Memorials
Reverend Father Samuel Kochuplavila Mathew
May 31, 1949– July 31, 2023
Rev. Fr. Dr. Samuel K. Mathew, a devoted father, husband, Indian Eastern Orthodox Priest, esteemed chaplain, army veteran and educator, passed away on July 31, 2023, at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center with his family by his side. He was 74 years old.
Father Sam pursued an extensive academic journey, culminating in several degrees and certifications in the fields of theology, counseling, and chaplaincy. His educational accomplishments include a Doctor of Philosophy in Christian Counseling, Masters in Sacred Theology, Masters of Divinity, Master of Arts and Bachelor of Arts in History and Economics from Kerala University. Fr. Sam dedicated himself to serving others through his roles as an ACPE Certified Educator, Chaplain, and Clinical Pastoral Education Supervisor at Perry Point, Maryland VA Medical Center, Koala Hospital, Lutheran Hospital, Methodist Hospital, Howard Community Hospital, Geisinger Health System, Morristown Medical Center, St. Mary’s Medical Center, Holy Redeemer Hospital and Albert Einstein Medical Center. Fr. Sam’s dedication to helping others extended to providing family therapy at Kirkbride Center, Northwestern Human Services and leading the Head of Religion and Counseling Department at Martin University. His chaplaincy roles included service in the United States Army as a Captain from 1983 - 1988.
Fr. Sam is survived by his loving wife Rebekah Mathew and children - Phoebe Mathew, Phinehas Mathew and Philbie Mathew. However, he was predeceased by his beloved daughter, Priscilla Elizabeth Mathew, who passed away on August 1, 1993. Fr. Sam’s impact on the lives of those he touched will be remembered fondly and his legacy will continue to inspire generations to come.
ACPE Retired Educator Rev. Dr. C. George Fitzgerald
July 23, 1934 - July 6, 2023
.png?sfvrsn=e66022aa_1)
Rev. Dr. C. George Fitzgerald, who most people knew as George, was born on July 23, 1934, in Faith, South Dakota to Roland Edward Fitzgerald and Mary Elizabeth Weedman Fitzgerald. His family moved to Glendale, CA on December 7, 1941, where George attended school and was in The Police Boys Band. He graduated from UCLA in 1956. He graduated from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1959. He married Mary Lee in 1959. They had two children, Erin and David. They both had children, making him Grandpa George.
Upon completing his seminary education, he was ordained a pastor in the Presbyterian Church. His first assignment as a new pastor was in a small mining town of Minturn where he also performed services every Sunday in the small town of Redcliff. Following that he served a church in a suburb of Denver, Broomfield, 1961-1965 where he had been called to assist the church to get out of debt after building a new building.
Following his ministry with the church in Broomfield he spent one year at Menniger Foundation, Topeka, Kansas enrolled as a fellow in Pastoral Care Ministry. Upon his successful completion of that training he was certified by ACPE as a CPE Supervisor and in 1966 began as a chaplain Princeton Hospital. He also trained in family therapy at the Ackerman Institute for the Family in New York City.
In 1978 he left the east coast and began as the Director of Chaplains at Presbyterian Hospital in San Francisco. He worked there until 1988 when he became the Director of Spiritual Care at Stanford Hospital. He had a successful career at Stanford and retired in 2014 at age 80. George was active in his professional organization, ACPE, Inc. One year he received the Distinguished Service Award for his work with ACPE, especially with the international community. During the time he was at Presbyterian Hospital he was enrolled in a doctoral program at San Francisco Theological Seminary in San Anselmo, CA. He was immensely proud when he completed this doctoral degree in systematic theology.
He married his wife, Susan, in 1983. They both sang in the choir at Old First Presbyterian Church in San Francisco. After living a couple of years in San Francisco, they moved to Alameda, an island adjacent to the City of Oakland. They loved Alameda so much they found a home on the estuary that they renovated it and turned it into their incredibly exceptional home. George and Susan were active service volunteers in Rotary International and The Hearing Loss Association of America. They also were members of the Aeolian Yacht Club. They enjoyed traveling, having visited five different continents in their travels. They were active in their local Presbyterian Church during their marriage.
