Donor stories

Alma S. Boughey was born in LaGrange, Texas. She attended public schools in Texas and the University of Texas, Austin, before moving to Kalamazoo, Michigan, where she received her B.S. in occupational therapy from Western Michigan University.

She worked as an OT at hospitals in Texas, Oklahoma, and Michigan before practicing with the U.S. Army Hospital Corps at Camp Blanding, FL, and in New Mexico. She retired from the Veterans Administration in Albuquerque in 1969, where she had been Chief of the Services for 17 years. Her hobbies included hiking, world wide travel, crafts and gardening. She was a member of St. John Catholic Church in Marble Falls, Texas, the American Occupational Therapy Association, and the National Association of Federal Employee Services.

Mrs. Boughey died March 4, 1998, at the age of 91.

Sandra Edwards, professor emerita in occupational therapy, has been honored as the 2016 Outstanding Alumna by the Department of Occupational Therapy at the University of Florida. The award is given annually to an outstanding alumni selected by the chair and faculty in the occupational therapy department in the College of Public Health and Health Professions.

Professor Edwards was nominated for the prestigious award based on her "excellence in professional practice and exceptional leadership in the advancement of the public health and health professions," according to a letter from Michael Perri, Ph.D., dean of the College of Public Health and Health Professions.

"It is an amazing honor to receive this from the University of Florida's Occupational Therapy Department," said Professor Edwards. "I am quite humbled by this validation of my work."

After graduating from the University of Florida in 1965, Edwards worked at Boston's Beth Israel Hospital, and El Portal del Sol School for Cerebral Palsied and Orthopaedically Handicapped Children in San Mateo, California. She became certified in Ayres’ sensory integration theory and the Bobath concept of neurodevelopment and also earned a master’s degree in special education before joining the OT faculty at Western Michigan University.

Professor Edwards enjoyed an international and national reputation for her clinical research primarily in the area of pediatrics and interdisciplinary health care. She received the CHHS Faculty Teaching Excellence Award in 2005. In 1996, she became a Fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association (FAOTA) for creative activities, clinical practice, research and scholarly activities.

She taught numerous graduate and undergraduate courses for 32 years at WMU until she retired in 2006. Faculty, students and friends established the Sandra J. Edwards Scholarship in 2006, and later, she and her husband, Al Garcia, contributed to the Sandra J. Edwards Endowed Scholarship for occupational therapy students in 2009.

Professor Edwards will travel to Gainesville for an awards ceremony in September.

Frank E. Gainer, MHS, OTR/L, FAOTA, CMP, CAE is the director of conferences for the American Occupational Therapy Association. Gainer served in the United States Army and Reserves prior to retirement in 2003, acquiring the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He provided patient care services during tours at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC; Landstuhl Army Regional Medical Center in West Germany; and Gorgas Army Hospital in Panama. After leaving active duty in 1993, Frank was director of rehabilitation services at Greater Southeast Healthcare System in Washington, DC. In 2001, he joined the staff at the American Occupational Therapy Association. He is the first occupational therapist in the United States to hold dual credentials as a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) and Certified Association Executive (CAE). LTC Gainer was inducted into the AOTA Roster of Fellows in 2001 and was honored by the WMU Department of Occupational Therapy by being inducted into the CHHS Academy of Outstanding Alumni in 2015.

Frank and Ramon B. Santos, RN have been partners since 1989. Santos earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of the East in Quezon City, Philippines. He immigrated to the United States in 1983 and worked for five years at the Bird S. Coler Memorial Hospital, Roosevelt Island, New York City. He relocated to Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC in 1988. For the past 20 years he has specialized in cardiac care nursing.

Frank and Ramon plan to retire to the wonderful community of Rehoboth Beach on the Delaware coastline. They have built a custom beach house and look forward to spending many years at the beach with their extended families.

Commitment to occupational therapy and dedication to integrating the practices of OT with those of mental health make Barbara J. Hemphill-Pearson a maverick in the profession. 

Hemphill earned a bachelor's degree in occupational therapy from the University of Iowa, a master's degree from Colorado State University and a Doctor of Ministry from Ecumenical Theological Seminary in Detroit, Mich. During her career, she practiced OT and taught as an assistant professor at Cleveland State University and an associate professor at Western Michigan University. 

"One thing that is most important," says Hemphill, "is you have to have a mission. From the time I was a student, I had a commitment to the profession." She is also passionate about the relationship between mental health and OT.  She believes it's a neglected area of research, despite the fact that psychological disorders can greatly impact physical function—a primary concern of OT. 

While at Cleveland State University and Western Michigan University, Hemphill promoted student attendance at OT conferences. "Whenever I can," says Hemphill, "I encourage students to get to a conference, present and share their experience with others.  I try to encourage this because I think it is an important part of being a professional."

In 2006, Hemphill established the Barbara J. Hemphill Endowment for Student Professional Development and the Barbara Jo Hemphill Endowed Student Book Fund.  She says the inherent goal of the scholarships is to encourage commitment to the profession, which begins at the student level and continues throughout an individual's professional life. The endowments support students who attend conferences, encourage research in mental health and assist with educational expenses. 

Today, she continues to practice OT in Kalamazoo, present at conferences and publish books and articles in professional literature. Hemphill's expertise has led to the recent government appointment to the Michigan Board of Occupational Therapy.

