Alumni Obituaries – September 2013
BRUNSTETTER – Glenn Arthur (1948, BD), 91, died Thu, July 25, 2013. Born Sep, 22, 1921 Warren, Ohio, the son of Fred and Mary Ann (Gautschi) Brunstetter of Warren OH. All four brothers have preceded him in death: Harry, Delbert, Milford, and Harold, all of Warren OH. His family moved to Phalanx Station on a cattle farm in 1930 and attended Silica United Brethren Church. He was ‘born again’ in 1935 at the Silica United Brethren Church on a Sunday morning. Received the call to preach at home in 1938, and enrolled at Asbury College. Graduated from Asbury College 1945 and graduated with a M.Div. from Asbury Seminary in 1948. Married 67 years to Mary (Dean) Brunstetter in 1946 in the Wilmore United Methodist Church. His children are: Paul and Sally Brunstetter (Louisville KY) and David Brunstetter (deceased); grandchildren, Jayson and Stephanie Brunstetter (Louisville KY), Amy Brunstetter (Louisville KY), Dan and Amber (Brunstetter) Falkenberg (Sebring, OH), and Christopher Glenn Brunstetter (Edinburgh, IN); great-grandchildren: Grant, Garrett, and Griffin Brunstetter (Louisville KY), and Levi Falkenberg (Sebring OH). He faithfully served as a United Methodist Minister for 47 years and in retirement. Glenn loved the outdoors and was an avid gardener/hiker/fisherman/ hunter. He was devoted to his family and was a dedicated servant to his Lord. Known by many as the “walking preacher,” he always left a mark by his passionate attention to visitation and prayer to members and non-members throughout neighborhoods. He also authored four books. Glenn and Mary moved to Wesley Village in Wilmore KY in 2007.
BUCHANAN- Rodney J., (1970, MDiv), 67, of Howard passed away on Wednesday morning, July 3, 2013 at his home. He was born on July 23, 1945 in Indianapolis, Indiana, the son of Patty L. (Longmire) Buchanan and the late James L. Buchanan. Rod was a devoted husband and father and relished being a grandfather. One of his greatest joys was spending time with his family. He always made it a point to have fun with his grandkids, teach them valuable lessons and show them that they were loved. His daughters knew they could count on him for wise advice, encouragement and support. In addition to his mother, Patty of Indianapolis, Rodney is survived by his wife, Sue (Dickinson) Buchanan whom he married on August 27, 1966; daughters, Lori (Brandon) Buchanan King of Newark and Lisa (Jeremy) Buchanan Strayer of Murfreesboro, TN; grandchildren, Hannah, Lydia, and Becca King and Abby, Rachel, and Eli Strayer; and sisters, Joan (Dan) Meek and Jean (Gary) Williams of Indianapolis. Rod’s desire since his calling at age 14 was to faithfully serve the Lord and he was faithful to that call until his death. Rodney was a Minister for over 40 years for the United Methodist Church, serving the Wintersville UMC, East Springfield UMC, Shadyside UMC, Carrollton UMC, Akron First UMC, Mulberry Street UMC in Mount Vernon and his current church, Amity UMC. Rodney was a member of the Central Ohio Woodturners. His hobbies included canoeing, woodworking, reading and hiking.
