News
Alumni Notes | September 2024
Obituaries
Barbara Black '71 (Nursing) Barbara G. Black, 75, formerly of Washington, NJ passed away peacefully on August 20, 2024 at the Lopatcong Care Center in Phillipsburg, NJ after a long illness. Barbara was born in Somerville, NJ to the late Louis and Linda Grube. She graduated from Somerville High School and earned her BS degree in Nursing from Roberts Wesleyan University in Rochester, NY. Barbara was employed as a RN for the Hunterdon Developmental Center for many years before her retirement in 2006. She was a life-long member of the United Methodist Church and participated in the Washington Women's Club. She liked to sing and enjoyed sewing and going fishing.
Barbara is survived by her husband Melvin Black Jr.; stepson Melvin Black III; stepdaughters, Bridget and Elissa Black; her sisters Linda Wantuch (Ken) of Randleman, NC and Donna Smith (David) of Columbia, NJ; and a brother, Louis L. Grube (Laurel) of Coral Springs, FL as well as nieces Kristi Short, Bonnie Grube, and Denise Walker; nephews Andrew Short and Matthew Smith.
Roger Gales ‘72 (Music Education) Roger L. Gales, 72, of Bedford, passed away at 2:00 am on Saturday, February 18, 2023, at his residence. Born May 10, 1950, in Uniontown, PA, he was the son of Lester G. Gales and Wilma C. (Adams) Gales-Geiger. He married Susan Kern on June 8, 1996 and she survives. He graduated from Greece Olympia High School in 1968 and Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester, NY, with a major in music and a minor in education, in 1972. He graduated from Asbury College with a Master of Arts and Administration degree. He then received a Masters of Divinity degree from Asbury Theological Seminary. He was ordained by the Free Methodist Church in 1983 and served as youth and music pastor in Lawrence, KS from 1983-1986. In 1986, he moved to Bedford and became the youth and music pastor at the Bedford Free Methodist Church from 1986-1991. He became a music educator for North Lawrence Community Schools from 1995-2017, where he served as band director at the Bedford Middle School and as associate director of music and bands and music department chair at BNL, retiring in 2017. He served as worship director at the Bedford First Baptist Church from 1999-2003. His life-long passion for tuning and repairing pianos was fulfilled in retirement with his full-time business, Roger Gales Piano Service, where he not only tuned and repaired pianos, but completely restored numerous pianos throughout the region. He was the former director of the Bedford Community Band from 2013-2019. He was a member of the Nostalgia Band, TAPS Across America, and Sons of the American Legion Gillen Post #33 where he served in the Honor Guard. Survivors include his wife, Susan, of Bedford; children, Chris Gales and wife, Amy of Bloomington, Rachel Gales of Indianapolis, Katy Holmes and husband, Zac of Logansport, Bethany Bell and husband, Chris of Bedford, and Jordan Morris and wife, Mindy of Bedford; the mother of his children, Linda B. Gales; ten grandchildren, Ryan and Evan Gales, Calvin and Abigail Holmes, Michael Bell (Summer), Cierra Ashley (Skylar), Hannah Bell, Bennett, Beau, and Knight Morris; three great-grandchildren, Avery and Dallas Ashley and Harper King; a sister, Linda Zurick (Lee) of Rochester, NY; a brother, David Gales (Kathy) of FL; a brother-in-law, Dennis Hancock of Ohio. several nieces and nephews; He was preceded in death by his parents, and a sister, Karen (Gales) Hancock.
Gordon Keech ‘65 Gordon Keech passed away peacefully October 19, 2023, at Clifton Springs Hospital. There will be no public calling hours, a family memorial service will be held at a later date. Burial will take place in Lakeview Cemetery, Penn Yan, NY. The family requests memorial contributions be directed to UR Medicine Hospice, 2180 Empire Blvd, Webster, NY 14580. Gordon was born on April 2, 1933 in Jerusalem, NY, the son of the late Guy and Frances A. (Conley) Keech. He was a 1951 graduate of Middlesex Valley Central School, Rushville, NY. He attended college at Fredonia State and Roberts Wesleyan. Gordon was a self-employed private music teacher. He was well known for his piano entertaining at many social gatherings, churches, at the Henrietta Senior Center and most recently at Vienna Gardens Independent Sr. Living in Phelps. He was a member of the Potter Baptist Church. He is survived by his twin sister Gladys Johnson-VanHousen of Penn Yan and currently of Phelps, several nieces, nephews and many great nieces and nephews. Gordon is preceded in death by his siblings Kenneth, Robert, Doris Dunton, Dorothy McLoud, and Stanley Keech and his partner in life of 39 years John Burritt Prayne.
Marie (Shaffer) Nygren ‘58 (Biology) Marie was a devoted Christian, a loving wife, a dedicated mother, a sister, a widow, a volunteer worker, and a strong-willed woman. Her childhood home in rural Pennsylvania was a small farm home on several acres. Sadly, her sister before her died as an infant, and Marie nearly died herself as a young child from measles.
