Obituary of a friend:
"Dr. A. Steven Gatrell, 86, of Morgantown, passed away on Monday, April 2, 2007 at Ruby Memorial Hospital.
"He was born April 20, 1920 in Eldorado, KS, the son of the late A. Steven Gatrell Sr. and Wilda Elizabeth Batten Gatrell.
"He graduated from Lost Creek High School (Harrison County, WV) in 1938. He joined the U.S. Army Air Corps in July of 1940 where he served in the European Theater of Operations during WWII in England, France and Germany as a weather forecaster. He retired from the US Air Force as a Chief Warrant Officer in 1963.
"During his enlistment, he received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History from the University of Illinois and he began his Masters Degree studies at FSU in Tallahassee and the Territorial College of Guam. Upon retirement from the USAF he settled in Morgantown and completed his Masters and PHD in history at West Virginia University. He also did post graduate work at St. Catherine's College, Oxford, England.
"He taught history at Morgantown High School from 1964 until 1970. During this time he helped sponsor Key Club and Jr. Achievement initiatives. He then transferred to Fairmont State College where he helped found the Phi Alpha Theta Academic Honorary and taught history until his retirement as Professor Emeritus in 1985. [And where he was my first college teacher and, later, when I was teaching there, the Chair of our Division.]
"In April of 1932, he began his membership in the Boy Scouts of America. Among some of his honors received from the BSA were the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award conferred upon those who have gained the status of fame or eminence in their life work. To date, only 1 in 1000 Eagle Scouts has been conferred with the DESA. [And only 2% of the kids who start into Scouting achieve the Eagle rank.] He also earned the Silver Beaver Award which is the highest honor awarded a volunteer on the local level. He served the BSA in various capacities through Wood Badge, Order of the Arrow [Vigil Honor] and as a member of the Executive Board of the Mountaineer Area Council. [He was also a fearless National Council representative, where he championed the traditional outdoor program.] He received his 70 year pin in 2002 and his 75 year certificate in 2007.
"He was an active Mason and past master of the Joseph Summers Lodge #173. He was a 33rd degree Mason. [Which is a big deal to Masons.]"
I'm thinking tonight about the hours I spent in class to him and, in Scouting, with him, and our many meaningful talks over the past 36 years. Steve meant a lot to me. He was a scholar's scholar, a Scout's Scout, and a man's man.
He had been slowing down the last couple of years, but was still mobile and fundamentally sound until a fall last week. Falls are sooooooo dangerous to old people, because their tissue is fragile, and when tissue dies, it releases chemicals that attack the organs. Those radio pendant things are a good idea. And that's also why we should frequently check on our elderly neighbors and relatives.
That Great Architect of the Universe has a Plan, but I wish He'd let us in on it.
R
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3 comments:
Brother Roger,
I am sorry for your loss. Good friends are scarce, and none of us has any to spare. Your friend led a very full and productive life, and his life touched many others. As a teacher and a scout leader, he had an effect on the most important people: our youth. His committment and example will not be forgotten,
I didn't know the thing about falls and chemicals.
What a fabulously full and active life he had Roger.
((((Roger)))
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