Page 28 - MLD Book

was a battle I think we all lost for the most part! I trust he is now resting in peace with all the lights turned on all of the time.
Before leaving 1990, I want to point out a couple of other highlights, including the funeral of Amelia Brown Frazier (for whom Frazier Hall was later named by virtue of a bequest); a collaboration with the Cathedral for an Evensong; a document I wrote about the history of organs at Calvary; the burial of a Lenten soup that had interacted with itself shortly before serving time and was buried by Father Ben under a bush (bush died later), and very importantly, the hiring of Leroy Malone, CEO of Church Custodial Services. Leroy would serve Calvary for 30 years, with his retirement July 1, 2020. Bummer that he is now gone and I will miss him as we have lived through so many things together, good and traumatic, over those years. We will remain good friends, however, and I promised him I would keep him abreast of the antics of some of our “favorite” people! I have even talked him into volunteering for our food ministry every Thursday, which he does cheerfully and
well, as always.
1991
1991 was a monumental year, as Senior Warden Whitney O’Bannon demonstrates in his synopsis. A building committee was formed, offices carpeted with Don Allen as the driving force, chandeliers redone in nave, the first outreach Expo was held, and the Literacy Program with Alice James and Goodwill was founded. But the most monumental act was that on November 18, 1991, the vestry voted to proceed with the building expansion!!!! This initial phase would include the present choir loft, Parker Hall, new sacristy, bathrooms, a food closet and the second floor room above the offices. I had the honor of being on the vestry at the end of my third term and got to vote. That was before some jealous somebody decided that I was exercising conflict of interest as a staff member, so that was my last stint on the vestry in my church career. But what a great way to go out! Subsequently I would be asked, functioning as a staff member, to attend vestry now and then, but not with the power to vote. Oh well. I was appointed to the steering committee to oversee the new building, so
that kept me plenty busy as I handled all of the publicity and most of the writing. It was also the time when Ben and I went sort of trembling to Mary Bingham and asked her for $100,000 to build the choir loft part. She was sooo gracious and said of course. My mother also died in 1991, and as my tithe of her legacy, I donated $40,000 to the building of the Loft as well. But they named it the Bingham Choir Loft as Mary requested that. Nobody knows about my donation, so here it is for the few people who will read this. We also hit Margaret Kulp up for $10,000 to put in a nice floor that would be favorable for acoustics. I am proud to say because of those three donations, Ben and I singlehandedly financed the Choir Loft. And because we did that, we were able to build the room over the offices at the other end for the church school. Neither of us wants credit, but it might ought to be documented.