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We are deeply saddened by the unexpected death of John Austin Cheley Foundation trustee and former Board Chair John Boylan who passed away suddenly on July 3 at the age of 52. Our hearts extend to the Boylan family and the many who knew and loved John.

During his time on the Board, John served as treasurer before taking up the challenge of leading the Board, a position he held with great dignity and composure from 2015 until 2018. I was honored to work very closely with John during his time as Chair and knew him to be honorable, dedicated, passionate and loyal. John helped to guide our organization through a time of transition and was a present and steadying influence. Ever positive, John’s calm and fun-loving demeanor brightened my day and brought enthusiasm and joy to all who he met. 

Among his many interests, John loved the outdoors and enjoyed traveling, fishing and hunting with friends and family, but was most passionate about the mission of JACF. When asked to share his ‘mission moment’ recently, John reflected,

I’ve found it so inspiring each time we are able to hear directly from, and
personally visit with, JACF campers. These young people are so capable, and willing to share their gratitude for working to provide them with such a life changing experience. When you hear first hand how this work positively affects their lives, it can bring you to tears. Tears of joy for finally finding work worthy of unconditionally giving to.

John once told me that his mother always said that surrounding yourself with good people will make your life infinitely better. John was exactly that, a good person. And I believe that our lives and the lives of the young people that John worked to serve through JACF have been made infinitely better for knowing him.

John Boylan: 1966 – 2019

We will miss John and his caring spirit deeply. A celebration of John’s life will be held on Thursday, July 11, at Geo. H. Lewis & Sons Funeral Directors, 1010 Bering Drive, Houston, TX 77057, beginning at 1:00 p.m. Memories can be shared at https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/houston-tx/john-boylan-8772865.

Sincerely,

Tim Lucas

Executive Director

Jack Chalender of Estes Park, CO, formerly of Overland Park, KS died in Estes Park on September 1. Ralph Evan (Jack) Chalender was born August 7, 1925 in Wellsville, KS to Ralph and Sally Chalender. He graduated from high school in Wellsville and received his Bachelor of Science (Elementary Education), Master of Science (Guidance and Curriculum) and Doctorate (Administration and Curriculum) degrees from the University of Kansas. On June 12, 1953 he married Katherine (Kay) Wingert at the Wellsville Methodist Church. Jack was a lifelong educator beginning his teaching career at North Windy, a one-room school in rural Miami County, KS where he taught all eight grades. He furthered his career in Johnson County, Kansas where he taught at Overland Park and Prairie Schools before serving as a teacher, counselor and principal at Milburn Junior High School. In 1968 Jack became superintendent of the Valley View School District. From 1969 to 1983 he was employed by the Shawnee Mission School District serving in a variety of capacities including Assistant Superintendent for Instruction, Associate Superintendent for Elementary Education and as the area Superintendent for the North and Northwest areas. After his retirement from the Shawnee Mission School District, Jack enjoyed an encore career working in public relations and marketing for Mainstreet Credit Union. Jack and Kay spent many summers at their mountain cabin in Riverside and were summer members of the Allenspark Community Church. They moved to Estes Park as full-time residents in 2009. During his career Jack was active and held leadership positions in many civic organizations including the Credit Union of Johnson County (Mainstreet Credit Union), Fire Board District One-Johnson County, Shawnee Mission Chapter of American Red Cross, Johnson County Charter Commission, Johnson County Retired School Personnel, State Legislative Committee for Kansas Retired Teachers, Johnson County Mental Health Association, Johnson County Christmas Bureau, and Johnson County YMCA. He was a member of Village Presbyterian Church in Prairie Village, KS where he served as an elder. Jack received numerous honors including induction into the Kansas Teachers Hall of Fame in 1988. In 2002 he was recognized by the Kansas Senate for giving 40 years of his life as a teacher and for his many community contributions. He received the Patron Award from the Shawnee Mission Education Foundation in 2008. Jack had a tremendous influence on the lives of his students, colleagues, friends and family. He lived a life of service and always had time for others. He will be remembered for his wonderful sense of humor, positive attitude, patience, gratitude, compassion and ability to offer wise counsel when asked. He lived life to the fullest and enjoyed following KU basketball as well as the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals, playing bridge, fishing, camping, traveling and spending time with family and friends.

Jack brought his many talents to bear as he helped to shape a vision for our organization, joining forces with our other founding trustees to build JACF from the ground up. We remember Jack and appreciate and continue to benefit from his passion and drive today.

