Danielle Martin, who majored in piano at Oberlin, died in Austin, Texas, on April 29, 2004.
Karen Keserich (Schapiro) remembers, “I was thinking about the women in my Dascomb hallway freshman year. …Danielle was such a lovely and friendly person that I invited her to spend Thanksgiving with my family.” This photo is from the 1966 yearbook.
Karen was texting recently with one of those Dascomb classmates who didn’t know what happened to Danielle Martin. “So I informed her about her murder. …Today I found an article online that went into detail about her life.”
Gregory Allen of the Class of 1970 is quoted in the article on the tragedy, linked below.
Barbara 'Bobbie' Sproat
What a very sad story. I don’t think I knew Danielle, but her name and picture feel very familiar, I obviously knew her by sight.
Cynthia Ware (Clark)
I remember Dani well from our section at Dascomb...She was friendly, compassionate and always had time to listen. Plus, very talented.Michele Cisco (Titi)
I remember Danielle, from Dascomb I believe, or maybe from my times as an applied voice student and choir member at the Con. I don't remember knowing her really well, but I recall her being pleasant and friendly, and a fine pianist. The story of her death was devastating.
Ruth Wade (Williams)
I have one memory of Danielle, whom I did not know well at all. She made a point of telling me that she had heard me playing in the practice room and was so impressed. I thought this was very odd since, as a Mus Ed major, I was an adequate pianist but not at all outstanding, and tended to perform badly in public (memory slips, etc.) I questioned her and she assured me she was serious. I have always wondered if she was making fun of me.
Cynthia Ware (Clark)
Ruth, I am guessing that she was quite sincere with her praise. She just didn't strike me as someone who would poke fun at another.
Ruth Wade (Williams)
Cynthia, that's a nice thought and I'm glad to know people saw her that way. But I also point out that Mus Ed majors were very well aware of our second class status in the minds of performance majors. Find me a Mus Ed major of that era who doesn't agree with that.
Ruth Wade (Williams)
Nonetheless, I read her obituary with shock and sorrow ... certainly she did not deserve that. Sympathy to all who were close to her and remember her fondly.
Tom Witheridge
I don't think I remember Danielle, but the long, extremely well written newspaper article about her life and tragic death, and the tragic end to a normal life for Jackson, is the saddest true story I have read in a long time. Somehow i forced myself to keep reading till the bitter end. I spent my entire career working with and on behalf of people with serious mental illnesses, but the years of emotional "toughening" and professional "distancing" didn't help much. The article encapsulates how little we professionals are able to do for many people in the greatest of need, despite the unquestionable advances in crisis intervention, psychopharmacology, and recovery-oriented community mental health services since our class left Oberlin 50 years ago. I feel so impotent, and I'm so sorry for Danielle and her family and friends, as well as for Jackson and his family and friends. What a terrible stunner of a story.