A Message From President Hallick
Members of the University Community,
It is with great sadness that we have learned that Pacific staff member Bevin McCarthy passed away on Monday, Aug. 13. Bevin had been on leave after just weeks ago being diagnosed with a rare but severe condition that ultimately claimed her life.
Bevin served as assistant director of the Center of Civic Engagement at Pacific, where she had worked since 2013. A Gettysburg College alumna with a master’s degree in integrated studies from Cambridge College, Bevin was passionate about connecting people through service.
Through her career, she created and taught service and learning courses, as well as middle and high school Spanish, in Massachusetts and Oregon.
At Pacific, she was part of the Social Justice Retreat planning committee and had served as interim director of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.
“She is a person who has brought so much joy and love to so many people,” said CCE Director Stephanie Stokamer. “It is amazing how many people I’ve heard say their connection with her was instant. Her ability to connect with people of all kinds for all different reasons and to give of herself in ways that brought joy and love and energy is unlike any other person. It is a uniquely Bevin quality.”
She was a tenacious advocate for social justice, an amazing educator, and absolutely devoted to her family, Stokamer added.
Just last year, Bevin received the university's 2017 Diversity & Justice Award, which recognizes a faculty or staff member whose work creates a diverse and sustainable community that inspires students to pursue justice in our world, and embraces a rich diversity of ideas, peoples, and cultures, with an emphasis on public service within the global community.
Bevin will be missed deeply by her husband, Nic; sons Felix, 5, and Jasper, 3; and a host of family and friends at Pacific and worldwide whose lives she touched. A GoFundMe account has been set up to support Bevin's family in all ways.
In light of this unexpected and tragic situation, it is important that we care for each other and ourselves during a time of grief such as this. In this time of sorrow, we remind Pacific faculty and staff that support is available through the Employee Assistance Program at Cascade Centers. Students also are invited to reach out to the Student Counseling Center or to University Chaplain Rev. Dr. Chuck Currie for assistance.
Information on a remembrance memorial for Bevin will be announced when details become available. In the meantime, all are invited to gather informally in Old College Hall at 4 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 16 to remember Bevin. She will also be among those recognized at the university's next Alumni Remembrance Ceremony at Pacific, scheduled for Nov. 8.
With deepest sympathy,
Lesley M. Hallick, PhD
President