In Memory of Chris 'Kit' Fearon

On Sunday, March 28, 2010, after the Annual Association Pot Luck Dinner, our close friend and long time Camp Read supporter, Chris Fearon, passed away in his sleep. Chris was a very active staff member and long time supporter and member of the Camp Read Association and a major contributor to the recently completed history of the Camp Reads, “For Joys We’ll Ne’er Forget”.

Over the weekend Chris had the opportunity, with Tom Dietz and Tom Hunter, to visit White Plains and the area that he had grown up in and worked in for years. He also spent a lot of time at the Dinner sharing memories and good times with others who loved Camp and their times there.

It was with much mixed sorrow and joy that we had heard of Chris' passing. Sorrow at the loss of such a good friend, and JOY that he had the opportunity to have done so much that was important to him and that he had been with good friends just prior to his passing.

In the Spring of 2009 I was corresponding with Ken Hadermann, a long time scout leader, OA Dance Team Instructor and my first boss in Tomahawk Campcraft at Camp Read. I had sent Ken some excerpts from the book, For Joys We'll Ne'er Forget, and on May 30, 2009 Ken wrote the following back to me:

".....I noted your description of Kit Fearon and confirm your picture, but I believe I can add a good deal. He was an English teacher at White Plains High School where I was Division Director. He was both daring and considerate.

For three years I led an April expedition of 3 - 5 scouts to camp to mark new trails and campsites for troops in the forest north of Camp Tomahawk. The Summer following one of these expeditions, Kit Fearon decided to take his provisional troop to a new campsite, Spring Hill Ponds.

He asked me to show him the trail so I led them about three quarters of the way there when we got hit by the edge of a hurricane. Kit devoted himself to assisting his scouts, helping them get settled, getting fires started and made sure they had a hot meal through the severe storm. Yes, he was strict, but it was the strictness from caring."

Ken's story is just one example of the type of dedicated and brave person Chris was. Kit was so proud of how the boys went right to work and how they survived such a challenging ordeal. (The complete story of this adventure is in the book).