Along with her younger sister and two brothers, she milked cows, gathered eggs, brought in water from the well, weeded the large garden, and helped to gather the field grasses into bales of hay. The small two-bedroom home housed five to nine family members at any given time, depending on other relatives’ needs. On Sundays after church, it was expected that extended family members would show up for dinner and conversation.
Family was important, and taking care of family members was done without question. Marie met her future husband Gordon at Roberts Wesleyan College in New York. They married in 1956. Being the first member of her family to get a college degree, Marie was a schoolteacher by training. She taught the sciences to junior high and high school students. Marie later worked with her husband Gordon to create and maintain their own businesses. She traveled extensively in Europe and throughout the North American continent. Marie was a committed member of the Lutheran Church and served extensively in many teaching and leadership roles.
Being a mother was a role Marie wanted and was blessed with. She was always available to her children- from injuries, to homework, to volunteering as a girl scout leader and cub scout den leader, and on to helping with her adult children and grandchildren. She and her late husband Gordon raised four children- Sondra Marie Johnson Walker (Mitchell Walker), Karen Elin Matis (Robert Matis), Jennifer Anne Duncan, and Geoffrey Erik Nygren (Carol Nygren). Both Marie and Gordon added to their fold a Swedish daughter, Lena Skansgard, after Lena came to visit them as an exchange student many years ago. In addition, Marie leaves behind eleven grandchildren: Rachel, Erika, Phillip, Michael, Bethany, Kristin, Ryan, Garrick, Megan, Christopher, and Jay. And nine great-grandchildren: Kayleigh, Caiden, Juno, Harrison, Reagan, Avery, Hayden, Cayden, and Harper. She was loved and cherished by all and will be deeply missed.
David Oakley ‘68 David H. Oakley, of Delevan, NY, went home to be with his Savior February 1, 2022. He was born in Binghamton, NY, September 10, 1943, to Arthur & Bertha (Hughes) Oakley. He was the eighth of nine children and is survived by two sisters, Martha and Elinor; 3 brothers, Everett, Tom, and Eugene; and many nieces and nephews. He graduated from Binghamton North High in 1962 and attended Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester for one year. His greatest enjoyments in life were photography (he always carried his camera everywhere) and spoiling his grandchildren.
He worked for Victory Markets, Great American, and Giant grocery stores most of his career and Broome County Mental Health his final years of employment. In 1967, he married Susan and is also survived by his daughter, Wendy & Grant Appell; three grandchildren, Ethan & Becky Appell of Lexington, VA, Luke Appell of Beckley, WV, Megan & Zach Weaver of Buffalo Mills, PA; and his three great-granddaughters Kinsley & Brynn Appell and Ellianna Weaver.
He attended Church at Kirkwood Christian, Grace Baptist, and Delevan Baptist Churches. A graveside service will be held this spring at Rose Hill Cemetery in Hallstead, PA. Arrangements are being provided by Babbitt & Easton Funeral Home.
Coral Plough ‘75 Coral Denice Plough, 72, of Wabash, Indiana, died at 1:05 am, Friday, August 23, 2024, at her home. She was born on September 12, 1951, in Wabash, Indiana, to William Bruce "Bill" and Erma Lea (Chamness) Plough. Coral was a 1969 graduate of Northfield High School, attended Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester, New York for two years; and in 1975 graduated from the Lutheran School of Nursing. She was a Registered Nurse at Wabash County Hospital from 1975 until her retirement in 2005. Coral was a member of the New Life Baptist Church in Wabash. She enjoyed reading, sewing, and was an avid cat and dog lover.
She is survived by her daughter, Robin (Jonathan) Plough of Wabash, brother, William B. (Joyce) Plough of North Carolina, and three sisters; Dianna K. (Charles) Karnes of Tallahassee, Florida, Sue E. Sendelbach of Wabash, and Audrey L. (Chris) Neubecker of Seven Hills, Ohio. She was preceded in death by her parents, brother-in-law, Dale Sendelbach, one niece, one nephew, two great nieces, and one great nephew.
Virginia (Blowers) Totman ‘48 Mrs. Virginia Totman, 95, passed away on Friday, August 2, 2024, after a short illness. Born August 10, 1928, in North Chili, NY, she was the daughter of the late Charles Blowers and Myrtle Wing Blowers. She was a graduate of Roberts Wesleyan College, Houghton College and SUNY Geneseo. She retired from the Spencerport school district after over 25 years as a school librarian and media specialist.
She was preceded in death by her husband Floyd Totman whom she wed in 1952. They moved to Asheville, NC in 1982 and to Rock Hill, SC in 2001. She is survived by her children Jill and Greg Totman of Weaverville, NC; brother Malcolm Blowers (Sally) of Knoxville, TN; many nieces and nephews and grandnieces and nephews as well as step grandchildren and great grandchildren.