Saturday, October 13, 2012


Obituaries
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Brother Pius (Humplhrey Pius) Kamphefner, 82, died on October 8, 2012 at Methodist Hospital in Germantown, TN. A De La Salle Christian Brother for 66 years, he was born Robert Eugene in Platte City, MO, the son of Ray and Betty (Seuell) Kamphefner. He graduated from La Salle Institute in Glencoe, MO, and then entered the novitiate of the Christian Brothers. He pronounced his final vows in 1955 in Winona, MN. Brother Pius earned a B.S.S. degree in 1950 and an M.A. in 1960 both from St. Mary’s College (now University) in Winona. During his career as an educator he taught in Evanston, Chicago, Quincy and Wheaton, IL, Wichita, KS, and in Kansas City and Cedar Hill, MO, and was a house parent at Mercy Home in Chicago. He taught at St. Joseph H.S. in Greenville, MS, and at St. Gabriel School in Mound Bayou, MS. In 1993 he became the resident lay ecclesial minister at St. Gabriel Church. Survivors include his brother Don (Helen) Kamphefner of Gladstone, MO, nieces and nephews, and the De La Salle Christian Brothers. Visitation is on Friday, October 12, from 7 to 9 pm, and on Saturday, October 13 at 9 am at Stritch Chapel on the campus of Christian Brothers University in Memphis. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 am on Saturday in the Stritch Chapel. Interment is at 3:00 pm on Saturday, October 13, at St. Gabriel Cemetery in Mound Bayou, MS. Memorials may be made to De La Salle Christian Brothers Retirement Fund, 7650 S. County Line Rd., Burr Ridge, IL 60527. 

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2 comments:

  1. NAVYBEAROctober 13, 2012 at 4:34 PM

    From: T.McNulty
    Date: 10/13/2012 12:21:13 PM
    To: dnewmanandassoc@aol.com; NAVYBEAR@COMCAST.NET
    Cc: bdonnelly@ameritech.net; joseph.mcmahon@comcast.net; jtmcgeean@yahoo.com; jgcapuano@yahoo.com; JDiBuono@comcast.net; rayholloway1@aol.com; ltulipano@netzero.com
    Subject: Re: PASSING OF A BELOVED CHRISTIAN BROTHER


    About 2 years ago, I found out that he went to New Orleans to live out his life and minister to the children of Katrina. I sent him some funds to help that along, and told him that about the only thing that I remember well was the way he use to "Knuckle" my head as he walked down the desks. He sent me a letter and thanked me for the support and actually remembered doing that . Nice to have touch with our past, as we think we know it. I did get another letter from him later that year, and he was ill, but could not reconnect.

    Never forgot.


    Thomas F. Mc Nulty

    248 651 8184 office



    -----Original Message-----
    From: Donald Newman
    To: NAVYBEAR
    Cc: BOB DONNELLY (bdonnelly@ameritech.net) ; JOE MCMAHON (joseph.mcmahon@comcast.net) ; JOHN MCGEEAN (jtmcgeean@yahoo.com) ; john capuano ; JDiBuono ; Ray ; TUBBY (ltulipano@netzero.com) ; TOM MCNULTY (tmcn0410@aol.com)
    Sent: Fri, Oct 12, 2012 4:44 pm
    Subject: Re: PASSING OF A BELOVED CHRISTIAN BROTHER


    Thanks Bob,
    My fondest memories of St. Mel include Br. Pius and Br. Cesarius.
    Don


    Don Newman
    Sent from my iPad



    On Oct 12, 2012, at 1:56 PM, "NAVYBEAR" wrote:




    How could one ever forget BROTHER PIUS....bigger than life, giver of huge bear hugs when you were good or bad, and lastly, a Friend in need for sure...

    Please remember him in your thoughts and prayers...PLEASE pass on this email to our Classmates.

    For obituary details see website at: http://www.cbmidwest.org/news/obituaries-2/

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  2. NAVYBEAROctober 13, 2012 at 4:35 PM




    This email is a reply to Tom McNulty's....passed to you separately.



    Thanks for recalling our wonder years....all my best to all my Classmates.

    Bob Hastings
    Still Learning Life...A Student for Ever.


    Hello Tom....many thanks for sharing your personal memory moments of Brother Pius....I recall one that has stuck in my memory over the many years...I believe we were Freshman, during a basketball game with a public school one of their players fell to the boards with a leg injury, being the insensitive shits we were at that age, the crowd start cheering...out of the stands roared Brother Pius, standing in the center of the court, held up his arms for silence....and the whole gym came to a quiet halt. He stood their for several moments, not moving just glaring at the crowd...as he retook his seat, he spoke out the words that have haunted me over the years..."WE are better than that....we are better than that." I think the absolute silence spoke the loudest lesson for we have never forgotten his words. Standing alone, sometimes one is a majority.



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