr. Cayton. I am sure he didn't remember me, but I've often thought about his exuberant lectures both in HST 111 and "Around the World With General Grant". I've always loved history, and I loved the passion he put into his classes. They were a highlight of my Miami education, especially the Grant class. I am very sorry to hear of his passing, and my thoughts and prayers are with his family in this difficult time.
From : Dan and Carolyn
To : Mary, Elizabeth, Hannah
Date: December 28th 2015

Dan wrote the following about his dear friend:
I met Drew when I was at Ball State University in 1985. We hit it off. When he moved to Miami of Ohio, we kept in touch. He studied the Midwest history and I studied Ottoman history. I realized that he was a brilliant historian and I modeled myself on him. Unfortunately, I never could keep up with him and he soon outdistanced me. When I moved to DePaul University, we still kept in touch. I wanted to collaborate. However, I did not know how to do it when my scholarship was so different from his. Drew didn’t how to it either. So, we decided to organize an Omohondro meeting in Istanbul. It was very successful. Two months after this I had a stroke. Drew drove up to Chicago not one time, but three times to be with me. I tried to shave, but I
was unsuccessfully. I grew a beard. Drew did not like it, he volunteered to shave me and I agreed. Drew shaved me. Whenever I shower and shaved, I think of his kindness for offering to shave me when I was incapacitated. I think that I had never had a true friend like Drew and I miss him.
From : Jim Ashton
To : The Cayton family
Date: December 29th 2015

Drew was a mentor for two decades, beginning when I was an undergrad at Miami, and in the last few years a true friend, as I worked toward my PhD. I was struck at the memorial service yesterday by the unanimity around his extraordinary ability not only to collaborate with his colleagues, but to do it in the spirit of friendship. I saw Drew in person no more than once a year, but I always felt that spirit of intense friendship and keen interest in my project and progress.

As late as two months ago, Drew was still writing a recommendation letter for me, and I was looking forward to continuing our new tradition of meeting for golf when I was at home during the summer. When I heard of his passing, I was devastated. But my sadness is already salved by the memory of this remarkable man. I am happy that, at least, I was able to tell him about my successful dissertation defense this fall. It was in no small part thanks to his support and wisdom over the years.

My thoughts are with the entire Cayton family. I will treasure the memory of Drew's advice, care, and friendship as long as I live.
From : Cynthia Brokaw
To : Mary Cayton
Date: January 4th 2016

Dear Mary,
Please accept my deepest sympathy on the loss of your husband. I knew Drew at the National Humanities Center. What a kind and wise man he was--the one person everyone at the Center looked up to. We have lost not only an outstanding scholar but also a very fine man.
Cynthia