| Volunteer
Programs
Additional Keystone Hospice
Volunteer Profiles:
Fundraising
Auctioneer
Connie Mazzochetti
Dr.
Frank Bernt, Director of the Faith-Justice Learning Institute, St. Joseph’s
University
Conductor
Michael Johns and the Here’s to Life Orchestra
Reverend
Joseph Craddock & Sister Mary Early
Bedside
Harpist Marilyn Lemke
"Multi-Purpose"
Volunteer Sue McElroy
Nonagenarian
(and Former House Resident!) Mary Rose Nuse
"Office
Angel" Margaret Henderson
Holiday
Food Drive at Lansdale Catholic High School
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Keystone's
First Couple:
Art & Shirley Rowe
Click
here to read a July 2008 Chestnut Hill Local story that ran featuring
Art and Shirley...
Click
here to read an August 2008 story that appeared in the Philadelphia
Corporation for the Aging (PCA) publication Milestones ...
* * * * * * * * *
2007 profile written by Keystone Hospice Volunteer Marilyn Steeg
Two of Keystone Hospice’s favorite volunteers were married by a
Justice of the Peace on Saint Patrick’s day in 2003 – Shirley
was 81 and Art was 84.
The Rowes were introduced to each other a year earlier, while seated at
a round table in the Keystone dining room; they now regard it as “their
table.” Art’s wife of 56 years, Grace, had died earlier at
Keystone after nine days of hospice care, and he had returned for a meeting
on grief management.
Shirley had been hospitalized next door at the Chestnut Hill Rehabilitation
facility, following a stroke and broken hip, and after two years of exercising,
she took an apartment on the top floor of the building. Because she needed
to keep busy, she decided to volunteer at Keystone and has been doing
so ever since and now, with her husband.
When asked what endeared one to the other, Art replied: “It just
happened I found her attractive, caring and sensible.” Shirley was
more expansive: “He was a very loving, feeling type of man, and
I felt it right away. In addition to his wife, he had lost his twin brother,
and I just wanted to help him put his life together.”
They are immensely proud to be helping at Keystone. Shirley emphasized:
“We will do anything here, absolutely anything. We love the diversity
of comforting patients, helping with special events, even stuffing envelopes.”
Art added, “twice a year we have a Make it, Bake it, Sell it, Grow
it event where donated baskets are auctioned off at the Church of the
Brethren in Wyndmoor. I collect the $5 admission fees, and this year we
raised over $5,600 to benefit patient care .”
Art and Shirley, who spent 900 combined volunteer hours last year, also
assist with hospice outpatient services. Art recalled: “One day
we visited a 102- year-old woman in Wood River Village, Bensalem. A German
by birth, she sang songs for us in her native language but said that she
was terrified of dying. It seems that when she was 13, she stole from
her mother who told her she’d never go to heaven. When we reported
this to the Keystone staff, they arranged for a counselor and cleric to
visit; afterwards she felt redeemed and died in peace.”
Another time, a widow in her 90s, who was in the last phase of her illness,
said she wanted to see the ocean again. Art, Shirley and an aide drove
her to Cape May, and she told them “this is the best day of my life
” She died two weeks later.
Keystone has a diverse, creative agenda. “They don’t want
the residents to lie in bed so they organize theatrical events, take people
to ball games, and have art workshops , to mention just a few things,”
Shirley commented.
Reflecting on care, Shirley said: “It’s so important not to
be left alone. This is our Give Back time We are thankful to help people
and not expect anything in return. We will come here – when it’s
our time – because it’s not a sad place. Helpers here stay
with patients until their families arrive, just holding their hands. It’s
so important that no one dies alone.”
A Fordham graduate, Shirley’s career was in accounting in Queens.
After her husband, James Cataia, died, she worked for the United Nations,
entertaining people from Third World countries who were visiting New York.
She also traveled extensively. Her son, head of a VA hospital in Brooklyn,
moved Shirley to Chestnut Hill when she had her stroke.
Arthur Rowe had a distinguished career in the 995th Field Artillery during
World War II. He spent 472 days in combat in Italy, North Africa, Germany
and France, and he was awarded the bronze star for meritorious service
in action on December 5, 1943. Laughing, he added: “I went 250 days
without a shower and was home only 51 days in four years of service.”
After leaving the military, he became a supervisor in the former Sears
Roebuck facility on Roosevelt Boulevard.
The Rowes live in Gloria Dei Estates, in the Fox Chase section of the
city. They awake at 5 a.m. and are at Keystone at 8 a.m. two days a week
because they like to have breakfast with the residents whenever possible.
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