An Act of Mercy Joshua Young ’05 is foodservice manager on Mercy Ships, a global organization that has operated a fleet of hospital ships in developing nations since 1978. The Africa
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James Billings was married to wife Jeanne for 41 years
before she passed away. He and his second wife Pat, share 15 grandchildren,
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Charles Carroll is president
Mercy on which Joshua works is
of World Association of Chefs
the world’s largest private hospital
Society. He was also a judge for the 2016
ship serving the nations of Africa.
Culinary Olympics in Germany.
Staff provides surgical intervention
three daughters, three stepdaughters, and a son-in-law who owns a catering/restaurant business.
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for the poorest populations.
Tina Bratcher is currently
From reconstructive surgeries for
working on a cookbook called
Comfort Foods Made Easy—a collection of
deformities and burns to ophthalmic
Robert Savidge is retired.
recipes from family and friends—which
and orthopedic corrective surgeries, the all-volunteer medical staff is
He’s “living the dream.”
she hopes to get published. Tina is also
changing the lives of so many people. Joshua is an integral part of that
writing a book about her 86-year-old
team, making a difference every day.
Howard Zeger is no longer working in the foodservice in-
dustry. After spending 15 years as a chef, he became a licensed massage therapist working in both Florida and New York. He has worked in spas and as an independent contractor. Howard has recently written a novel, If Frogs Could Fly, which is available on Amazon and Nook under the pseudonym E.B. Mendel.
mother entitled My Life, for family members to remember her legacy. Joanne
Q What drew you to take a job on the Mercy Ship?
Burns is chef at Kitchen Warehouse
A I was looking for an organization that would allow me to use my
Australia Pty Ltd., in Western Australia.
professional skills for a larger purpose.
Christopher Wissmar is chef/owner of Circa Ale House is West Seattle, WA.
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Timothy Youngblood is owner of Youngblood’s Cafe
and Catering Company in Amarillo, TX.
Q What is your job title and what are your daily responsibilities? A As food service manager I oversee the planning, organizing, and execution of 1,600 meals a day. I’m responsible for ordering supplies, menu development, and maintaining accountability for international safety and sanitary standards. In addition, I oversee the onboard bakery, two crew teams that prepare all food in the galley, two teams
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Robert Roethke has owned The Inn at the Canal Bed
& Breakfast in beautiful Chesapeake
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Ted Kelly is executive chef
that serve the crew in the dining room, and a local crew that assists
for the Jewish Community
teams and cooks food for patients in the hospital.
Center of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, PA.
City, MD for the last eight years. Built in 1870 along the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal, the seven-room, waterfront B&B has a top rating on both Trip Advisor and Bed&Breakfast.com. Known for his gourmet multi-course breakfasts, Bob also occasionally teaches cooking courses in his gorgeous period kitchen. He owns the inn with his wife, Carol. They have three daughters.
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Ann Caldwell is retired. Ann would love to hear from
the class of February 1980. “We had a wonderful AM/PM class and shared lots of good times.”
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Ted Hudgins is living in Naples, FL and working as
a tax-probate attorney, advising several 501(c)(3) organizations.
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A There are 400 crew members from as many as 40 different Kevin Mitchell has been accepted into the University of
Mississippi (“Ole Miss”) in its Southern
countries, all with different food preferences. The ship regularly receives 40-foot containers from the U.S. and the Netherlands with
Studies program. His focus will be on
medical, technical, and dry goods supplies. Every eight weeks, we
Southern foodways, the preservation of
receive a frozen container filled with proteins, some vegetables, and
Southern ingredients, and the history
ice cream for our rotating menu. These supplies have to be ordered up
of African Americans in the culinary
to six months in advance so that they can be sourced and shipped to
industry.
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the remote areas that we serve. James Purviance has just released his 15th cookbook,
Q Do you have direct contact with patients and their families? A Even though I oversee the local workers who prepare the patients’
Weber’s New American Barbecue—A Modern
food, I don’t have daily contact with the patients. There are many
Spin on the Classics.
times that I work with the nutritionist to make dishes for patients who have dietary restrictions or are having a hard time getting nutrition.
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Rasheed Abdurrahman
With the ship being a small community, I talk to many of the medical
is executive chef at Eat
workers and hear about how the patients are doing, especially during
and Smile Catering in Washington, DC. Allison (Ianson) Haight is sales
meal times.
manager at Hudson Valley Cold Pressed
Q What is the most meaningful moment you have had since starting
Oils in Pleasant Valley, NY. It is a
on the Mercy Ship?
family-owned and -operated company
A For me, it’s seeing the patients after they are healed—mothers seeing
Kenneth Shore is general
that produces cold-pressed sunflower oil.
manager of the Kigali Mar-
Javier Ortiz is executive chef at Royal
riott Hotel in Kigali, Rwanda.
Q What challenges are there in preparing food for patients and staff?
Oaks Country Club in Dallas, TX.
their children for the first time, fathers being able to go to work and provide for their families after having tumors removed, children walking again so they can go to school and play with their classmates.