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Faith Connections
Faith Connections March 2009
Dear Friends,
One of the most difficult aspects of my role as Executive Director is sharing the sad news that all too often confronts the IPM Family. Now is one of those times. Our dear friend and longtime IPM Board Member, David N. Westcott, passed away early Friday morning from an apparent massive heart attack.
If we have not already spoken by phone, I apologize for the delay in sending this email to you. Having just returned from India on Friday morning, we learned of this tragic news from David’s daughter, Susan, later Friday afternoon. I was able to speak with Susan at length on Saturday from St. Louis (where I was to attend our Annual Donor Appreciation Brunch) and I have been asked to speak on behalf of all the non profits with whom David volunteered at the memorial service Tuesday, March 3rd at 11:00 EST (see below for details). Pursuant with David’s wishes the family did not schedule a viewing/wake.
The family has asked that in lieu of flowers contributions in David’s memory be directed to IPM. Our office will close from 8-2 tomorrow to ensure that our entire staff can attend David’s memorial. I hope as many as you as possible can be there—even with this rather late notice.
I am still finding it extremely difficult to summarize my feelings about David and my sense of loss at his sudden passing. While we continue to keep his wife, Gloria, and the rest of his family in our thoughts and prayers, I thought perhaps it best to share my brief comments from our presentation of David with IPM’s Richard E. Sering Award in December, 2008:
“I have known David Westcott since 1998 when we both served on the IPM Board and perhaps no one was more instrumental in my decision to take up this position at IPM. David came back from an Executive Committee meeting in St. Louis in late 2000 and asked me to go out to lunch. In fairly short order he had gauged my possible interest in serving as Executive Director and set me up, a la Dick Cheney, as Search Committee Chair. Gloria, ‘David’s first and only wife,’ as he likes to call her, reminds me often, when David thinks he has a good idea there is no denying him… so by April of 2001, I had resigned form the Search Committee and was named IPM’s 4th Executive Director. In the 8 years since, David as been a mentor and confidant, a friend and an ally. He has done everything at IPM from serving as Board Treasurer to collecting supplies at Office Max. And, he does it all in the true spirit of Servant Leadership we all knew so well in Dick Sering—David and my dear, late, friend. As we noted at a Center for Community Solutions luncheon a few years ago, David is IPM’s Most Valuable Volunteer and I can think of no one more deserving of IPM’s Richard E. Sering Award.”
December 10, 2008
Cleveland, Ohio, USA
I am so glad we presented David this award before his passing and even more touched that we were finally able to travel to El Salvador together this December, which had been a dream of David’s for so many years. His presence at IPM is irreplaceable but I trust we will do him the highest honor by continuing to passionately live out IPM’s mission and ministry in the world. I will miss him dearly.
In David’s memory may God’s peace that passes all understanding be with each of you and all those whom you hold dear.
Joe
Cleveland Plain Dealer obituary: DAVID N. WESTCOTT, age 82, cherished husband of Gloria E.; beloved father of Susan G., and Beth C. Rowland (John); loving grandfather of Matthew and Ian; brother of Rev. Edward (deceased) and Eunice McKie (deceased), Ruth Eggert and Lois Junjkuntz. Passed away on Friday, Feb. 26, 2009. Memorial contributions may be forwarded to International Partners in Mission, 3091 Mayfield Rd., Suite 320, Cleveland Hts., 44118 or Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless (NEOCH), 3631 Perkins Ave., Suite 3A-3, Cleveland, 44114. Memorial service Tuesday, March 3 at 11 a.m. at Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, 8235 Memphis Ave., Brooklyn, OH.
Published in The Plain Dealer on 3/1/2009
To make a contribution to IPM in memory of David Westcott, go to:
or call the office at +1.216.932.4082.
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