Alumni News

Rev. Dr. Raymond Clinton Hart, Sr. (STH ’01)

By sthalum May 16th, 2022 in Alumni/ae Deaths

Rev. Dr. Raymond Clinton Hart, Sr. (STH '01) passed away on 4/19/2022. Obituary to come...

Rev. Kenneth E. Wood (STH ’70)

By sthalum May 16th, 2022 in Alumni/ae Deaths

This obituary was originally published by the Press Connects online on April 16, 2022, and can be found here.

Rev. Kenneth E Wood

Apalachin -

The Reverend Doctor Kenneth E. Wood of Apalachin NY.

Ken Wood, 77 years of age, died of Congestive Heart Failure on Wednesday April 13th, 2022 at Rochester General Hospital. He was predeceased by his parents Kenneth and Marilyn (Everett) Wood and brother James. He is survived by his loving wife of 51 years Karen (Wescott) Wood, Sons Paul (Amy) of Allentown, PA, Peter (Robyn) of Owego, NY and Grandchildren Rachael, Eric, Matthew, and Kelly. He is also survived by his sisters, Barbara Thorick, Nancy Arkin (David), Donna Babcock (Scott), his brother Robert (Marianne), and many special nieces and nephews.

Ken was born on April 22nd, 1944 and raised in Port Crane, New York, graduated from Chenango Valley High School, earned a Bachelor of Arts from Houghton College, a Masters of Theology from Boston University, and a Doctorate of Ministry from McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago.

As a United Methodist Minister in the former Wyoming Annual Conference, Ken served churches in Tioga Center/Smithboro, Windsor, Vestal, Owego and Endicott. He also served the annual conference in the role of Council Director. Ken retired in 2006. After retirement he returned to service working part time at Owego UMC followed by service at Holy Nativity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Endicott, NY.

Outside of work he loved spending time at his cottage at Petonia Lake in Greene, NY. He enjoyed golf, the Boston Red Sox, attending as many sporting events as possible, and traveling the world with his wife Karen. Above all else his greatest joy was his grandchildren.

Ken's amazing life was one of mission and ministry to others.

The family will receive relatives and friends Friday April 29th at Vestal United Methodist Church 328 Main Street Vestal, NY from 2-4:00 PM and 6-8:00 PM

A celebration of Ken's life will be held on Saturday April 30th at Vestal United Methodist Church beginning at 10:30 Am

In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Ken can be made to Sky Lake Camp or Vestal United Methodist Church Memorial Fund.

Gifts to Sky Lake may be made online by selecting "In Memory of Ken Wood" at https://skylake.campbraingiving.com/ or by mailing a check made out to "UNYAC-Sky Lake" to Sky Lake, 501 William Law Rd, Windsor NY 13865

Chaplain Dudley Chase Hathaway, USN(Ret) (STH’69)

By sthalum May 13th, 2022 in Alumni/ae Deaths

This obituary was originally published by the Milward Funeral and can be found here.

Dudley Chase Hathaway was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts, on October 3, 1927. He passed from this world while at home at age 94 on March 25, 2022, to meet Jesus who he had served so faithfully all these years.

Dudley married his college sweetheart, Aileen Faith Stevens, from Hinckley, Maine on September 6, 1948. He graduated from Eastern Nazarene College, Quincy, Massachusetts, and earned degrees at Nazarene Theological Seminary, Kansas City, and Boston University. During the period of 1952 to 1962, Dudley pastored Churches of the Nazarene in Johnson, Vermont, and Saugus, Massachusetts. In 1961 he was commissioned a chaplain in the United States Navy and served on active duty from January 1962 through November 1990. His active duty involved a variety of assignments on shore and at sea including duty with surface forces, submarine forces, naval air, training commands and the United States Marine Corps. Overseas he served in Okinawa, Spain, Japan and with the First Marine Division in Vietnam. From 1978-1980 Chaplain Hathaway was the Navy’s only chaplain assigned full-time at Arlington National Cemetery. It is most fitting that he be buried in Arlington National Cemetery where he ministered to so many military sea service personnel and their dependents. He often referred to his time at Arlington National Cemetery as one of the most rewarding ministries of his Navy career. His military decorations included the Meritorious Service Medal and the Navy Commendation Medal with Combat ”V” and two Gold Stars in lieu of second and third awards.  Dudley retired in December 1990, with the rank of captain and settled in Lexington, Kentucky.