HAINES- Paul W., (1948, BD), 90, of Winona Lake, Ind., passed away at 5:06 a.m. Tuesday, July 2, 2013, at Heritage Point United Methodist Memorial Home, in Warren, Ind. He was born on May 2, 1923, in Seoul, Korea, to missionary parents Paul Ehret Haines and Myrtle (Neff) Haines. He attended Seoul Foreign School until World War II necessitated a move to Hollywood High School for his senior year in 1941. He attended Asbury College, (1945) and Asbury Theological Seminary (1949). He was ordained by the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church in 1949 and served as associate pastor of First United Methodist Church of Tampa, Florida, before joining the Oriental Missionary Society as a career, second generation missionary to Korea in 1950. Paul’s Charismatic personality and vocal musical talents together with fluency in the Korean language equipped him for his unique missionary career. He loved to sing, to preach, and to travel and he never seemed to meet a stranger or friend without a broad smile and hearty handshake. Paul took great joy in reunions with his children and grandchildren and in caring for his woodland home at Oak Haven where friends and family were always welcome. During the Korean Conflict, Paul served from 1950-1953 as a translator and working with Korean churches, seminary students and pastors. Paul was honored by the Korean Evangelical Holiness Church for his outstanding service to Korea and with the Distinguished Alumni Award at Asbury Theological Seminary for his lifetime in Christian service. He is survived by sons: Paul Lowell (Sherry) Haines, Indianapolis, Ind.; Douglas W. Haines, Winona Lake; Terry W. (Mary) Haines, Overland Park, Kan.; a daughter: Judith (Scott) Shively, Plano, Texas; eight grandchildren: Kristin Shively Taylor, David (Emily) Shively, Stephanie Shively (David) Darrow, Hannah E. Haines, Keegan Haines, Kathleen Haines, Joshua Haines and Caleb Haines; and a great granddaughter: Kaedyn Faith-Alice Taylor. He was preceded in death by his wife: Florence Alice Haines; his parents; and a brother: Meredith C. Haines.
HIMES- Harold, (1956, MDiv), 87, was born August 1, 1925, in Sterling, OK to Eldo and Clyde (Waggoner) Himes. He was the oldest of three in the family. He graduated Sterling High School, Bethany-Peniel College, and Asbury Seminary. He was ordained as a Methodist minister in the Oklahoma Annual Conference. He served churches in Lawton; Springer, NM; Tipton; Minco; Chickasha; Ponca City; McAlester; Skiatook; Kingfisher; Cordell and Bethany. In 1956, he married Jonnye Bishop, and they had two children, Jeannie and David. She died suddenly, leaving him a single father with two young children. In 1967, he married Lilly Cox Roberson and gained two daughters, Pam and Angela. Harold and Lilly were married for 46 years. He loved his family deeply and celebrated all their significant events in joy and tears. He loved relating to people — his clergy colleagues, his golf group, his Sunday School class and the friends who shared breakfast every Friday for over 20 years. Harold passed away peacefully on Sunday afternoon, July 21. At the time of his death, he was active at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church and a resident of Spanish Cove in Yukon, OK. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Jonnye; his parents; and his siblings, Juicy and Myra. He is survived by his wife, Lilly; his children, Jeannie Himes (spouse Jim Eller) and David Himes, Pam Roberson, and Angie Hildenbrand (spouse Jim); seven grandchildren, Tamme, Whitney, Shaun, Andrew, Sarah, Lucas, and Sam; four great-grandchildren; and by two nieces, Toni Capra and Rhonda Hebert.
HOFFMANN-Elmo Rogers ‘MO’, (2005, MA), 78, Orlando, passed away on Monday, July 29, 2013. He was born in Salisbury, North Carolina on July 7, 1935. He grew up in Kannapolis, N.C. After graduating high school he attended the University of South Carolina and earned a B.S. in Business Administration in 1957. In 1956, a year before graduating, he married his high school sweetheart, Nancy Helena Powell. They remained faithful companions for over 50 years, separated only by her passing in 2009. Upon graduation, Mo and Nancy moved to Jacksonville, where he worked for Prudential Insurance Company before deciding to attend Stetson University College of Law. In 1966 he received his J.D. degree and the couple returned to Jacksonville where Mo joined a defense firm. After practicing briefly in the firm’s Daytona Beach office, Mo moved to Orlando and opened his own firm (Hoffman, Hendry and Parker), and went on to practice law in Orlando for more than 40 years. He truly loved his profession and enjoyed recounting courtroom dramas and debating legal issues with colleagues, friends and family members. Another of Mo’s passions was theology. A lifelong Christian, he went back to school later in life, receiving a Masters in Theological Studies from Asbury Seminary in 2005. He was ordained as a minister the following year and found great joy sharing his faith with others through preaching and leading Sunday school classes. Mo is survived by his brother, David Paul Hoffman (Columbus, GA), son, Dana Powell Hoffman (St. Petersburg, FL), daughter, Heidi Hoffman Harne (Orlando, FL) and four grandchildren.