One endeavor George was proud of was in 2006 when a group of 12 gathered to discuss rescuing a journal that focused on educating chaplains and creating a new life for the journal. The Board elected him as the president of the Board of Editors for Reflective Practice. He served as the president of the Board for ten years. This new journal is now in its seventeenth year of publication and going strong.
The last year of George’s life was challenging for him and his family. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s last year and required 24-hour care in a memory care center in Oakland. While at the care facility he required surgeries twice. Following each surgery, he needed to recuperate in a care facility for memory patients recuperating from surgery. On July 6 he died while taking his afternoon nap.
George is survived by Susan, his wife; Erin, daughter (New York); David, Son (Florida); grandchildren: Beatrice and Clara Steuer; and Christopher, Steven, and Amber Fitzgerald. Sister, Adele Gronbach. Alexis Horn, Stepdaughter; Step grandchildren, Alexander and Josephine Horn
A memorial service for George will be held at First Presbyterian Church of Alameda, 2001 Santa Clara Avenue, Alameda, CA 94501 at 1:00 PM.
ACPE Retired Educator Brown Kinnard, Jr
The early social realities were the Great Depression, Bible Belt religion, racial segregation, WW II, and the Korean War. After high school at Battle Ground Academy, he met Gisela Kelm at David Lipscomb College, a Church of Christ school in Nashville. She was a survivor of WW II from Frankfurt, Germany. Inspired by her faith, he changed from math to ministry, his true calling. They married in 1954 and had five beautiful children -Cynthia, Mike, Steve, Katrina, and Rebecca. After 24 years the marriage ended in divorce. In 1980 he married Evelyn Dawes Thoma of Ann Arbor MI originally from Anderson SC, a church musician, and later social worker and Bible storyteller. Brown became stepfather to Fran, Lynn, and Hans. He and "Ev" became best friends sharing their southern roots and humor, Christian faith, church music, family times, and outdoor adventures.
ACPE Retired Certified Educator Richard Dayringer
Make an ACPE Foundation Gift in Dr. Richard Dayringer's Memory
ACPE Retired Certified Educator Priscilla L. Denham
Priscilla was creative, whether it came to arts and crafts with her grandchildren, writing poetry, or offering a humor-filled perspective. She was a vivacious introvert.
Make an ACPE Foundation Gift in Rev. Priscilla L. Denham's Memory
ACPE Certified Educator Emeritus Rev. Donald E. Blume
5 January 1935 – 25 March 2023
Born in the same house as his father on a farm outside Crown Point, Indiana, and baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church 3 March 1935, Rev. Blume lived during the 1940’s with his parents in trailer camps throughout the southwest while they sought a healthy climate for his mother and employment for his father, eventually settling in Kerrville, Texas.Rev. Blume graduated from Concordia College, Austin, Texas, and Concordia Theological Seminary, Saint Louis, Missouri. He interned with the Lutheran Service Society of Western New York in Buffalo prior to his senior year at seminary. He was ordained on 11 September 1960.
His preparation for eventual certification as a hospital chaplain and clinical pastoral educator occurred at Gowanda (NY) State Hospital (Richard J. Lehman); Saint Louis City Hospital (Peter T. Burke); Minneapolis General Hospital (David Belgum); Boston City Hospital (Frank Oxenford), which were Institute of Pastoral Care centers, and at Methodist Hospital of Brooklyn (Keith Keidel), a Council for Clinical Training center. The Association for Clinical Pastoral Education granted Acting Supervisor status in 1968 and full certification as Supervisor in 1969. The chaplain’s division of the American Protestant Hospital Association (a predecessor body to the Association of Professional Chaplains) granted certification in 1966.
Prior to entering chaplaincy, Rev. Blume served as co-pastor at Zion Lutheran Church, Kearney, Nebraska, before accepting a call to develop a full time campus ministry at Kearney State College, now the University of Nebraska at Kearney.
