WSU Prof. Dr. Henry Wefing (right) at the University’s commencement 2014 ceremony. (Submitted photo)
WESTFIELD – For students and faculty in Westfield State University’s Ely Hall, the sight of Dr. Henry O. Wefing, Jr. is always a welcome one.
A professor in the university’s Communication Department since 1985 and a former newspaper reporter and editor in New Jersey and North Carolina, Wefing, 73, is viewed by many to be one of the school’s foremost voices regarding journalism.
So when news hit that Wefing had been diagnosed with metastasized lung cancer in early November, students and faculty banded together to support Wefing and his family, holding a card-writing festival on November 10 for their beloved professor, mentor and friend.
Dr. Susan Leggett, chair of the Communication Department, which she describes as “cohesive, caring and compassionate” said that the news of Wefing’s illness has saddened everyone.
“All of the faculty – both new and old – are sharing the loss of his presence here at this moment in different ways,” said Leggett before touting student’s response. “One student is putting together a blogspace for students to write musings and everyday happenings to keep Dr. Wefing posted on what’s happening on campus.”
“While he’s taking care of his health right now, he’s still with us in his intellectual presence within the department,” she said. “You cannot fill Dr. Wefing’s shoes, but in his absence, we’re trying to keep his projects nourished.”
Leggett said that Wefing remains in good spirits, ever curious about happenings and goings-on in Ely Hall.
“Generous”, “friendly” and “welcoming” are usually the first adjectives to roll off the tongue when describing Wefing, a New Jersey native who also earned degrees from St. Peter’s College, Duke University and the University of Massachusetts-Amherst prior to teaching at Westfield State.
English professor Michael Filas recalled staying in Wefing’s home at the host’s insistence while visiting the school.
“That’s the kind of guy Henry is. He generously put us up in his house,” said Filas. “He’s always been the guy to organize the noon-time basketball games and table tennis events with faculty and staff.”
Wefing has long been active in the Westfield community, most notably through his work with the organic garden he began several years ago behind the Horace Mann Center on Western Avenue. The garden has produced tomatoes, kale, collard greens, squash, zucchini and rutabagas over the years, all of which have been donated to the Westfield Food Pantry.
“Everyone is so busy, but Henry finds time to put into stuff that isn’t about his career. He just wants to make (the University) a better place to work and be,” said Filas. “He’s always working for a better community.”
“As exceptional as (his garden) is, it’s not particularly remarkable for Henry.” said Westfield State President Dr. Elizabeth Preston, a former colleague in the Communication Department. “It’s just something that needed to be done, and a way he could be of service. I think that’s remarkable.”
Aside from donating his time and his crops, Wefing is a devoted family man, having raised four children and helping raise two grandchildren with his wife Marilyn Sandidge, an English professor at the University. He also has two children and five grandchildren from a previous marriage.
Wefing colleague Dr. Thomas Gardner first met him when he applied for a position at the institution in 2001 and their mutual experience as journalists who had worked in the south forged their bond.
“I think it’s helpful when working around someone who shares your values around something like journalism. I’m sure there are a lot of working journalists out there today who are inspired by his teaching,” said Gardner. “It was sort of a reinforcement for me, to talk with him between classes about what we were teaching.”
“He’s a veteran newspaper guy who holds true to a fundamental belief in the importance of journalism and the need to stay true to journalistic values, no matter the medium,” he said.
Gardner referenced what he calls Wefing’s “personal strength of character.”
“He sets a high standard for his students.” he said. “The values that he expresses in his teaching are consistent with the person they’re seeing in front of them.”
“He’s been a mentor to me in regards to so many things. He’s a true gentleman who truly cares about the greater good,” said Tamari “TJ” Hall, a senior from Springfield, who received the book “Living the Good Life: How to Live Sanely and Simply in a Troubled World” by Helen and Scott Nearing from Wefing along with a gardening allotment book, gifts that he treasures.
Kaitlyn Smith, a senior from Somers, Connecticut, works in the department and said that not seeing Wefing in his office is weird.
“We miss him and are hoping for the best,” she said. “He’s a dedicated professor.”
Dr. John Paulmann, a recent retiree from the Communication Department, spoke of his pal’s caring, selfless nature and objectivity.
“Henry never wanted to take the limelight. He’d leave the chairmanship and the prestige to other people,” said Paulmann. “Younger people coming up, they may want to reach for these heights, but he just stepped aside.”
Paulmann touted Wefing’s work on the Department and University Curriculum Committees and on the department newsletter each spring semester.
“He was the leader of our department and we have such amazing respect for that man,” he said. “We trusted his balance, his judgement. Every decision he made had the fairness of student interest as his major objective.”
“People talk about living a life of service. I don’t think I have ever met anyone who felt the call to serve more truly and deeply than Henry.” said Preston. “At home, at the university, and in the community, Henry has quietly shouldered the work that needs to be done to make things a bit better for others, in a quiet and unassuming way that shifts attention away from his hard work and sacrifice.”
When asked how he was feeling yesterday morning, Wefing’s wife Marilyn Sandidge relayed that he is “doing his best to follow his treatment and is hoping for the best.”