Survivors include a son, David (Charlcie), of Richmond, Virginia; two daughters, Daphne (Mike) Westendorf of Piscataway, New Jersey, and Janet (Norm) Smith of Lexington, Kentucky; and seven grandsons and two great grandchildren. His beautiful wife of 41 years preceded him in death as well as one grandson.

Visitation for Chaplain Hathaway will be Monday, April 25^th 10:00 am – 12:00 pm at Milward – Man O’War located at 1509 Trent Blvd. Service will follow at 12:00 pm.

The family would like to express thanks for the excellent hospice care given by Bluegrass Care Navigators.

It was Dudley’s desire that any remembrances/tributes be made in the form of donations to the Spencer-Lee Scholarship Fund at Nazarene Theological Seminary which assists students there who plan to enter the military or hospital chaplaincy. Make check payable to NTS and mail to Rev. Jamie McDorman, NTS, 1700 East Meyer Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64131 with “Spencer-Lee Scholarship Fund – Hathaway” on the memo line, or to give online, click this link https://www.nts.edu/give/#endowedscholarships.

To share a remembrance of Dudley, or to offer condolences to his family, please sign the online guestbook at milwardfuneral.com.

Interment in Arlington National Cemetery will commence Thursday, August 4, 2022 at 3:00pm.

Rev. James G. Todd (STH’61)

By sthalum May 13th, 2022 in Alumni/ae Deaths

This obituary was originally published The Eagle Tribune and can be found here.

North Andover - The Reverend James George Todd, Jim, Grampa T, Uncle Jim, Mr T—man of many names—a man who loved his family and friends. He was born to Aileen (Averill) and George Dougwillo in Nashua, NH, on December 20, 1936, raised in Lawrence by his mother and step-father, William A. Todd. Jim, surrounded by his family, died Sunday, April 3, from Alzheimer's and vascular dementia, age 85, at Brightview Senior Living, North Andover. He is survived by his wife, Mary Todd of North Andover; and children Jeff Todd of Boston, Steve and Katy Todd of North Andover, Julie Todd of Lawrence; grandchildren Becky and Mike Kurtz of Weymouth, and Matthew Todd of Portland, Maine; sisters Cecelia Wrobel of Deland, Florida, Averill Blatchford of Lawrence, and Elizabeth Bibeau of Methuen; cousin Charles Dougwillo of 29 Palms, California, and numerous nieces and nephews. Jim graduated from Lawrence High School in 1954, Union College (Barbourville, KY—where his classmates voted him "Mr. Union") in 1958, and Boston University School of Theology and was ordained as a United Methodist pastor in 1961. He touched thousands of lives through various forms of ministry. Jim served United Methodist churches in Swampscott, Dorchester, Lynn, North Andover, North Reading, and Cuttyhunk. He served as the Director of Rolling Ridge United Methodist Conference Center in North Andover for 11 years, and was the District Superintendent of the Metro Boston North District for six years.

Jim had a passion for social justice. His compassionate heart extended to young people in need and a life-long commitment to anti-racism and peace activism. He worked towards the inclusion of LGBTQ+ people in the church, and spent countless hours on the streets protesting the invasion and occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq with the Merrimack Valley People for Peace. He is remembered for his warm hospitality, welcoming the stranger, his gentle and loving ways, and his sermons reminding us that we are required to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God.
Jim's final act of service was donating his body to the Boston University School of Medicine for medical education and research, 617-358-2105.
Jim's love for music included drumming, dancing, and being a DJ for youth groups, nursing homes, community events, and dances that raised thousands of scholarship dollars for youth to go to summer camps. His love for the outdoors included camping, skiing in Tuckerman's Ravine area, and mountain climbing with family and friends including week-long backpacking trips for youth and adults. Known as a keen basketball player since his days at the Lawrence YMCA, he also coached in the Andover Church Basketball League, played third base for Rolling Ridge in the North Andover Softball League, and loved cornhole and racquetball.