A memorial service will be held at the Allenspark Community Church in Allenspark, CO on Saturday, September 22nd at 2:00pm.

A second service will take place at the Village Presbyterian Church in Prairie Village, KS on Saturday, October 20th at 2:00pm.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Jack’s memory can be made to the John Austin Cheley Foundation along with Village Presbyterian Church and the Shawnee Mission Education Foundation (Jack Chalender Legacy Fund)

Condolences can be made here.

Patricia Jane Tuohy (Pat) 84, of Denver, Co died peacefully June 25th in Santa Fe, NM. Born in Chicago, IL, Pat was the daughter of the late Walter J. and Mary (Curry) Tuohy. Pat raised her Fenton Family in Cleveland before moving to Santa Fe, NM. She resided in Colorado with family. Pat is preceded in her death by her son John Fenton, and survived by her 4 children Joli O’Mara (Steve) from Boston, Nancy Komatz (David) from Colorado, Mark Fenton (Lenore) from Chicago, and Todd Fenton (Amy) from Colorado and her 10 grandchildren Kevin,Tim, Dan O’Mara, Chase, Katie, Keaton Komatz, Amanda and T.J. Fenton, and Riley and Gavin Fenton. She also leaves her siblings Walter Tuohy of Toronto, Mary Ann Kundtz of Estes Park, CO, and John Tuohy of Chicago, and many nieces and nephews. Pat loved her family and friends (old and new) and had a deep faith and love for God. She embraced the southwestern and Native American culture as she found joy and peace. Pat was involved in Cheley Camps in CO, as a docent for Santa Fe’s museums and opera, a Eucharistic minister, and a leader in many organizations.

A Memorial Service will be held at Pax Christi Catholic Church in Lonetree, CO at 11:00 am, Friday July 6th. A second ceremony and laying of the ashes will take place early August at All Saints Cemetery in Des Plaines, IL.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Pat’s memory can be made to the John Austin Cheley Foundation.

 

Condolences can be made here.

Bill Goodwin served as a Trustee to JACF from 1996 to 2002. Bill passed away on January 27, 2018 at the age of 81.

William A. Goodwin was born and raised in Des Moines, of pioneer stock. He graduated from Roosevelt High School, received an industrial engineering degree from Iowa State University and a master’s degree in business from the Stanford Business School. Memorial services will be 11:00 am Saturday February 3, 2018 at Central Presbyterian Church. Burial was held at Glendale Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 4-6 om Friday February 2, 2018 at Dunn’s Funeral Home.

Mr. Goodwin was a Des Moines businessman and manufacturer who spent his career engaged in the production of brick, tile, sewer pipe, concrete products and industrial abrasives. At one point the Goodwin Companies operated thirteen manufacturing plants in Iowa and Minnesota. They were sold to Can-Tex industries in the early 1970s. Mr. Goodwin then became president of Iowa Concrete Block & Material Company from 1970 through 1995, and in recent years was a land developer, organizing and serving as president of Goodwin Grain and Land Companies and Cerro Gordo Land Company.

Mr. Goodwin served in the Navy on destroyers, and during the cold war period was a capsule recovery officer in the Mercury Space Program, participating in the recovery of astronauts Glenn and Grissom. After active duty he remained in the reserve, commanding four units, and retiring as a Captain in 1982.

Mr. Goodwin was a member or past member of the Boards of Directors of the following business corporations: First Federal State Bank, Hawkeye Bank & Trust Co., Mercantile Bank of Polk County, Firstar Bank, US Bank of Des Moines, Red Wing Sewer Pipe Corp., Iowa Aviation, Inc., Central Engineering and Investment Company and Beaver Farms, Inc.

He was also a member or past member of the Boards of Directors or Trustees of the following not-for-profit entities: The Iowa State University Foundation, The Iowa (formerly Iowa Methodist) Health Foundation; the Human Gene Therapy Research Institute; The John Austin Cheley Foundation; the Polk County Chapter of the American Cancer Society; and the Metropolitan Des Moines YMCA, of which he was corporate secretary for a number of years.

Additionally, he was a 30-year member of both the Drake Relays Committee, serving as its president in 1973 and as registrar of the Relays during his entire tenure; and the Raccoon Valley Little League Association, serving as its president in 1986-87. He was a certified track and field official and a long-time amateur umpire.

