Alumni News
Mr. Lowell K. Haynes (STH ’71)
Lowell Haynes of Newton, MA died on December 14, 2020 from a rare blood cancer called myelofibrosis.
Lowell was born on March 29, 1938 and grew up in Pueblo Colorado. He graduated from Westmar College, got a Bachelor of Divinity from the University of Chicago and a Masters of Sacred Theology from Boston University. He served as a campus minister in State College, Pennsylvania and in Pittsburgh where he worked with Fred Rogers. Lowell gradually migrated east, living in Boston for the last fifty years of his life where he worked as the Director of the Newton Multi-Service Center and as Director of Human Services for the City of Newton.
He had different callings in his lifetime but was always dedicated to helping people. As a minister and as a dedicated human services professional, he was especially devoted to supporting teens and the elderly. He was a wonderful listener and a master of detail who took great pleasure in organizing his 60th high school reunion. He loved athletics, running the Boston Marathon several times and competing and winning road races into his 70's. He also coached his son's baseball team to a town championship. In his later years he played softball, biked and played racket ball into his 80's. Lowell was an avid follower of both politics and sports, and a lifetime fan of the St. Louis Cardinals and the University of Colorado Buffalos.
Lowell leaves a son, Eric Haynes, a photographer, and Marsha Lazar, his loving partner of 30 years. A virtual remembrance will be held in January to celebrate Lowell's life. Donations in his name can be made to any organization that fights for equity and justice for all.
This obituary was originally posted here, by Legacy.com.
Reverend Donald E. Day (STH ’59, STH ’61)
Reverend Donald Day died December 5, 2020, at Crystal Brooks Gem Unit at the age of 89 years.
Donald was born on September 12, 1931, to Everett and Hazel (Risch) Day in Appleton, Minnesota. After high school graduation, he attended St. Cloud State University until 1951 when the Appleton National Guard was called to active duty during the Korean War. Upon honorable discharge, he attended Hamline University, graduating in 1956. During his Hamline years, his studies were again delayed for a year as he served on a deputation team working in churches to revitalize ministries through Methodist Youth Fellowship. It was during this year that Donald first felt the call to serve the Lord through ministry. He attended Boston University School of Theology earning a Bachelor of Divinity degree (1959) and a Master of Divinity in Pastoral Counseling (1961). A second focus emerged in 1956 when he met Virginia Fairchild. They married in 1958 to enjoy 62 years of marriage. Children, Annette, Elizabeth, and Douglas soon joined the family. While at Boston University, he served two student charges; Pawtucket Congregational Church, Lowell, MA, as a youth minister and a pastor at Weirs Beach/Lakeport Methodist churches in New Hampshire. In 1961, he was ordained as Elder in the Methodist Annual Conference. He retired in 1998 upon serving 42 years in ministry and chaplaincy. He was appointed to the following MN churches; Waite Park (1961-66), Epworth Church in Minneapolis (1966-68), Riverside United Methodist in Park Rapids (1971-81), Fourth Avenue in Fairbault (1981-89), and St. Paul’s Mendota Heights (1989-1998). He also worked as a minister to children at First Church in St. Cloud (1964-66). Following three summers of chaplaincy training, he served as Chaplain/Case Worker at Bar None Ranch for Boys in St. Francis (1968-71). Donald took special pleasure in the churches he served, to share in the lives and spiritual journey of people was a privilege. He conducted over 200 weddings, 102 in Park Rapids alone. His involvement with young people was a consistent emphasis of his ministry. An ecumenical tent ministry at Riverside; Wednesday meals with MYF programs to forty youth in several churches, developing and leading Conference camping programs such as bike camps, children’s musicals, dramas, and missionary trips. He loved it all. He served on the Conference Board of Ordained Ministry for eight years, acting as Registrar for Candidacy for four years, also the Board of Evangelism and Camping even into retirement. In each community, Don sought civic engagement. In Park Rapids, he was instrumental in starting the Day Activity Center, the beginnings of the PR youth hockey program with Ted Johnson. He was honored to receive recognition from that program in 2004. Into his 80’s, he taught ping-pong at the PR afterschool program. In Fairbault, Don was instrumental in initiating senior meals, chaired The United Way campaign, and actively participated in the Rotary Club. In Mendota Heights, he extensively helped in the start of a Latino Methodist Church and the U of M Ag Grad program. He deeply believed in justice for all and the commandment of loving the neighbor as oneself.