His family remembers him for yard sales, trash-picking, enjoying ice cream, playing pinochle, and regifted Christmas presents wrapped specially chosen recycled comics from the newspaper.

Jim's celebration of life will be Saturday, April 23, at 10:30 a.m., at the First United Methodist Church, 57 Peters St., North Andover. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Rolling Ridge Conference Center, 660 Great Pond Road, North Andover, MA 01845 or the Alzheimer's Association, 309 Waverley Oaks Road, Waltham, MA 02452.

Dr. Leo Sandon, Jr. (STH’62, GRS’71)

By sthalum May 13th, 2022 in Alumni/ae Deaths

This obituary was originally published in Tallahasse Democrat on March 31, 2022, and can be found here.

Tallahassee - Leo was born on October 10, 1935, in Coffeyville, Kansas, to Leo and Grace Sandon. He graduated from Coffeyville High School in 1953. From a young age Leo was interested in religious matters. He was a licensed supply minister for the Methodist church and conducted services as early as age 18. Leo graduated from Baker University in Baldwin City, Kansas, with a major in philosophy, in 1957. There he met the love of his life, Marvel Lou Rogers Sandon, to whom he was married for 57 years until her passing in 2014.

Following graduation from Baker, Leo and Marvel Lou moved to Blue Mound, Kansas, where he pastored his first church. Shortly thereafter, they moved to Boston, Massachusetts, where Leo began graduate school at Boston University, earning his Ph.D. in 1971. He also took classes at the Harvard Divinity School. To help support his family, Leo took a position as an assistant pastor in Wrentham, Massachusetts (1959-1963) and a position as Senior Pastor at Union Congregational Church in East Walpole, Massachusetts (1963-1969).

In 1969, Leo was offered a position at Florida State University as University Chaplain (1969-1974) and assistant professor in the Department of Religion. He was promoted to full professor in 1980. He served as the Director of the Program in American and Florida Studies, and he was Chair of the Department of Religion from 1990-1996.

Leo was an outstanding teacher, winning several teaching awards, including Distinguished Teaching Professor in 1991. At the same time, Leo was very active in faculty governance, serving as the Department's representative in the Faculty Senate for many years. He served on the Steering Committee and was elected for two terms to serve as Faculty Senate President (1988-1990). In 2007, the Faculty Senate honored Leo with a Torch Award for his contribution to excellence in FSU's academic programs. Leo's Mores Torch Award honors respect for customs, character, and tradition. Leo retired from FSU in 2003. He served as President of the Association of Retired Faculty from 2014-2015.

Leo was an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church. During his years in Tallahassee, he was an active member of First Presbyterian Church where he held the title of Parish Associate. Leo presented many lecture series at First Presbyterian as well as at several other churches in Tallahassee. He was a staunch advocate for civil rights and marched in Selma for voting rights in 1965.

Leo was a voracious reader; usually consuming two or three newspapers daily. For 26 years, he wrote a widely admired column for the Tallahassee Democrat called "Religion in America". Community members frequently expressed to his sons how much they enjoyed his column and continue to lament that it is no longer published.

He enjoyed music and was a long-time patron of the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra. He particularly appreciated the music at First Presbyterian Church on Sunday mornings and could be found listening to jazz on WFSU on Sunday afternoons; Sunday evenings often included watching Masterpiece Theater.

Leo loved FSU football, baseball, and more recently, women's soccer. After moving to Boston, he became an enthusiastic Red Sox fan and loved Fenway Park. He "made the pilgrimage" to Omaha several times to watch FSU play in the College World Series. As a religion professor interested in the role of sports in American culture, he developed an American Studies lecture series called "Sport in America." Leo proudly chaired the Academic Committee of the Athletic Board at FSU and helped with the expansion of Doak Campbell Stadium as we know it today. Several "Religion in America" columns addressed the ritual of sport as religion in our culture.

