News
Alumni Notes | March 2021
Don E. Andrews ’63 (Comprehensive Social Studies), born February 14, 1932, in Flint, MI, passed into the presence of his Lord and Savior on December 19, 2020. He was the third of five children born to Leroy E and Leona E Andrews (both deceased).
Don became a born again Christian at an early age. He was a member of the Christian and Missionary Alliance church for most of his adult life.
Don graduated from Beecher High School (Flint, MI) in 1950. That summer he was introduced to Eileen Putney who became his bride a year later on August 24, 1951. They celebrated their 69th anniversary on August 24, 2020.
Don and Eileen adopted two sons, James "Jim" Andrews while at Roberts Wesleyan College, Rochester, NY and Jeffrey "Jeff" Andrews while living in Thompsonville, MI. Jim and wife, Nettie (Fox) gave Don five grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. Jeff and wife, Corinna (Coffman) gave Don three grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
In 1952, Don joined the United States Navy and served a four year enlistment during the Korean War. Don served on a troop transport ship, the USS General William Mitchell (TAP 114). Following his term in the Navy, Don returned to Thompsonville, MI and worked for a local lumber company after which he returned to college at Roberts Wesleyan College where he completed his bachelor's in Education.
After obtaining his baccalaureate, Don again returned to Thompsonville to teach grades 5-8 Social Studies. Next, Don taught 11-12th grade Social Studies at Cadillac High School in Cadillac, MI. At this time, Don received a special invitation to teach Social Studies at Oakdale Christian High School near Jackson, KY. Don served as a teacher/administrator for three years at Oakdale before moving to Georgetown, KY where he worked as a vocational training specialist at a special needs workshop. At this time, Don also completed his Master's in Education. After completing his Master's, Don became a teacher and Principal at Savannah Christian School, GA (two years) and then a teacher and Principal at Toccoa Falls Academy, GA (two years).
Following his time in Georgia, Don was selected to serve as Administrator at Toledo Christian School, with 30 students, in Toledo, OH which had just opened its doors a year earlier. Don spent the next 13 years at TCS, building it into a 700 student K-12 school, which also required several moves to different and larger buildings. Following his time at TCS, Don assumed duties as Administrator at Cherry Street Mission, a gospel rescue ministry for homeless men and women. Don served at Cherry Street for ten years. After retiring at age 69, Don worked with a church related inner city after school ministry for several years.
In addition to work activities, Don also served with several community organizations; Kiwanis in Savannah, Gideon's International Ministries in Toccoa Falls, and Rotary International and the American Legion in Toledo.
One of Don's real joys in life was music. Don sang tenor in several quartets during his time as a student at Robert's Wesleyan College and Spring Arbor College. While in the Navy, Don sang tenor in the Blue Jackets Quartet. When calling friends and family on their birthdays, Don always made it a point to sing them Happy Birthday to start the call off.
Don was preceded in death by a great-grandchild, Annemarie.
Don is survived by his wife, Eileen; sons James (Nettie) and Jeff (Corinna); eight grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren brother, Ken (Sally) Andrews and sister Carol (Wayne) Moss.
Aaron T. Bachelder ’05 (Criminal Justice) received his Master’s in Criminal Justice Administration from Columbia Southern University. Aaron was awarded the Omego Nu Lambda Scholarship for Academic Excellence.
Nikki Gardner Brown ’18 (Social Work) received a promotion at Skaneateles Early Childhood Center and is now the Executive Director.
Charles B. Fulks ’64 (Comprehensive Social Studies), 79, of Falling Waters, WV, passed away on Tuesday, January 26, 2021 at Berkeley Medical Center. Born August 11, 1941 in Tacoma Park, MD, he was the son of the late McKendree and Mildred (Main) Fulks.
Charles graduated from Gaithersburg High School in 1960, and from Roberts Wesleyan College in 1964. He served in the U.S. Army from 1964-1969, achieving the rank of 1st Lieutenant before being honorably discharged to pursue a career in the private sector. He was a proud life member of NRA, American Legion, and Toy Soldier Club. He loved plants and was the owner and operator of Farmer Fulks' Greenhouse in Gaithersburg, MD for forty years. He also enjoyed model railroads, toy soldiers, war games, and most of all, his granddaughters. Charles is survived by his wife of 49 years, Dorothy Fulks; son, Joseph Byron; daughter, Suzanna Roulette (husband, Anthony); three granddaughters, Phoebe Fulks, Anna Roulette, and Grace Roulette; sister, Linda Ann Moore; two brothers, M.R. Fulks (wife, Judy) and John D. Fulks (wife, Linda); several nieces and nephews; and his best buddy, John Verna (wife, Lyn).
Glenn A. Harkins ’67 (English) passed away peacefully on February 1, 2021 at the age of 75 after a lengthy struggle with dementia.
