Alumni Obituaries – November 2016
ROBERT M. BAILEY (B.Div., 58) age 83, of Lakeview, Fl went home to be with the Lord on Monday, September 19, 2016. He was born in Blairsville, Pa. Robert served as a minister in the Florida United Methodist Conference. Robert is survived by his wife of 60 yrs, Franki Jean Bailey; daughters, Deborah (Dennis) Swineford, Rhoda (Charles) Morgan; son, John (Naomi) Bailey; sister, Gwen (Ed) Clawson; 11 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren.
Rev. Dr. Edwin Doerr (M.Div., 87) age 81. He was a member of Crowell United Methodist Church and the 2007-2008 Madison Who’s Who of New York for Professional Accomplishment, Academic Achievement Leadership and Service. Mr. Doerr was a Baptist Minister for several years and retired as a Methodist Minister after 29 years. Survivors include his wife, Barbara Montgomery Doerr of Reynolds; three sons; two daughters; three sisters; and numerous grandchildren.
Rev. Joel Robert Harshberger (B.Div., 58) age 89, Reverend Joel Robert “Bob” Harshberger, of Kingwood, West Virginia went home to be with his Lord and Savior on Sunday, October 9, 2016 with his family by his side. Bob was born on November 1, 1926 in Barbour County, WV to Isaac and Orpha (Bolyard) Harshberger. He graduated from Kasson High School (Kasson, WV), Asbury College and Asbury Seminary (Wilmore, KY), and Emory University School of Theology (Atlanta, GA). He served his country as a radio mechanic in the US Army – Air Corps, before entering the ministry full-time. Bob pastored United Methodist churches throughout WV for over 40 years, until he retired with his wife, June Etta (Pershing) Harshberger, to Kingwood, WV in 1995. Following retirement, Bob served as a volunteer chaplain for over 19 years at Preston Memorial Hospital in Kingwood, WV. He was also an active member of Wesley United Methodist Church in Kingwood, where he participated as a lay minister and sang in the choir. He was a man who was truly devoted to God and gave of his time, joyfully providing visitation and clergy services to local retirement homes, hospitals, and people at-large. In addition, he was a member of the Valley District Lions Club, in addition to being a Boy Scout Leader when his children were young. Bob enjoyed gardening, picking berries, walking, enjoying the beauty of the outdoors, and visiting others. He had an affinity for note-taking, documenting weather conditions, collecting wheat pennies, noting the rolling-up of automobile odometers, books of all kinds, and eagles. He enjoyed hard ice cream, oatmeal cookies and was particularly fond of June’s cooking. He was generous and friendly to everyone he met and was always cheerful. His smile was as big as his heart and reaffirmed his love for his fellow man. Bob was preceded in death by his father (Isaac), mother (Orpha) and three brothers (Russell, Paul and twin brother Mearl). He leaves behind his wife of 58 years June Etta (Pershing) Harshberger. He also leaves behind three daughters, one son, three son-in-laws and one daughter-in-law; Cheryl (Alan) Tennant of Ligonier, PA; Nancy (Chris) Woolverton of Kent, Ohio; Karen (Dan) Shrout, of Arthurdale, WV; and Kevin (Melissa) Harshberger of Germantown, OH.
Royal George Mattoon (M.Div.,69) age 74, of Sykesville, MD died at his home on September 13, 2016. He was born in Plattsburgh, NY on July 21, 1942 to Irwin C. and Marjorie E. (Vaughan) Mattoon. He graduated from Beekmantown Central School and received both a B.S. in Education at SUNY Plattsburgh and a M.Div. at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, KY. He married Patricia Lynn Dukett on June 25, 1966. Royal was a pastor in the Wesleyan Church throughout his entire adulthood, and had many hobbies and skills including woodworking, construction, gardening, baking, bird watching, tent camping and reading. He enjoyed nature, bluegrass music, camp-meetings , playing pinochle with his family, tractor pulls, Pepsi with no ice, watching baseball and NASCAR. He loved people and was especially gifted in encouraging others. He was devoted to his family, and above all else, he loved Jesus and desired for all to know His saving love. Royal is survived by his wife, Patricia, his brother Floyd (Linda) Mattoon, his sister Edith (David) Reed, his daughters, Elizabeth (Donald Jr.) Wheatley, Lisa (Joe) Pratt, Rebecca (John) Rowley and grandchildren Nathan, Jessica, Lydia, Jenna, Madeleine and Samantha, as well as hordes of extended family, friends and mentors.
Robert “Bob” Rood Moore (M.Div., 72) age 79, husband of Dora “Tillie” Lucille Dunmire Moore, passed Wednesday, September 28, 2016. He was born April 6, 1937 in Kittanning, PA to the late Howard Mason and Tirza Rood Moore. Robert was on the faculty at Asbury University for over twenty eight years, a member of Wilmore United Methodist Church, an ordained United Methodist Minister and an Air Force Veteran. He also was a UK and NASCAR fan. Additional family survivors are two children, Bob (Sharon) Moore and Tania (Rich) Stevenson, seven grandchildren, Micah (Abi) Moore, Joshua Moore, Hannah (Nick) Nozell, Zachary (Meghan) Stevenson, Jacob (Lena) Stevenson, Jessica Stevenson and Corrie Stevenson, two great grandchildren, Grey Stevenson and Naima Stevenson and other family members. He was also preceded in death by two brothers, Victor Moore and Verl Moore.
Roger C. Rounds (B.Div. 57, Th.M. 61) age 85, of Apollo, PA, went home to be with his Lord and Savior on Thursday, July 28, 2016, at UPMC in Pittsburgh. He was born on March 3, 1931, in Syracuse , NY, the son of the late Luman and Doris (Bajus) Rounds and brother of the late Doris Rounds Heffernan. He leaves behind his two sons, Gregory Rounds, and his wife, Lisa, of Winter Haven, FL; and Kevin Rounds and his wife, Wendy, of Latrobe, PA; his only granddaughter, Meredith Rounds Manley (Gregory), of Winter Haven; and two grandsons, Patrick and Sean Rounds, of Latrobe, PA. He was faithful in his preaching/teaching ministry throughout his lifetime in the Wesleyan Methodist and Free Methodist denominations. His teaching ministry also extended to the college/university level both in the US and overseas.
Garry Evan Ruff (M.Div. 08) age 69, born to Flavil Leon and Elizabeth Mary Ruff, passed away early October 3, 2016. Garry was preceded in death by his parents and first wife, Karen. Garry leaves behind his wife Nancy Ruff, as well as son, Paul Ruff and wife Cindy, and daughter Lori Cripple and husband John. Other surviving family include; brother, Jerry Ruff and wife Sharon, sister, June Leasure and husband Charles, two step sons, Charles Head and wife Tracy and Brian Head and wife Amy; five grandchildren Daniel, Craig, and Reagan Ruff and Kaylee and Madelyn Cripple. An Ohio native and graduate from Steubenville High School in 1965, Garry also received his Bachelors of Chemical Engineering from Ohio University in 1969. Garry also earned his Bachelors of Accounting from the University of Southern Mississippi. After over thirty years of employment, Garry retired from Dupont in 2004. That year Garry responded to a call to ministry, earning a Master of Divinity in 2008 from Asbury Seminary. Garry was an active participant of the Mississippi Conference, Seashore District Church Building and Location Committee, as well as Mississippi Annual Conference Journal Staff. Reverend Ruff served as pastor for Midway United Methodist Church and most recently, Cedar Lake United Methodist Church until 2015. Earlier this year, Garry was appointed Vice Chair of the Mississippi Conference board of Pensions.
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