Leo enjoyed the outdoors and hiked sections of the Appalachian Trail from Georgia through North Carolina with his sons Stephen and Philip. Post retirement, he enjoyed walking and greeting neighbors, and birdwatching from his home in Waverly Hills.

Most of all, Leo loved his family. He is survived by his two sons, Stephen Mark and Philip Aaron (Fran) of Tallahassee, his two grandchildren, Catherine Sandon Weaver (Mack) of Denver, Colorado and Caleb Francis of Tallahassee, several nieces and nephews, and Linda Schmidt, his close friend and companion. Leo was predeceased by his wife, Marvel Lou, and his sister, Jodene Sandon Mulliken, her husband Albert Laurance and Jodene's first husband William Andrew (Bill) Jurney, Jr.

Leo will be greatly missed by his family and by his many dear friends and former students, for whom he cared deeply.

A service of Witness to the Resurrection will be held at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, April 9, 2022, at First Presbyterian Church, 110 North Adams Street, Tallahassee, Florida, and will be live-streamed at https://www.youtube.com/user/FPCTallahassee/featured

In lieu of flowers, contributions honoring Leo may be made to: The FSU Foundation/Department of Religion General Development Fund, 325 West College Avenue, Tallahassee, Florida, 32301. Please indicate "In honor of Dr. Leo Sandon" on the memo line.

Quote from Leo's MORES Torch Award: "A leader on the faculty, he founded and directed the Institute for Social Policy Studies, has received several research and teaching awards and was designated Distinguished University Teacher in 1991. He procured FSU's first eminent scholar chair in the humanities, "The Lucius Moody Bristol Eminent Scholar Chair in Social Ethics," for the religion department and is the co-author of a widely used textbook, "Religion in America," now in its second edition."

Breanna Green of Bevis Funeral Home is assisting the Sandon family with their arrangements. (850-385-2193 or www.bevisfh.com)

Mrs. Julia K. Megnin (STH’60)

By sthalum May 13th, 2022 in Alumni/ae Deaths

This obituary was originally published by Syracuse Post Standard from Apr. 1 to Apr. 3, 2022, and can be found here.

Julia K. Megnin March 28, 2022 Julia K. Megnin, 91, of Syracuse, formerly of Butler, PA and New Smyrna Beach, FL, passed away Monday, March 28, 2022. Born November 1, 1930 in Goshen, IN, she was the daughter of the late Bert and Inez King. Julia was a graduate of Goshen High School where she graduated Valedictorian, Manchester University with her BA, Boston University with MTheology and Syracuse University with her Masters. Julia worked for Butler School district for 20 years where she was an Elementary Special Education Teacher, retiring in 1995. She enjoyed traveling the world, living overseas, golf, volunteer work, sailing, reading and was a member of DeWitt Community Church and the First United Methodist Church of Butler, PA. Julia was predeceased by her brother, Thomas O. King; sisters-in-law, Flora King, Eva Megnin and Ingetraude Schoeck; brothers-in-law, Volkmar U. Megnin and Frederick Schoeck. Surviving are her husband of 62 years, Donald F. Megnin; her children, Martin K. Megnin and Daniel F. (Katie S. Feiman) Megnin; grandchildren, Corinne L. Morris, Colin N. Megnin, Christine J. Vargas, Heath W. Megnin, Seth B. Megnin; and several nieces and nephews. A funeral service will be Saturday, April 9, 2022 at 10am at the Eaton-Tubbs Fayetteville Chapel, 7191 E. Genesee St., Fayetteville. Burial will be in Woodlawn Cemetery, Syracuse. In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory may be made to United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), 125 Maiden Lane, NY, NY 10038. For guest book, please visit: www.SCHEPPFAMILY.com