In Memoriam

40 years. Through this time, she continued to write, completing an autobiography that was drawn from her detailed journals and focused on her life as a Waldorf educator. Her hands were seldom idle; knitting and puzzles were part of her life. She participated actively in at least two study groups – one on the karma lectures - and enjoyed visits with friends and former students. Her life review was underway.

When she received a diagnosis of cancer at the beginning of Advent, she courageously began the final steps of her earthly journey. She was not afraid to die, noting that she had enjoyed a wonderful, full life. She remained committed to Tikkun Olam to the end of her life; her final, short list of things needing attention included ensuring the continued sponsorship of a student in Kenya. She had built a village of family, neighbors, friends, colleagues, and former students and this supported her to the end. She had time to say goodbye; in her final days, it was clear that she was traveling again, going towards a spiritual reality as she left this earthly one. Betty crossed the threshold quietly on Twelfth Night.

Now it is up to us, her friends and colleagues to carry forward her inclusive, inquiring, active work in the spirit of repairing the world.

Betty was preceded in death by husbands Franklin Kane and Jim Staley and daughter Andrea Kane. She is survived by her son George (Ann) and daughter Sonya (Paul Bingaman), grandchildren Adam, Ben, and Louisa Kane and Katherine and Charles Bingaman, and her stepson Jim Jr. (Ira) and her grandson Mike.

May her memory be a blessing. And grace will lead us home.

. Ed Scherer. OCTOBER 3, 1951 - FEBRUARY 21, 2024 .

Herbert Hagens

Rudolf Steiner expected a great deal from those who sought to promote the welfare of the Anthroposophical Society. Becoming a pupil in the School of Spiritual Science required accepting the further responsibility of being a representative of the anthroposophical cause. Despite a debilitating handicap, Ed Scherer dedicated his life to fulfilling the commitments of soul and spirit.

At age 17 Ed graduated from the Garden City Waldorf School and was looking forward to starting college in the autumn. But a tragic diving accident resulted in a serious spinal injury that left him wheelchair bound for the rest of his life. Nevertheless he still managed to go to college and graduate school and to pursue a full career. His sister, Rachel, and her husband, James Madsen, wrote the following recollection:

“By some miracle he (Ed) maintained the capacity to move the thumb of his right hand, which made all the difference in being able to live independently his entire life. Ed worked for nearly four decades in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, retiring as an analyst in the commercial banking supervision and regulation department. He commuted every day from Long Island to NYC in his car outfitted with hand controls.

Ed’s disability never kept him from living an exceptionally active and independent life. He was a genius at rigging up clever devices to accomplish everyday tasks and did most of the maintenance of his houses by himself. He mowed his own lawn, shoveled his sidewalk, did all his own housework and repairs and had a full woodshop in his garage. He was even involved in advertising campaigns for the President’s (then Jimmy Carter) Committee on Employment of the Handicapped in the late 1970s. Ed was an avid gardener, most recently revitalizing the gardens at the Fellowship Community in Spring Valley, NY. There he touched many lives during these last few years. Additionally, many people from all phases of his life have recently shared memories of his kindness, his quiet deeds to help others, and his example of courage and steadfastness in the face of great challenges.”

Ed Scherer will also be remembered for his selfless service to the Anthroposophical Society as a member of the Eastern Regional Council and the General Council. On several occasions he and I would meet up for dinner before meetings at the New York Branch. He politely accepted my offer to push him in the wheelchair, but I knew that he would have preferred doing it himself.

Herbert Hagens

Princeton, New Jersey

With thanks to Michael Ronall for sharing his recollections