In his business and professional endeavors he was a member of the National Concrete Masonry Association, the Iowa Association for Business and Industry (formerly the Iowa Manufacturers’ Association), the Iowa Engineering Society, the Brick Institute of America, the National Clay Pipe Institute, the Farm Credit Services Association, and the Farm Bureau Federation. Militarily he was a member of the Naval Reserve Association and the Reserve Officer’s Association.

He was a long-time member of Central Presbyterian Church.

Homer Clark Evans, 89, of Prairie Village, KS, died June 9, 2017 after a short illness. He was born December 5, 1927 in Pittsburg, KS to Faye and Homer F. Evans and lived in the Kansas City area his whole life. He attended Ashland Grade School and Southeast High School. At Kansas University, he was a member of TKE and received degrees in Business/Industrial Management and an MBA.

Homer was a counselor (1947-51) at Cheley Camp in Estes Park, CO, leading hikes in the Rocky Mountain National Park and up Longs Peak ten times. He served in the US Army (1952-54) and was in the first test of the atomic cannon in Las Vegas. As a City Councilman in Leawood he was Chairman of Budget and Finance. In retirement, he tutored reading for eleven years at Literacy Kansas City and was named “Tutor of the Year”. In 1989 Homer helped found the John Austin Cheley Foundation, helping forge our identity and founding principles, and setting the stage for the future of our organization.

Homer spent his entire career with Hallmark Cards, Inc., retiring in 1992 after 38 years of service. A strong leader and innovator, he was a Hallmark corporate officer and served as the first President of the company’s Ambassador Brand. He also led Hallmark’s sales organization, the greeting card division and directed the company’s early entry into licensing. He is credited with the introduction of the popular Shoebox brand of humor cards.

Homer is preceded in death by their son, Clark. Survivors are his wife of 62 years Peggy; daughter Jane Larigan (Scott); son, Scott (Mary Ann); grandson Andrew; granddaughter Leslie; daughter-in-law, Karla Van Drunen Littooy (Fred).

A memorial service will be held at 3pm, Saturday, June 17 at St. John’s United Methodist Church, 6900 Ward Parkway, with visitation following. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to St. John’s United Methodist Church, 6900 Ward Parkway, Kansas City, MO, 64113; or Literacy Kansas City, 211 West Armour Blvd., Third Floor, Kansas City, MO 64111; or the John Austin Cheley Foundation.

John Tucker Lamkin Sr., died Mother’s Day a few weeks before his 95th birthday.

Jack, as he was more familiarly known, was born June 11, 1922 in Cape and was a lifelong resident. About 1932 Jack began spending summers at Cheley Colorado Camps. From the time he arrived in Colorado, the mountains were in him and he loved them all his life.

It was obvious that camp had a significant influence upon Jack and remained important to him. Jack retained many lifelong friends from his days at Cheley, people with whom he traveled and visited the remainder of his life. In 1989 Jack helped found the John Austin Cheley Foundation, helping forge our identity and founding principles, and setting the stage for the future of our organization. His love of Cheley Camps and passion to provide the camp experience to those who could not afford it was passed down to two of his children, Walter and Kathy (Trammell) who both became JACF trustees.

He was the younger of the two sons of Robert E. Lee and Floy V. Tucker Lamkin, both of old Virginia families removed to the heart of Missouri’s “Little Dixie.” In 1907 the father came to Cape Girardeau to open the Buckner-Ragsdale Clothing Company at the Quality Corner of Broadway & Main. With his sons and grandson it became the family’s business for the next 75 years.

Assumedly Jack graduated from Central as three colleges claim him as an alum: Westminster, SEMO, and Washington University for a bachelor program stretching 7 years including an interruption for World War II service. Family connections might have kept him out of the fighting, but Jack enlisted in the Marines, incurring the formidable displeasure of his mother. Nevertheless, Fred Groves, head of the local draft board and an officer in WWI, gave Jack his .45, now a treasured family memento.

An acquaintance with engines gained in Central’s shops resulted in an assignment as aircraft mechanic in VMF 121 which took part in the extremely costly and unnecessary invasion of Pelilieu Island. There he was wounded by a Japanese sniper. Before returning to the States after the August 1945 surrender he served a tour in China developing a taste for pigeon blood and Tsingtao beer.

Back state-side and on campus, Jack became reacquainted with a former neighbor girl who had moved to St. Louis. In November 1948 he married Kathrine Porter Russell there and brought her back to Cape in time for the May 1949 tornado. Numerous well-behaved children quickly followed, dashing all thoughts of a Rocky Mountain high.