Glenn was predeceased by his parents, Ralph and Grace Harkins and sister, Ruth (Harkins) Vanderhoof.
He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Susan K. Harkins; his two daughters, Emily (James) Roussie and Elissa Viele; 6 grandchildren, Zachary, Paige, Meghan, Nathan, Samantha and Brynn; his two sisters, Joyce (Dave) Heimberger and Fran (Bob) Madey; brother-in-law, Donald Vanderhoof; many nieces and nephews and beloved friends.
Glenn was born and raised in Blairsville, Pennsylvania. He came to North Chili and graduated from Roberts Wesleyan College in 1967 where he met his wife, Sue. The couple settled there and raised their family. Glenn taught English at Brockport High School for over 35 years. He was a life-long member of Pearce Memorial Church and was actively involved in the athletics department of Roberts Wesleyan College and New York State Section V Boys Basketball. In his retirement he taught at SUNY Brockport and ushered at Frontier Field.
To know Glenn was to know humor, wisdom, generosity, kindness and devotion. Nothing on this earth mattered more to him than family. He devoted himself to his wife and daughters. Glenn was an avid follower of the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Pittsburgh Steelers and loved collecting sports memorabilia. Glenn knew how to make others laugh with his innate sarcasm and quick wit. Above all, Glenn loved well. He invested in people, sacrificed to help others and always looked for ways to bring joy to people in unexpected ways.
The family will be having a private graveside service to honor his life and looks forward to inviting others to A Celebration of Life once the pandemic has passed. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in Glenn’s memory to the Roberts Wesleyan Athletic Department, Redhawk Club – Men’s Basketball at this link: https://www.roberts.edu/give/make-a-gift/donate-athletics/
Michele Mayer ’92 (Social Work), age 51, of Corning, NY passed away while at her home surrounded by her family and beloved rescue dog, Benny, on Friday, March 12, 2021, entered her heavenly home where she will live eternally with her Creator and Savior Jesus Christ.
Michele was born on January 2, 1970 in Elmira, NY to Edward and Marjorie (Earley) Mayer. She was a graduate of Elmira Christian Academy, received her Bachelor of Social Work from Roberts Wesleyan College in 1992 and Master's Degree of Social Work from Marywood University in 1993.
She worked for Pathways, Inc, Chemung ARC, Southern Tier Hospice, University of Buffalo, and was currently employed by iCircle of Webster, NY as a Care Manager.
Michele enjoyed reading, baking, cross-stitch, and of course shopping, and hosting family and friends for various holidays and events. Sharing her homemade jams, jellies and cookie trays was a holiday tradition. She was always interested in furthering her education, birdwatching and gardening. She served on the Singles Source (SALSA) team, and as a volunteer at Family Life Network for many years. She was an advisory panel member of Guthrie Sayre Cancer Center and she also served on several advisory boards related to social work in the health field and community youth events. She received numerous awards of excellence in her field of social work. She attended Beartown Road Alliance Church in Painted Post.
She is survived by her sister, Ella (Jack) Ginnan of Corning; brothers, Charles (Lettie) Mayer of Caton, NY and Roy Mayer of Corning; a niece, Christal (Jim) Storms of Caton; nephews, William (Melody) Ginnan of Corning, Charles Mayer, II of Painted Post, Matthew (Ann) Mayer of Elmira, and Ryan (Christiane) Mayer of Wiesbaden, Germany; many grand nieces, nephews, and cousins; and her aunt, Diana (Gary) Brown of Dundee, NY. Michele was predeceased by her sister, Maria Mayer.
Memorial donations may be made in Michele's name to Guthrie Cancer Care Fund or to Family Life Network.
The family would like to thank Dr. Lowery and the numerous other physicians and supporting medical staff along with family and friends who cared for Michele through her 16 year battle with breast cancer.
William McKinstry IV ’04 (Religion-Philosophy) recently published a paper entitled “Another Look at Cain: From a Narrative Perspective” in Yonsei College of Theology’s Theological Forum, ???? vol. 102 (2020.12), 241-263, DOI: 10.17301/tf.2020.12.102.241. This paper explores the names in Genesis 4:1-15, focusing on how three of the names (Adam, Eve, Abel) share in a feature set, whereas Cain’s name is the longstanding anomaly. This feature set that the names of Adam, Eve and Abel share in are 1. their names sound like other Hebrew words allowing for wordplay, 2. directly relates to their character/role within the story, and 3. foreshadows future events of the characters. Cain appears to be the only outlier in this area. After a careful study of the proposed meanings for the name of Cain, William shortens the list of possibilities by testing each to the feature set above. In light of Westermann’s comment "Everything points to this name having been formed in the context and course of the narrative,” he believe the best possible meaning for Cain’s name is not the generally accepted “to acquire” but rather "spear.” To read the full article, click here.