Don was preceded in death by his parents, Everett and Hazel Day; his in-laws, George, and Ruby Fairchild; sisters-in-law, Elisa Day, Mary Clark, Barbara Strope, Judy Hansen; brothers-in-law, Jack Anderson, Thomas Hansen, Dick Clark, Stanley Fairchild, Neil Fairchild, Howard Oien; niece, Beth Caswell and nephew, Jimmy Day.
Donald is survived by his wife, Virginia Fairchild Day; Children: Annette Day (TonyPaukert), Elizabeth Davis (Thomas) and Douglas Day (Kimberly); Grandchildren and great-grandchildren: Rachelle Davis Taghikhani and Jason (Colton), Jacob Davis, Adam Ward, and Laura (Kinsley and Livvy), Regan Schaff and Elliot, and Kennedy Day. He is also survived by his siblings: Richard Day (Judy), Veneta Anderson, Helen Vulu; one aunt, Violet Risch; sisters-in-law: Oma Fairchild, Ardis Fairchild, and Harriet Oien; brothers-in-law: Donald Fairchild (Judy); beloved cousins and many loved nieces and nephews.
A celebration of life will be held at a later date. Memorials preferred to CHI St. Joseph’s Health Hospice Care or Riverside UMC Columbarium.
This obituary was originally published here, by Jones-Pearson Funeral Home.
Reverend Dr. Joseph C. Evers (GRS ’62, STH ’62)
It is with great sadness that the family of Rev. Dr. Joseph (Joe) Calvin Carr Evers announces his passing on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2020 at the age of 93.
Joe lived in Orange City, Florida, with his wife, Karen Way Sanner Evers, and had served as a pastor for over 70 years.
Joe was born in Metropolis, Illinois, on Dec. 17, 1926.
Preceding Joe in death were his parents, Luther L. Evers and Nellie (nee Trovillion) Evers.
Joe has five children, Mark Evers (Mary), Dan Evers (LaVonne Stangle), and Jane Ann Comeau from his first marriage to Anna Lee Evers; and Kevin Evers (Carla), and Karmen Birdsell (Doug) from his second marriage to Karen Way Sanner Evers.
Joe also has 12 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.
Joe graduated from Metropolis High School and then attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale.
While attending SIU, Joe was licensed, at the age of 17, as a United Methodist Pastor with the Southern Illinois United Methodist Conference (now Great Rivers United Methodist Conference).
Joe received his Masters of Divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky, and later went on to receive his Doctorate Degree from Boston University School of Theology.
Joe served many churches throughout Southern Illinois.
After retiring from the Great Rivers UM Conference, Joe and Karen moved to Red Bird Missionary Conference in Beverly Kentucky where Joe served as the pastor of the Beverly United Methodist Church for seven years.
He went on to serve congregations for the Presbyterian Church in Virginia, Illinois, Quincy, Illinois, and DeBary, Florida.
Joe then started his own Community Church at the 55+ community where he and Karen resided in DeBary.
Joe was known for his humor, and for always having a joke or a funny story to share.
Joe was also known for his preaching and love of U.S. History.
Joe enjoyed watching St. Louis Cardinals baseball, Kentucky Wildcats basketball, playing golf, volunteering with Kiwanis and other community groups; also traveling with his wife, Karen, and visiting with all of his family and friends.
The family will have a Celebration of Life at a later date to be determined because of COVID.
In lieu of flowers, you may send a donation of your choice to your local Kiwanis Club or local United Methodist church.
The obituary was originally posted here, by Legacy.com.
Dr. Edwin S. Stefan (STH ’60)
Dr. Edwin S. Stefan went home to be with the Lord on December 11, 2020, at The Heritage in Findlay, OH.