In addition to the family business, he: helped build the JC golf course; flipped pancakes for the Lions Club; war-hooped for the Parsley & Shumate Indians; did his bit with the Chamber of Commerce; counter-balanced the doctors on the Southeast Missouri Hospital Board; and was a long-time member of the First Presbyterian Church. In 1956 his beard won the Sesquicentennial Brother of the Brush contest. No one with Jack ever left the SEMO District Fair empty handed. Prior to the accident he attended the daily supreme court sessions on Kingshighway. Most recently he served as Grand Marshall of the Wik-a-Te-Wa Fourth of July parade.

No article about Jack would be complete without a mention of his dogs – Skippy, Gizmo, Tinkerbell, Jenny (ratdog), Andy, Shadow, Spanky, and Beau. They were true companions.

After Buckner’s closed, the Lamkin association with Main Street continued into the 21st century as Jack and Po built and lived in the first of the residential renovations overlooking the Mississippi. And, although all six of Jack’s children call Cape home, none reside in town. They include: J T and Kathleen of the blue states; Walter and Sharon of St. Louis; the late Richard and Sue of Montgomery, AL; Kathrine and Dr. Vic Trammell of Broken Arrow, OK; Melissa and Thomas O’Connor of London and Clayton and Donna of Quincy, IL. At last count there were 18 grandchildren, 20 great grandchildren, and one great-great grandson with another scheduled for Jack’s birthday, all of whom but the last attended the Sixtieth Wedding Anniversary.

In lieu of contributions, remember Jack over a good meal out, but if that is not enough, consider supporting the John Austin Cheley Foundation

We remember Jack and appreciate and benefit from his vision and that of his fellow founding trustees.

Visitation will be from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM on Thursday, May 18, 2017 at the Ford & Sons Mt. Auburn Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau.
Funeral service will be at 10:00 AM Friday, May 19, 2017 at First Presbyterian Church in Cape Girardeau with the Rev. Terry Epling officiating.
Burial will be at Cape County Memorial Park in Cape Girardeau.

For more stories and photos go to https://sites.google.com/site/johntuckerlamkin/

Our Campership Program Director, Karen Smith loves this time of year, it makes her feel as though summer is just around the corner because…she is busy booking flights for our 2017 campers!

Katherine has been involved with JACF since 1992 and has worked tirelessly to help 29 children attend camp for an amazing 1,638 days! The youth she sponsored went to various camps for multiple summers, some becoming Counselors in Leadership Training (CILT), junior counselors and eventually counselors.

Katie grew up in St. Louis, MO and attended college at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, graduating with a degree in education and counseling. In the late 50’s, she became assistant director in Chipeta at Cheley Colorado Camps, then assistant director in Senior Chipeta, and finally director of Senior Chipeta.

After receiving her Masters from Columbia University in 1961, she became the assistant dean of students at Cornell. She was married to Michael, a retired foreign service officer, and they eventually settled in West Cornwall, Connecticut.

Always interested in youth and education, Katie was a trustee of the John Austin Cheley Foundation from 1995-2003, then served as a member of the Campership Committee many years after that. She sponsored her first camper in 1993 and has continued each year since. She also has served on several local and regional boards of education; has served as secretary for 34 years for the Housatonic Alumni FFA and is still involved with the oldest American Field Service chapter in the country.

Katie is justifiably proud of all her sponsored campers, but is especially fond of her very first one, Rebecca Echols, whom she remains in contact with. Rebecca continued working year-round at Cheley Camps for several years in various capacities, then went on to earn her nursing degree, and moved to Alaska. She is currently an ER nurse in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Congratulations and heartfelt thanks are heartily bestowed on Katherine Gannett, our Volunteer of the Year!

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Andy Pfeiffenberger, former JACF trustee and Cheley Colorado Camps camper.

Andrew Rodgers Pfeiffenberger died peacefully on September 27, 2016 in Denver, Colorado at the age of 88.

Andy is survived by his wife of 65 years, Bernadetta, his daughter, Dianne P Saul (Ted), of Glen Ellyn, Illinois, and his son Rodger Pfeiffenberger (Jane) of North Fort Meyers, Florida. He was preceded in death by his son Gifford Pfeiffenberger (Bernadette) of Denver, Colorado. His family includes numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren, and nieces and nephews.

Andy was an influential member of our Board of Trustees, serving from 2001 until 2003.

A private family service is scheduled for Saturday, October 1.

Memorial donations may be made to the John A. Cheley Foundation or the Boy Scouts of America.

Click here to view Andy’s biography.