More on the Passing of Dr. McCay Vernon

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By BitcoDavid

Three posts today. I would have done them as a digest post, but I think they each bear too much weight to handle that way.

Courtesy of FaceBook – In Honor of Mac Vernon – page

As I mentioned a couple of days ago, the man whom we should probably start referring to as our Founder, Dr. McCay Vernon, passed away on Wednesday. Here’s the obit from the funeral home.

Dr. McCay Vernon, an iconic figure in the fields of deafness and psychology, passed from life on August 28, 1913 at age 84. His exploration of the psychological aspects of deafness, his challenges to poor educational and mental health services for people who are deaf, and his advocacy of legal rights for people who are deaf extended throughout his nearly 60-year career in those fields. His lasting legacy includes the many former students and colleagues now serving in the fields of deafness and psychology.

Dr. Vernon was born at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C. to Colonel Percy Vernon and Teresa Preble Vernon. Upon his father’s death, the family moved to St. Augustine where he attended Ketterlinus High School. He entered the Army at age 17 and served with military intelligence in Korea. Upon his discharge, he obtained his bachelor’s degree at the University of Florida and later earned Master’s degrees from Gallaudet University and Florida State University. He completed his doctoral work in Psychology at Claremont Graduate University in California.
Vernon was author of five books in the field of deafness, over 250 journal articles, and an award-winning public television documentary, “They Grow in Silence.” After serving in a number of schools for the deaf, he became head of a research project on deafness at Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago. Later he was instrumental in establishing a graduate program at Western Maryland College (now McDaniel College) to prepare professionals to work with individuals who are deaf. He was active in the field of deafblindness and served on the board of the Foundation Fighting Blindness. In more recent times he focused on his forensic practice in which he became a strong advocate for justice and legal rights for people who are deaf. He was always a strong advocate for the use of sign language.
Among the many awards Vernon received during his career were The American Psychological Association Award for “Distinguished Contributions to Psychology in the Public Interest,” the Medal of Honor from the British Association of the Deaf, the Declaration of Merit from the World Federation of the Deaf, and the American Psychiatric Association Award for “Career Contributions to Mental Health and Deafness.” He received Honorary Doctor of Letters degrees from Gallaudet University and McDaniel College.
Vernon was predeceased by his first wife, Edith Goldston Vernon, who was deaf and played a vital role in his career. Through her, he gained critical insights into the needs of people who are deaf. With his second wife, the former Marie vonGunten, he co-authored two books on serial killers, one of whom was deaf.
Dr. Vernon is survived by his wife, Marie; his daughter, Eve Vernon Peters and son-in-law Brian Peters, of Riverton, New Jersey; brother, Col. (ret.) Graham Vernon of Carlisle, Pennsylvania; sister, Terese Vernon Douglass (Dexter) of Tallahassee; and stepchildren Dr. Jean Aims (Clifford) of Smithfield, Virginia, Hollace Feist (Rodney) of St. Augustine, Florida, Wade Wisner (Lucy) of Dandridge, Tennessee, Roger Wisner of Long Beach, California, Dr. Priscilla Wisner (Joe) of Knoxville, Tennessee and Patricia Miller (Cameron) of Reisterstown, Maryland.
His family wishes to thank the staff of the Northeast Florida Community Hospice and the Bailey Center for Caring in St. Augustine for their many kindnesses during Dr. Vernon’s final illness. No memorial service is planned at this time.
Those wishing to make a memorial donation may contribute to the Dr. McCay Vernon Fund for Support of Deaf Education, McDaniel College, 2 College Hill, Westminster, MD 21157.

To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of McCay “Mac” Vernon please visit our Sympathy Store.

You can find this obituary online at:
http://www.craigfuneralhome.com/obituaries/Mccay-Vernon/#!/Obituary

And if you’d like, you can leave a comment on their tribute wall, here.