He was born to the late Edwin and Loraine (Holzinger) Stefan on November 18, 1933. On August 30, 1959, he married Katheryn J. (Rouse) who survives him. He has three daughters Cynthia L. Sharp, Deborah A. (Fernando) Escamilla and Jennifer S. Stefan. He has four living grandchildren: Evan Escamilla Flury (Roger Flury), Sierra Sharp, Sasha Escamilla and Andrew Sharp. A grandson, Marshall Escamilla preceded him in death. He will be missed by family, friends and former student Tena (Jim) Kirk. He had three beloved dogs in his life: Teddy Bear, Skipper and Spenser.
Education and learning were lifelong pursuits. He earned his Bachelor of Arts from Carroll College in Waukesha, WI, Masters of Divinity from Garrett Theological Seminary at Northwestern in Evanston, IL, STM from Boston University, a Doctorate of Religion from Claremont School of Theology in Claremont, CA. He also took a Sabbatical at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. He served as a minister in MI, MA, WI, CA and OH.
In 1969 Ed began his teaching career at Findlay College/The University of Findlay, retiring in 1995 as Professor Emeritus of Psychology. He enjoyed challenging students through innovative courses. He developed as well as directed an internship program known as CUE (Community Urban Experiences) for the Psychology Department which is still in existence today.
His interests included travel, hiking, backpacking and ballroom dancing. Ed traveled the world and never knew a stranger. He loved and accepted people regardless of race, religion or nationality. Even struggling with Alzheimer's at the Legacy, he found a way to brighten other people's day and bring a smile to their face.
He was also inspired to compose music, songs of faith and a Polka. His family would like to thank the wonderful caregivers at the Legacy and the Heritage. We appreciate more than we can express the great care of Dr. Jacobus as well as all of the Hospice team. We are forever grateful to Dr. Sharon Cole, Dr. Haq and the staff of Orion Cancer Care and Dr. Lutz for helping Ed have many extra years with us.
Due to COVID-19 a private service is being held at St. Andrew's United Methodist Church on December 14, 2020, at 2:00 p.m. The service will be livestreamed and available for viewing on the church's website www.saumcfindlay.org or their Facebook page. A celebration of life is planned for a later date. Burial will be at Lincoln Memorial Cemetery in Milwaukee, WI. Arrangements have been entrusted to Coldren-Crates Funeral Home.
Online condolences can be sent by visiting coldrencrates.com. Memorials may be made to the Dr. Edwin S. Stefan Scholarship Endowment Fund in care of University of Findlay. 1000 N. Main St. or Cancer Patient Services, 1800 N. Blanchard St.
This obituary was originally posted here, by The Courier.
Reverend W. Robert Fowler (STH ’58, GRS ’68)
Rev. W. Robert "Bob" Fowler of Framingham passed peacefully at home on December 9, 2020.
He was born in Methuen, MA on January 19, 1932, the son of James William and Mary Ellen (McFadden) Fowler. Bob is survived by his loving wife of 65 years, Ruth May (Allen) Fowler of Framingham. Devoted father of Mark A. Fowler and his wife Susan of Madison, WI and Martha J. Puchulu and her husband Michel of Framingham. Cherished grandfather of Benjamin, Carmen, Gabriel and Moriah (1990-2010).
Bob has been a resident of Framingham for the past 15 years. He graduated from Lawrence High School with the class of 1949 and earned his BA in English Literature from DePauw University in Greencastle, IN. In preparation for a career in ministry, he earned a Master of Divinity at Boston University School of Theology. He was ordained a Deacon in the Methodist Church in 1955, the same year he and Ruth were married. He was ordained an Elder in the New England Southern Conference of The Methodist Church in 1958, the same day he received his Master of Divinity.
Bob served churches in Fall River, MA; Brockton, MA; Pioneer, OH; Lima, OH; Springfield, OH; Westerly, RI; Lynn, MA; Winthrop, MA; Salem, MA; Mystic, CT; Newton, IA and Glidden, IA. For 5 years between his Westerly appointment and his Lynn appointment, Bob took a sabbatical to get his Master of Arts in History at Boston University and worked on his PhD in History at American University in Washington, D.C. During those 5 years he taught at Framingham State College and American University.
