| Steve Edgerton sent us the following note
before our 50th reunion ... Dear Class of 1960,
I am looking forward to seeing you on April 29th. Here is a brief
catch up. I taught 2½ years at Westtown School, 15½
years at Penn Charter, 2 years directing an alternative School in
Philadelphia, 10 years at Willingboro High School (NJ), and the last 11
years (of the total of 41) at Moorestown Friends School. At Penn Charter,
Willingboro High School, and Moorestown Friends I served as Science
Department Head. I have gotten several major teaching awards including the
Middle Atlantic Regional Award in High School Chemistry Teaching from the
American Chemical Society.
Camp Dark Waters was my other big work involvement for 40 years. In early
January of 2001 I sold to a newly formed non-profit corporation, Camp Dark
Waters, Inc. This summer will be their tenth consecutive successful season.
Mary Ann is in her twentieth year as a school nurse at Rancocas Valley
Regional High School. She is active in Medford Meeting and State Nurse
activities and in playing tennis.
Cinda is the mother of my two grandchildren, Emily who graduates from Temple
and Joe, who is a freshman there. Cinda teaches first grade at Abington
Friends School.
Scott lives in Missoula, Montana and has a business called "Timeless
Timbers" buying and selling used timber. He built a beautiful house up
canyon outside of Missoula.
Mary Ann and I got married in 1985 and our daughter, Alice, graduated from
Earlham 57 years after I did. She is a Program Coordinator at Pennsylvania
Horticultural Society.
Photography and Woodworking are my creative outlets. I cut my own mats and
make my own frames.
Physically, I am working on regaining muscle and balance following total
replacement of both knees.
Seeing you all will be fun!
Sincerely,
Sincerely,
Steve
Obituary, The Medford Sun, December 26, 2014
Stephen Arthur Edgerton, 86, died peacefully at his home in Medford on Tuesday, Dec. 16.
Steve was born on May 8, 1928 in Plainfield, Ind. to Joseph and Elsie Edgerton. He grew up in the small town of Columbiana, Ohio on the family farm, and stayed just long enough to decide he was not a farmer by inclination. He graduated from Olney Friends School in Barnesville, Ohio in 1946, and earned his bachelor of science degree in physics from Earlham College in 1950. He later received a masters of education and supervisory certificate from Temple University.
Steve came to the east coast to work at the Quaker summer camp, Camp Dark Waters, during college. He was the interim director for Nina and Wilbert Braxton for two summers and then took over full directorship of the camp in 1961. For the more than four decades Steve was involved with Camp Dark Waters, he created a loving and accepting place for campers and staff to play, learn, work and grow together in ways that changed thousands of lives for the better. In a simple, natural setting, Steve fostered a sense of freedom and harmony that was truly transformative. He was director and owner until a group of former campers, staff, and other friends of the camp purchased the camp from him in 2001 and formed a nonprofit organization.
Steve was a gifted teacher and deeply committed to experiential education. He taught high school science, mostly chemistry, for 41 years. He taught for two and a half years at Westtown School, 15 and a half years at Penn Charter School, 10 years at Willingboro High, and his last 11 years at Moorestown Friends School. He founded and directed the progressive, alternative Community Camp School in Philadelphia for two years. He served as head of the science department at Penn Charter, Willingboro High, and Moorestown Friends, and he received several teaching awards.
Steve employed a sense of drama and excitement to teach others. Many former students remember him jumping from the ground to the top of his desk in one leap to demonstrate the way electrons jump from their ground state to higher energy levels, or performing an explosive thermite reaction in the lab.
Photography and woodworking were two of Steve’s main creative outlets. His interest in the designs of noted woodworker George Nakashima is visible in the beautiful wooden furniture Steve crafted. His love of nature shaped his interest in photography. He also loved fast cars, particularly old BMWs. He was a great music enthusiast and introduced many people to his favorite blues, jazz, and rock artists, especially blues musician Taj Mahal. Steve had a strength and vitality that was evident to all who knew him, as well as a quiet, but engaging sense of humor.
A loving and affectionate parent and husband, he is survived by three children, Cinda and Scott Edgerton with ex-wife Mickey Edgerton, and Alice Edgerton with his current wife, Mary Ann Bacon.
He will be greatly missed by so many whose lives he touched.
A memorial service will be held at Medford Meeting House, 14 Union Street, Medford, NJ 08055 on Jan. 3 at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Camp Dark Waters Campership Fund or the Camp Dark Waters Legacy Fund. |
