University of Dubuque Honors Alumni/ae
Oct 13, 2010 | University of Dubuque Theological Seminary
On Saturday, October 16, 2010 the University of Dubuque is privileged to honor four outstanding alumni/ae: B.J. Weber (S'78), Alan "Al" Spensley (C'55), Carol (Spencer) Kuhle (C'68), and Duane "Dewey" Feuerhelm (C'56) as a part of the 2010 Homecoming Celebration. Awards will be presented during the Alumni/ae Dinner beginning at 11:00 a.m. in the Chlapaty Recreation and Wellness Center.
2010 Herbert E. Manning, Jr. Distinctive Service Award
The Herbert E. Manning, Jr. Distinctive Service Awards recognize University of Dubuque Theological Seminary alumni/alumnae who demonstrate exceptional contributions in Christian ministry. Recipients model servant leadership, courageous convictions, a spirit of witness, and a faithful obedience as they contribute significantly to the Church universal, the Seminary, and all of God's people.
Rev. William John (B.J.) Weber has lived and served in New York City since 1979. Upon first coming to Manhattan, B.J. started a street ministry, where for five years he served in rescue and recovery efforts with addicts, prostitutes, teenage runaways, and the homeless, while co-pastoring a mission church in Times Square.
In 1984, B.J. founded the New York Fellowship, an interdenominational ministry, which provides spiritual direction, counseling, and pastoral care to leaders in the business and professional communities of the New York City area. For more than a dozen years, B.J. served as Chaplain for the World Series Champion New York Yankees. He is the co-founder of more than 25 inner-city ministries, including the East Harlem Little League, Youth Impact, Pregnancy Help, Brooklyn Little League, and Kids to Camp Program. He also was co-founder of the Amistad Mission Clinic and Orphanage in Bolivia and has been the catalyst for launching other endeavors that reflect Christ's love for those
in need.
B.J. Weber, an ordained minister, earned a master of divinity degree from the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary in 1978, and a bachelor of science in psychology at Iowa State University in 1971. During seminary study, he lived for six years as a
non-vowed monk, attached to the New Melleray Trappist Monastery where upon a casual visit to buy their homemade bread, he first came to faith in Christ. He worked and lived during those seminary years in relationship with their sister Trappistine convent, Our Lady of the Mississippi Abbey, whose chaplain, as well as the abbess, provided spiritual direction and mentoring during B.J.'s early years in faith.
Since 1980, B.J. has been married to his wife, Sheila, a journalist and public relations consultant, who has also been vitally instrumental in the founding and managing of the New York Fellowship. They run a hospitality house in midtown Manhattan which serves visitors from all over the world and hosts ongoing dinners and outreach events. They have a grown son and daughter.
2010 Service to Community Award
Awarded to an alumnus/alumna of the University of Dubuque who has demonstrated a clear commitment to serving the community through notable volunteerism, an outstanding act of selflessness, or a demonstrated pattern of service to humanity.
Alan "Al" Spensley (C'55) is a committed professional well known for his devotion to community service. Alan's many years of community involvement indicate not only his achievements, but also his passion for improving life for humankind. As a former board president of the Dubuque Community YMCA, Dubuque County Historical Society and Dubuque Arboretum and Botanical Gardens and chairman of the Dubuque Citizen Advisory Committee, Alan has shown that he is committed to public service and to the betterment of the community life. Striving to help others, he also served on the Ennoble Resident Advisory Committee and as a Stephen Minister offering care and support to people experiencing life's difficulties.
Born on May 14, 1928, Alan worked for International Harvester following graduation from Dubuque Senior High School. He spent three years at UD before serving in the U.S. Navy as a Corpsman. He returned to the University and graduated with the class of 1955. As a member of Chi Gamma Iota, Alan was dedicated to assisting fellow veterans. He was also an Athenaean and on the golf and wrestling teams. While pursuing higher education, Alan married Myrna Leasure. Alan and Myrna, who deceased in 2001, are the parents of three children: Steve, Michael, and Kathy.
Professionally, Alan experienced success in sales management for the former Dubuque Packing Company. In a career that spanned 35 years working with customers and salespeople nationwide including government contracts, Alan received several sales awards. Alan's service work has reached beyond our nation's borders as a former president of the International Friendship Force of Dubuque; he helped bridge the gap between nations by participating in exchange trips to Australia and Europe and hosting people from Europe, South America, the Orient, and Africa.
Today, Alan is married to high school classmate Pat Cullen. Together they are blessed with six children, 12 grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. He has continuously supported the University of Dubuque as a former president of the Alumni Board, Heritage Society member and a Dubuque Community Partnership volunteer. Alan is an example of a professional and humanitarian success and stands as an inspiration to all.
2010 Professional Achievement Award
Awarded to an alumnus/a after 15 years of graduation who has demonstrated a clear commitment to excellence in his/her career. To be considered for this award, the alumnus/alumna will have significant accomplishments in business or professional life as well as recognition, achievement and leadership that reflect positively on the University's mission.
Carol (Spencer) Kuhle (C'68) earned her degree in physical education from the University of Dubuque. Her educational quest though didn't stop there. With two children and a husband, she began taking science classes, one per semester, with the goal of one day being a nurse practitioner. After six years, she'd earned enough prerequisite classes to enroll in Grand View College's nursing program where instructors urged her to go to medical school. Until then, Carol never thought her dream of becoming a physician would come true. Carol's remarkable journey is only topped by her distinguished 25 year career.