Bob retired from the ministry in 1994 and opened a used bookstore, Bob's Books, in Des Moines, IA that he and Ruth operated for 8 years before moving back east to New Hampshire. Bob's Books opened in Portsmouth, NH and operated for 13 years. Bob and Ruth then fully retired and moved to Framingham to be closer to family. Bob was a devoted and loving husband, father and grandfather to his family.
Due to the social restraints of the Covid pandemic, plans for a reception and committal will be at a future date. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Norton Funeral Home, 53 Beech St. (Corner of Union Ave.), FRAMINGHAM. In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy in his memory may be made to the American Parkinson Disease Assoc. Massachusetts Chapter, 72 East Concord Street, Room C3, Boston, MA 02118 or the American Diabetes Association , 260 Cochituate Rd. #200, Framingham, MA 01701. To leave a message of condolence and sign the online guestbook, please visit www.nortonfuneralhome.com Norton Funeral Home Framingham, MA
This obituary was originally posted here, by Legacy.com.
BUSTH Dean Statement on January 6 US Capitol Attack
Dear School of Theology Community,
Even as I await the public announcement of my deanship (which officially began this month), I want to uphold the important role the school has played in speaking out concerning major events. And there was a major event this past Wednesday with the storming of our nation’s capitol by rioters protesting the certification of the 2020 presidential election results.
In a time where understandings and practices of American democracy are being challenged, it is crucial more than ever to defend and preserve the peaceful, democratic processes of this nation. I have four things I want to state.
First, I condemn the violent occupation of the US Capitol Building as inconsistent with the principles of American democracy.
Second, I grieve for the death of the police officer and all deaths related to the riots. I extend my gratitude for Officer Sicknick’s service and offer my sympathy and prayers to the families in grief.
Third, I grieve the notable discrepancies between responses to this riot (comprised predominantly of white Americans) and the more heavy-handed responses to Black Lives Matter protests over this past summer. There are a number of injustices that happened on January 6, and we should not lose sight of the several layers of injustices at play.
Lastly, I lament the increasing chasms of our nation, and I grieve the fact that they are too often mirrored in churches and faith communities today. I exhort persons of faith, churches, and faith communities to take up the hard, beautiful, and fragile call to pursue justice with peace, seek righteousness with mercy, to love one’s enemies and uphold and affirm the humanity of every human being. Communities and persons of faith are called to be people of compassion, even as they seek to speak for truth and justice. Such compassion and humility deeply wedded to conviction and action are needed even more so when disagreements threaten to turn ugly and violent. In the face of the violence on January 6 and violent actions past and future, may the church and persons and communities of faith be even more vigilant in embodying peaceful action towards the thriving of all human beings that we may dwell in peace and seek the peace and welfare of the city (Jeremiah 29:7).
May the community of STH be a community of prayer at this time. May it also continue to be a community of compassion who embodies peaceful witness and action for justice and restoration.
G. Sujin Pak, Dean of the School of Theology
Boston University Responds to Events in US Capitol on Wednesday
January 7, 2021 – Boston University President Robert Brown sent a letter to BU students, faculty, and staff on Thursday, condemning the attacks in Washington, DC on Wednesday. “Yesterday’s violent occupation of our Capitol in Washington by a mob was an attack on our democracy. I condemn it, as should all Americans and people around the world,” Brown said in his statement.
The letter is publicly available on the Office of the President website.
January 8, 2021 – Boston University’s founding director of the Center for Antiracist Research, Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, responded in real time to these events on Twitter. He cited law enforcement’s treatment of the attackers as compared to the treatment of the Black community by law enforcement around the country: “The same reason why the police routinely kill Black people is the same reason why the police are routinely unprepared for White domestic terrorists.”
The full story and Dr. Kendi's tweets are available in this article published this morning by BU Today.