KAVICH – John D., (1952, BD), 94, of Anderson, was called home by his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on July 13, 2013. He was born on March 3, 1919, in Louisville, Ky., the son of Edward and Blanche (Aldridge) Kavich. A graduate of Asbury Theological Seminary, he was a retired United Methodist minister who pastored churches in Indianapolis, New Albany, and Laurel, Ind. Survivors include his two children, Jean (husband, Calvin) Bloom and David (wife, Tammy) Kavich, all of Anderson; five grandchildren, Amanda (husband, Nathan) Briggs, Adam Bloom, Matthew (wife, Amber) Bloom, Ryan (wife, Bethany) Kavich, and Andrew Kavich; seven great-grandchildren, Constance, James, and Benjamin Briggs, Norah and Holden Kavich, and Eliana and Simon Bloom; and a brother, Frank Kavich of Louisville, Ky. He was preceded in death by his wife, Joyce K. (McPherson) Kavich on March 24, 2008; and four siblings.
MORRIS – John C. III, (1961, MDiv), 77, Dr. Morris, a Tyler area minister of Jesus, ran his race well and was welcomed into the arms of his Lord and Savior Saturday, July 20, 2013. He was born Dec. 6, 1935, in Sweetwater to the late J.C. and Jeanette Morris. He was raised in Sweetwater and went on to receive his Master of Theology from Asbury Theological Seminary, his Master of Religious Education from Southwestern Theological Seminary, and his Doctorate of Ministry in Biblical Counseling from Luther Rice Theological Seminary. He married Mary Helen Tanquary on May 31, 1959, in Mount Carmel, Ill. Mary Helen survives, as do four children, John Paul Morris, DVM and wife Debbie, of Tyler, Candace Bourke and husband Patrick, of Furlong, Pa., Suzanne Swift and husband John David, of Sour Lake, and Patricia Henderson and husband Eddie, of Arlington. Gramps was dearly loved by his surviving grandchildren, Amber Morris, Summer Morris Collins, Storey Morris, Cambri Morris, Savannah Bourke, Lauren Swift, Harrison Swift, Michelle Henderson Anders and Dan Henderson; as well as his brother, Stanley Morris and his wife Phyllis. He was preceded in death by both parents and his infant daughter, Ramona Rene Morris. After completing seminary in Asbury, Ky., John moved to Fort Worth in 1960 to serve as the pastor of Evangelical Methodist Church. He came to Tyler in 1964 where he served as the founding pastor of Grace Community Church. During his 23 years of service at Grace Community, he ministered as a pastor and an elder and was the first headmaster and principal of Grace Community School. John remained at Grace Community until his retirement in 1987 and then began Pastoral Counseling Ministries in Tyler. John loved people and was well known for his welcoming handshake, his friendly smile and his thought-provoking questions! He was a theologian and lover of God’s Word and found great joy in diagramming Scripture in order to see deeper into the heart of our Heavenly Father. He also found joy in the Tuesday morning Men’s Bible Study group that he hosted for the past 25-plus years. Dad was uniquely able to accept and love others where they were. He spoke truth from a heart of love, without judgment, and was able to “agree to disagree” when necessary! He loved gardening and landscaping and he deeply loved his family. He was a frequent attendee at art shows, swim meets, gymnastic events, dance recitals, pep rallies, piano recitals and musical performances, as well as softball, football and soccer games. He was very proud of his grandkids!