In 1965, Rev. Blume became the first Director of Chaplaincy at Clara Maass Medical Center, Belleville, New Jersey, where he established and developed an ACPE accredited program. Rev. Blume served there in the capacity of chaplain and clinical pastoral educator until 1986, when he accepted a call to Manchester, New Hampshire, to establish and develop an ACPE accredited center as part of an already existent chaplaincy department at the Elliot Hospital, where he served as chaplain and clinical pastoral educator until retiring in 1998.
Rev. Blume’s involvement with the ACPE beyond the hospitals in which he served included membership on the Certification Committee (National, Eastern Region, Northeast Region); Accreditation Committee (Northeast Region); and Chair of the Northeast Region. He served in numerous capacities within the College of Chaplains, which awarded him a certificate of recognition “In appreciation for outstanding contributions, leadership and professional services,” and on his 80th birthday the Association of Professional Chaplains named him an Honorary Life Member. He was a member of the Consultation Committee for Specialized Pastoral Ministry of the Lutheran Council, USA; served as chair of the New Jersey Chaplains Association; president of the chaplains division for the Middle Atlantic Health Conference; and was a Pastoral Fellow at the General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church in New York City.
With retirement came the freedom to become more directly engaged in the life of the church. Rev. Blume was the Dean of the New Hampshire Conference of the New England Synod, ELCA, for twenty-one years; a member of the New England Synod Council; a member of the synod’s Health and Wholeness Team; a founding member of the Granite State Organizing Project; and served as an interim pastor in several congregations as well as doing supply ministry. Blume was a member of the New England Episcopal-Lutheran Dialog and was appointed co-convener. Following the adoption of Called to Common Mission, he co-convened the New England Episcopal-Lutheran Implementation Team, dissolving the group after accomplishing its purpose.
Rev. Blume is survived by a son, Alan, and daughter-in-law, Martha neé Dieter, and their two daughters, Phoebe and Margaret; a daughter, Anne, and son-in-law, Johan Robertsson, and their daughter, Astrid, and son, Joar.
Make an ACPE Foundation Gift in Rev. Donald E. Blume's Memory
ACPE Certified Educator Jennifer "Jenn" Hall
Jenn worked as a hospital chaplain and became a certified Clinical Pastoral Educator. They were a gifted chaplain and a dedicated educator, scholar, and theologian. Through their chaplaincy work and work in chemical dependency, Jenn impacted a vast number of lives. | Read more
Make an ACPE Foundation Gift in Jennifer "Jenn" Hall's Memory
ACPE Retired Educator Rev. Paul David Steinke
ACPE Certified Educator Candidate Joel Jueckstock
ACPE Certified Educator Karen Miller
ACPE Certified Educator Karen Miller died from cancer on December 9, 2022. Karen was a beloved wife, mom, Director of CPE at the Training and Counseling Center at St. Luke’s Episcopal, and mentor to the hearts of many. Karen's husband, Bruce Miller, welcomes condolences at the following address: 615 Sycamore Street, Decatur, GA 30030. Details regarding a CPE community memorial will be shared at a later date.
ACPE Spiritual Care Professional Roy Dahl
.png?sfvrsn=39e6ec3_1)
ACPE Certified Educator Earl Page Cooper
ACPE Certified Educator Earl Page Cooper died at sunset on August 29th while under hospice care in Scottsdale, Arizona. His family invites you, if you are so inclined, to honor Earl with a donation to the following scholarship fund:
ACPE Retired Educator Reverend Dr. G. Robert "Bob" Gary Sr.
Make an ACPE Foundation Gift in Reverend Dr. G. Robert "Bob" Gary Sr. Memory
ACPE Friend James Lapsley
ACPE Retired Certified Educator Rev. Amos Kempton Haynes, Jr.
Kempton was ordained a United Methodist minister in 1963 and served parishes in the North Georgia Conference. In recent years he served as a counselor and as a consultant in Clinical Pastoral Education.