Returning to BUSTH and Campus for Spring 2021
January 2021 – Boston University has announced that the Spring 2021 semester will follow the same precautions and testing as the Fall 2020 semester, as we prepare for the return of students to campus and classes in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The following websites offer resources for returning students, faculty, and staff, as the Spring 2021 semester begins.
- What Students, Faculty, and Staff Need to Know about Spring Move-In and Returning to Campus
- Back2BU: Boston University’s dedicated website info on reopening campus.
- Healthway: BU’s website dedicated to COVID-19 prevention and testing for our community. It includes the daily testing dashboard which displays all the latest results from our on-campus COVID-19 testing.
- STH student intranet: Our students can find the latest STH-related updates, including recent info directly from the deans. Students will need to enter their Kerberos name and password to access the intranet.
- STH student intranet COVID-19 page
- STH Library COVID-19 information
- BU Today: Subscribe to the daily newsletter for breaking news on campus.
Prof. Calvillo Featured in Religion News Article
The original article was published on December 31, 2020 on Religion News Service.
What to expect on the religious scene in 2021: Experts cast their sights on the year ahead
We asked scholars, faith leaders, activists and other experts to reflect on some of the issues they’ve seen on the religious landscape and what they anticipate for 2021.
Jonathan Calvillo: Latino Christian identities will continue to evolve in response to multiple impulses
In 2021, I expect to see the following trends among varying segments of Latino Christianity:
- Visible, interdenominational coalitions of young Latinos focused on social justice will continue to grow.
- Younger Latinos will continue to be drawn to Afro-Caribbean and Indigenous-influenced spiritualities.
- Many Latino Christians will continue to be drawn to sources of perceived “secret knowledge” encapsulated in conspiracy theories and will blend these beliefs with their theologies.
- Increased online engagement by churches will continue to foster virtual communities of pan-ethnic Latino affinities.
- Spiritual entrepreneurs with a strong digital presence will continue to exercise influence transnationally via mainstream social media platforms as well as through their own websites.
- Smaller, working-class churches who have experienced notable losses due to the pandemic will respond mournfully and creatively.
Rev. Voigt Day Archer (STH ’60)
The Reverend Voigt Day Archer passed away on December 1, 2020.
He was predeceased by his father Voigt Day Archer Sr., his mother Erma Bahler Archer, and his sister Patricia Trescott (Gene). He is survived by his wife of 65 years Beverly Nason Archer, children Stephen Day Archer and Amy Elizabeth Caccia (Randall), and grandchildren Jessica Guy (Kevin), Amanda Archer, Emma Caccia, and Anna Caccia. Voigt was born in Rochester, NY in 1933.
He graduated from East Rochester High School in 1951 and Syracuse University in 1955. He attended Boston University School of Theology where he received his Master of Divinity. He was ordained in the United Methodist Church in 1959 and began his ministry in Clockville, NY. Other pastorates included Ithaca (State St.), Homer, Skaneateles, Elmira (Centenary), Sodus, and Syracuse (Bellevue Heights). He retired from full time ministry in 1999 but was called back into service several times as an interim pastor. His final ministry was as associate pastor at Baldwinsville First UMC from 2004 - 2014.
In addition to a local parish, Voigt held several Central NY Conference positions including chairman of the Board of Pensions and Coordinator of the Ordination Service. For over 30 years he served alongside Rev. Warren Covell as co-director of older elementary camps at Casowasco. Voigt remained concerned about social justice throughout his life. He felt fortunate to have participated in the 1963 March on Washington as well as the 1970 Churchman's tour of Eastern Europe and the USSR during communist rule. The principle Voigt lived by was, "Goodness is something so simple - always to live for others, never to seek one's own advantage." [Dag Hammarskjold]
Those who knew him remember his humility, wisdom, and kindness. A service of Life Celebration will be held at a later date.
Gifts in memory may be made to Casowasco c/o Upper NY Conference of the United Methodist Church, Baldwinsville First UMC or any other church Voigt served.
Please sign the guestbook at syracuse.com/obits
This obituary was originally published here, by Syracuse.com.