Here’s the Washington Post obituary:

Dr. McCay Vernon, an iconic figure in the fields of deafness and psychology, passed from life on August 28, 1913 at age 84. His exploration of the psychological aspects of deafness, his challenges to poor educational and mental health services for people who are deaf, and his advocacy of legal rights for people who are deaf extended throughout his nearly 60-year career in those fields. His lasting legacy includes the many former students and colleagues now serving in the fields of deafness and psychology. Dr. Vernon was born at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C. to Colonel Percy Vernon and Teresa Preble Vernon. Upon his father’s death, the family moved to St. Augustine where he attended Ketterlinus High School. He entered the Army at age 17 and served with military intelligence in Korea. Upon his discharge, he obtained his bachelor’s degree at the University of Florida and later earned Master’s degrees from Gallaudet University and Florida State University. He completed his doctoral work in Psychology at Claremont Graduate University in California. Vernon was author of five books in the field of deafness, over 250 journal articles, and an award-winning public television documentary, “They Grow in Silence.” After serving in a number of schools for the deaf, he became head of a research project on deafness at Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago. Later he was instrumental in establishing a graduate program at Western Maryland College (now McDaniel College) to prepare professionals to work with individuals who are deaf. He was active in the field of deaf/blindness and served on the board of the Foundation Fighting Blindness. In more recent times he focused on his forensic practice in which he became a strong advocate for justice and legal rights for people who are deaf. He was always a strong advocate for the use of sign language. Among the many awards Vernon received during his career were The American Psychological Association Award for “Distinguished Contributions to Psychology in the Public Interest,” the Medal of Honor from the British Association of the Deaf, the Declaration of Merit from the World Federation of the Deaf, and the American Psychiatric Association Award for “Career Contributions to Mental Health and Deafness.” He received Honorary Doctor of Letters degrees from Gallaudet University and McDaniel College. Vernon was predeceased by his first wife, Edith Goldston Vernon, who was deaf and played a vital role in his career. Through her, he gained critical insights into the needs of people who are deaf. With his second wife, the former Marie vonGunten, he co-authored two books on serial killers, one of whom was deaf. Dr. Vernon is survived by his wife, Marie; his daughter, Eve Vernon Peters and son-in-law Brian Peters, of Riverton, New Jersey; brother, Col. (ret.) Graham Vernon of Carlisle, Pennsylvania; sister, Terese Vernon Douglass (Dexter) of Tallahassee; and stepchildren Dr. Jean Aims (Clifford) of Smithfield, Virginia, Hollace Feist (Rodney) of St. Augustine, Florida, Wade Wisner (Lucy) of Dandridge, Tennessee, Roger Wisner of Long Beach, California, Dr. Priscilla Wisner (Joe) of Knoxville, Tennessee and Patricia Miller (Cameron) of Reisterstown, Maryland. His family wishes to thank the staff of the Northeast Florida Community Hospice and the Bailey Center for Caring in St. Augustine for their many kindnesses during Dr. Vernon’s final illness. No memorial service is planned at this time. Those wishing to make a memorial donation may contribute to the Dr. McCay Vernon Fund for Support of Deaf Education, McDaniel College, 2 College Hill, Westminster, MD 21157. Craig Funeral Home www.craigfuneralhome.com

Published in The Washington Post on August 29, 2013

BitcoDavid is a blogger and a blog site consultant. In former lives, he was an audio engineer, a videographer, a teacher – even a cab driver. He is an avid health and fitness enthusiast and a Pro/Am boxer. He has spent years working with diet and exercise to combat obesity and obesity related illness.

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Comments (4)

  1. ptbliss

    David, I just got my new email account working. I knew Mac was in a coma from the beginning but kept it at bay for privacy sake. I’m glad I finished Felix’s story because I found out today I have to have Word installed. What a mess. I will do a post on Mac and Felix soon. Can you send me your email address again? I have to get my old hard drive back as I have no folders or contacts in the transition from my old outlook express. Pat

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