News
Alumni Notes | August 2024
Publications & Celebrations
Meg Giordano, MA Theological Studies '15 Meg Giordano, who completed her MA in Theological Studies in 2015 at Northeastern Seminary, recently defended her Doctoral Thesis in Philosophy at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Her thesis, titled In Pursuit of Human Flourishing: A Study in Personal Violence and its Remedy, explores using the Holy Spirit's influence as a model for living peacefully, drawing on Thomas Aquinas, Aristotle, and Proclus.
Meg has joined the faculty at Barnett College School of Divinity, Southeastern University, where she will teach various graduate courses, including Early and Medieval Church Thought and Theological Ethics. She will continue living in Syracuse, teaching philosophy at Le Moyne College, and serving as Ecumenical Chaplain. "I share this with much gratitude for the formation and care I received from my time in the Northeastern community. The example set by the faculty, and the love and grace they consistently extended to the students, shaped me deeply. It is an example I work daily to carry forward and embody in my own contexts."
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Obituaries
Dorothy (Stevenson) S. Bell '44 Dorothy entered the world on September 1, 1922, as the daughter of the late James B. and Ovando (McCamey) Stevenson, born in the comfort of her home in Butler, PA. Growing up in Butler, Pennsylvania, she graduated from Butler High School. During her children's formative years, Dorothy chose to dedicate herself to homemaking. Over the years, she held various jobs, culminating in her retirement from Kodak after several years of service. In her leisure moments, Dorothy was an enthusiastic reader and enjoyed listening to music. Known for her gift of hospitality, she was always ready to provide a meal to any guest in her home. Dorothy held a deep love for her family, treasuring the time spent with them.
Dorothy will be remembered by her daughters, Elaine (Lawrence) Dearstyne and Maribeth (Todd) Marshall; her grandchildren Matthew (Zack Taylor) Dearstyne, Steven (Melissa) Dearstyne, Sarah (Garrett) Dearstyne Link, Nathan (Sara) Sakulich and Joshua Sakulich; one great-granddaughter, Eleanor Mae Dearstyne; and several nieces and nephews.
Helen A. (Dingman) DeGraw ‘63 Helen Ann DeGraw, 85, died Sunday, July 28, 2024 at Sunnybrook Assisted Living in Hendersonville, North Carolina following several years of declining health. A native of Dexter, New York, she was a daughter of the late Lewis and Eva Dingman and was also preceded in death by a sister, Kay Lou Rickett of Watertown, New York. She attended Dexter High School, graduated from General Brown High School in 1957 and attended Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester, New York. Helen retired from ALCAN Aluminum Corporation of Oswego, New York in 1992 and was a lifelong member of the United Methodist Church. She was a wonderful cook who loved to share her homemade jams and pies and was always up for an adventure, enjoying traveling around the country as long as her loving husband, Jack, was by her side. She will always be remembered for being the most kind and loving wife, mother, sister and grandmother that any family could ever ask for. We will cherish her memory forever.
Helen is survived by her devoted husband of 53 years, Jack W. DeGraw of Hendersonville, one son, Aaron Neumeyer, and his wife Andrea, of Hendersonville; three daughters, Erika Reese, and her husband Bob, of Vineland, New Jersey, Lynne Reynolds of Kissimmee, Florida and Betti Berkley of Hendersonville; one sister, Marion Palmer, and her husband Larry, of Richardson, Texas; eight grandchildren, two great grandchildren, a first cousin, Donald Dingman, and his wife Donna, of Dexter, New York and several nieces and nephews.
Beth (Williams) A. McNeill (Music Education) ‘77 It is with great sadness that the family of Beth McNeill share that she passed on to be with the Lord on July 24, 2024. She was preceded in death by her husband of 38 years, Bruce McNeill originally from Rochester, NY, her father Lawrence Williams, and her mother Katherine Snyder Williams, both of Batavia, NY. She is survived by two sons, Christopher and Matthew McNeill of Midlothian; her daughter Erin Durand (Christopher) and two grandchildren of Spring Lake, NC. She also leaves behind her brother-in-law John McNeill, many cousins, and friends from upstate New York.
Born and raised in Batavia, NY, Beth was an extremely talented artist, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester and a Masters of Arts in Vocal Performance from Ithaca College in 1978. She played the flute throughout high school and college and expanded her skills as a pianist through many choral programs across upstate New York. She found her calling in life combining her natural talent for music and her love of worship in Christ by serving as choir director for several churches between New York and Virginia. If she was not leading a choir program, she would find a place to serve as an alto, including the Washington Master Chorale in the nation’s capital. She also deeply adored educating others in the arts by providing piano and voice lessons, at one point coaching five time Grammy Award winning soprano Renée Fleming.
Outside of love for music, she dedicated herself to her family, supporting them through many successes and challenges in life. Some of her fondest memories were time spent on family vacations to Colonial Williamsburg or visiting her beloved grandchildren at both Ft. Campbell and Ft. Liberty while her daughter and son-in-law served in the U.S. Army. Even in her final days battling cancer, she always thought of her family first despite how the chemotherapy and radiation made her feel. Her absence is felt deeply within the family.