Mary Alice Stam ’59 was born in Follansbee, W. Va., on Feb. 18, 1937. The baby of the family, Mary Alice grew up admiring her three older siblings, Lois, Jean, and Jim, the youngest of whom was eight years her senior. She spent her growing up years in her beloved hometown, playing clarinet for the Follansbee High School Marching Band. She spent the majority of her life living elsewhere, but as any good friend of hers can attest, West Virginia always had her heart; John Denver’s “Country Roads” was her ringtone for years and her No. 1 requested song for live music.
Mary Alice followed in the footsteps of her older siblings when she struck out on her own to attend Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester, N.Y. -- more than 300 miles from home. On her way to chapel one day, a handsome letterman dropped a water balloon on her from outside his dorm room window and the rest was history. Mary Alice Alley married Edward Stam on Oct. 18, 1958, at that very same chapel, surrounded by colorful fall leaves, family and friends -- many of whom remained close throughout their lifetimes.
Not long after moving their family, including three children -- Brad, Lynne and Judi -- to Texas in 1969, Mary Alice discovered she was suffering from congestive heart failure, the result of rheumatic heart disease from a strep infection during childhood. The same condition had taken her mother’s life years before, leading Mary Alice to leave Roberts Wesleyan halfway through her education to be a full-time caretaker. Mary Alice underwent her first of three open-heart surgeries at the age of 34. The experience of caring for her mother and then combating the same disease fueled her passion for healthcare.
Once recovered, Mary Alice returned to school to complete a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Texas Christian University at age 44 while continuing to raise her three school-age children. She worked hard to give them, and their many neighborhood friends, a sweet and memorable childhood while balancing school work and clinicals. She went on to earn a Master’s from Texas Woman’s University as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Maternal Child Health and developed a passion for teaching. She spent 15 years serving as a pediatric clinical professor, investing in students at UTA and TCU. Deeply devoted to excellence in nursing and education, she served as the president of the Harris College of Nursing Alumni Association, a member of the Beta Alpha chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, and earned the distinction of being named one of the 2007 Great 100 Nurses in the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex.
A committed follower of Christ, Mary Alice saw her nursing career as an extension of her faith, a way to serve with her gifts and love others. Mary Alice served on the planning committee of the Billy Graham Greater Southwest Crusade of 1971. She and Ed were founding members of Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco, pastored by Chuck Swindoll. They were regularly involved in Bible studies, leadership activities and retreats, including a trip to Israel. They made regular visits back to New York for church camps with their Rochester community and reunions with fellow Roberts Wesleyan alumni.
Mary Alice earned her favorite title in 1987 when she became “Nana” to her first grandchild, Christopher Jacob (“C.J.”). Over the next decade, her four other grandchildren -- Alli, Parker, Mary Kathryn and William -- were born. She was actively involved in each of their lives, often showing up to class parties or school recitals in scrubs or a white coat, and traveling to out-of-town soccer tournaments.
Mary Alice and Ed lived in a neighborhood across the street from the DFW grandchildren’s school, Covenant Christian Academy, and served as surrogate grandparents to dozens of students throughout the years, taking larger and larger groups of kids to lunch after Grandparents Day performances. CCA students regularly spent time at their home, walking there after school, watching movies and eating snacks, pitching tents in the backyard, taking naps between theater rehearsals, and, one time, built a slip-n-slide on the hill in their yard during a class off period. Mary Alice not only fed everyone, but shared meaningful conversations with students, especially those who were interested in healthcare, offering advice and mentorship like she had to so many nurses throughout the years.
Mary Alice was a talented gardener, a hobby she leaned into upon retirement by holding an officer position in the Colleyville Garden Club. She also served as Regent of the Captain Nathaniel Mills Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, combining her love of history and interest in genealogy. Additionally, she enjoyed membership (and fabulous fashion) with the Red Hat Society.
Every summer, Mary Alice and Ed would escape the Texas heat and head to Lake Tahoe. Their children and grandchildren would join them for 10 days of water skiing, fishing, rafting, hiking, boating and biking. Many years of annual trips to Tahoe are some of the family’s most treasured memories.
Three open-heart surgeries weren’t the only medical challenges Mary Alice faced throughout her life. She survived a hot air balloon crash, a battle with the deadly strain of e.Coli in 1998, a massive stroke in 2014 with minimal deficits and, amazingly, beat COVID-19 at age 83 in December 2020. All of her challenges provided her with empathy for others and a resolve to continue forward.
Mary Alice died Wednesday, Jan. 13, in Fort Worth, Texas. She is preceded in death by her husband of 58 years, Ed. She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law Brad and Weslyn Stam; her daughter and son-in-law Lynne and Art Pengelly; her daughter and son-in-law Judi and Jim Sherrill; grandchildren C.J. Stam, Alli Haltom and her husband Stephen, Parker Sherrill, Mary Kathryn Pengelly and her fiancé Austin Chandler, and William Pengelly.
In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests memorial contributions be directed to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.