For Carol being an Iowan is as unlikely as her being a physician. "Cookie" Spencer, a four-sport athlete from Long Island, was recruited by the University of Dubuque. She was active in campus life, serving as Zeta Phi sorority president and dorm council treasurer, cheerleader and received the honor of being voted 1968 Homecoming Queen. It was at the University of Dubuque that Cookie met and married Roger Kuhle, (C'69). After graduation they began their life together in Des Moines and are parents of daughter, Kerry, and son, Jason.
After earning her Doctor of Osteopathy (D.O.) degree in 1985 from the University of Osteopathic Medicine and Health Sciences in Des Moines, Carol interned at Des Moines General Hospital, then at Broadlawns Medical Center for her family practice residency. She was hardly the typical resident - female, D.O, single parent - but she was elected chief resident by the 32 physicians, most of them M.D.s, in the program. Carol began her medical practice with the Mercy Campus Clinic. After seven years of family medicine, she started a Geriatric Fellowship for Mayo Clinic and was director for five years. Her medical practice has been diverse. She's a faculty member of the residency program, which includes working hand-in-hand with the 24 young family practice doctors. But her individual focus has been on adults, most of them age 65 and older. In 2009 she was appointed president of the medical staff at Mercy Medical Center. Only one other woman in the 115-year history of the hospital has been chief of staff there. At the age of 62, Carol has begun yet another new journey in healthcare at Mayo Clinic as a Preventive Medicine Fellow with a master's degree in public health. There she will be doing a randomized controlled trial to test a counseling program in obese elderly to determine if moderate exercise will make a difference in reducing weight, waist circumference and metabolic risk factors.
Carol is involved in community service. Highlights have included being a board member of Young Women's Resource Center that develops programs for young parents and teenage pregnancy prevention. She also served as Senior Medical Advisor for Elder Affairs to the Iowa Department of Public Health and was chair of the Demonstration Project for the Center of Medicare/Medicaid Services to develop a prescription drug program for seniors with Governor Vilsack and Senator Harkin. She was on the founding board for a Shakespeare Festival and youth program in Des Moines, IA.
Dr. Kuhle keeps busy when she's out of the office. Five years ago she found joy, as well as an avenue for stress relief, in rowing. She has four racing medals that hang proudly on her wall. Carol believes that loss can sometimes be the best teacher. Carol experienced loss of her family unit through divorce. She has been able to come through the grief with a redefined family that is able to relate to one another with love and acceptance. Her relationship with her children and grandchildren define what is important in life.
Kuhle finds that awards are less important than her daily interactions with family and
patients. She values the skills that allow her to be patient, kind, and a good listener. She feels lucky to be able to do the kind of work that can make a profound difference in people's lives and would like to pass that on to generations to come.
2009 Alumnus of Distinction Award
Awarded to alumnus/alumna of the University of Dubuque - College or Seminary - who have distinguished themselves in service to the whole church and/or world.
When asked about his college years, Captain Duane "Dewey" Feuerhelm (C'56) remembers a busy and happy time. He feels privileged to have attended the University of Dubuque during Dr. Couchman's leadership. UD offered him an educational experience within a Christian community that prepared him to go forth and serve the whole church.
Captain Feuerhelm, Dewey to friends, entered college in 1952 with the help of the Wubbena Scholarship fund. Though Dewey jokes that, as wife Jackie will confirm, he majored in extra-curricular activities and minored in academics, he soon distinguished himself as a student leader with many talents. He lettered four years in football, four years in basketball, and two years in track. He sang and toured with the A Cappella and Concert Choirs under director Don Prindle, sang with The Messengers under student director Tom Sommerville, and played in student dance band. He served as a member of the D Club, Spartan Club, SCA, President of Steffens House Council, Captain of the UD Basketball team, and as 1956's Senior Class President. Dewey accomplished all of this while working for Marge Kramer as a breakfast cook in the snack bar and dishwasher in Peters Commons and dating the lovely Jacqueline Leighty, C'53.
After graduation Dewey joined the U.S. Navy Reserves as an Aviation Cadet and graduated from Aviation Officer Candidate School as an Ensign and attended Navy Photographic Interpretation Course. In 1957, Dewey and Jackie were married and began their journey which has taken them to Hawaii, Colorado, California, Virginia, Europe, and Japan. Traveling and living in foreign countries allowed the family to learn a lot about their own country. Dewey was assigned to work aboard several Navy ships as an Intelligence Officer, including the USS Kitty Hawk in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam during the Tet Offensive of 1968, the U.S. Navy River Patrol Force, a Navy Attack Helo Squadron, and the U.S. Navy Seals. Later, he was the Commanding Officer of the Fleet Intelligence Center in Hawaii, served in the North American Air Defense Command in Colorado, and served as the Deputy J2 (joint command intelligence) European Command Headquarters in Germany from which he retired in 1986. During Dewey's exemplary naval career, he served with three units that were awarded Presidential Unit Citations and was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal with two Bronze Stars.
Dewey and Jackie retired to the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia in the small community of Churchville in 1992. For the last 15 years Dewey has been actively working with the local affiliate of Stauton-Augusta-Waynesboro Habitat for Humanity, building houses for people in need. He received the Habitat for Humanity Millard Fuller Award for Sustained Service and Outstanding Leadership. Both Jackie and Dewey are very active in their church by singing in the choir, serving as trustees, religious education programvolunteers, and community outreach programs.
The Feuerhelms have established a wonderful family who fill their lives with great pleasure. Dewey and Jackie have been blessed with a daughter and two sons and their wonderful spouses, eight grandchildren, and a great grandson, all of whom make their lives complete.
The University of Dubuque is a private, coeducational, professional university with a focus in the liberal arts. Our commitment to encouraging students to explore their fullest potential is part of a rich Christian heritage that dates back to the University's founding in 1852.