Dr. Lela Llorens, emeritus professor, earned a B.S. in occupational therapy from WMU; an M.A. in vocational rehabilitation from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan; a Ph.D. from Walden University; and a Certificate in Gerontology from San Jose State University.

Dr. Llorens’ professional career has spanned over 50 years. Her positions have included experience as a clinician, researcher, writer, editor, consultant, teacher and administrator. In addition to the professor emerita assignation by San Jose State, Dr. Llorens is a core faculty emerita of the Stanford Geriatric Education Center. Academic positions held by Dr. Llorens include professor, chair and graduate coordinator in the Departments of Occupational Therapy at San Jose State and the University of Florida and adjunct faculty of the University of Southern California. For three years prior to retirement from San Jose State, Dr. Llorens served as associate academic vice president for faculty affairs. Dr. Llorens’ clinical practice experience includes consultant on the Comprehensive Child Care Project in San Francisco, head of occupational therapy at the Lafayette Clinic in Detroit which included teaching at Wayne State University, staff therapist at Northville State and Wayne County General Hospitals in Michigan. She holds a seat on the editorial board of the Occupational Therapy in Mental Health Journal.

Dr. Llorens has contributed extensively to the published literature in occupational therapy; also in allied health and gerontology. Some of her most enduring work emanated from her Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lecture, “Facilitating Growth and Development: The Promise of Occupational Therapy." This work has been expanded and published in a book by Dr. Lynne La Corte titled, New and Expanded Neuropsychosocial Concepts Complementary to Llorens’ Developmental Theory. Dr. Llorens’ work on occupational adaptation significantly influenced the development of the occupational therapy doctoral degree program at Texas Woman’s University. The Blagg-Huey Library at Texas Woman’s University is also the archival depository for her professional papers and personal artifacts.

Dr. Llorens’ service to the profession includes numerous professional presentations and consultations as faculty, workshop presenter, visiting/distinguished lecturer, visiting scientist, keynote speaker, discussant, moderator, and facilitator. She served as project director and evaluator on several Rehabilitation, Health and Human Services, and Administration on Aging grants. In addition, she served on eight doctoral and 125 master’s degree committees for students in occupational therapy and allied health fields. In retirement, Dr. Llorens has continued to mentor younger colleagues.

Dr. Llorens has received numerous honors. Occupational therapy awards include: the Award of Merit, the Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lectureship, and the Roster of Fellows of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA); the Certificate of Appreciation, the A. Jean Ayres Award, the AOTF Meritorious Service Award from the American Occupational Therapy Foundation and the AOTF Lela Llorens Fellowship Endowment; The California Foundation of Occupational Therapy Lectureship and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Occupational Therapy Association of California; the Wilma West Lectureship from the University of Southern California, Department of Occupational Therapy; the Fanny B. Vanderkooi Lectureship from Texas Woman’s University; the Sadie Philcox Lectureship, University of Queensland, Department of Occupational Therapy, Brisbane, Australia; and the AOTA and AOTF President’s Commendation in honor of Wilma L. West.

The University Of Texas Medical Branch Occupational Therapy Class of 1976 was dedicated as the Lela A. Llorens Class in honor of “Outstanding Contributions to the Profession”. Dr. Llorens was inducted into Pi Theta Epsilon, the Occupational Therapy Honor Fraternity, as an honorary member at Wayne State University and honored by students at the University of Southern California with their chapter insignia as well. She was inducted into Eta Rho Pi Health Professions Honor Society at the University of Florida and into Golden Key National and Phi Kappa Phi Honor Fraternities at San Jose State Universisty. The Florida Occupational Therapy Association (FOTA) and the California Occupational Therapy Associations have awarded Honorary Lifetime Memberships to Dr. Llorens. The FOTA also created a research fund in her name. Community awards include: Tribute to Women In Industry by the YWCA and San Jose Mercury News, San Jose; Woman of Distinction, Soroptomist International, Inc, Santa Clara Chapter, San Jose; Certificate of Merit, Michigan State Senate; Appreciation Award, Black Occupational Therapy Caucus, Detroit, Michigan; and Headliner Award, Women of Wayne Alumni, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan; “Westsiders Icon”, Detroit, Michigan, and election to the Wall of Distinction by the Office of Minority Student Services at Western Michigan University.

Upon graduation from WMU, Dr. Llorens received the Marion R. Spear Award in Occupational Therapy. As an alumna, Dr. Llorens was honored by Western Michigan University with the Distinguished Alumni Award in 1987 and the Western Michigan University Foundation has created the Lela Williams Llorens Scholarship which is awarded through the Department of Occupational Therapy.

Georgia Lee Metcalfe enjoyed working with people. "She actually lived her job," says her mother Vera Metcalfe. "That's one of the reasons she got into occupational therapy."

Georgia Metcalfe was a certified teacher and earned a bachelor's degree in environmental science from Grand Valley State University.  For a time, she traveled to Wisconsin and other states, working with a parks program. Soon, however, she discovered that her greatest pleasure came from working with people.

Following that proclivity, she decided to pursue a degree in occupational therapy through a correspondence course offered by WMU. In 1988, she returned to WMU's Kalamazoo campus and completed her master's degree in OT there.

Georgia Metcalfe began her OT career at Three Rivers Hospital, where she demonstrated her gift for helping transform people's lives from broken to whole. "She helped one young man who was totally incapacitated, and worked with him until he was able to move into his own apartment," her mother recalled. "She would figure out how she could help people by using her skills to reconfigure equipment, which made life easier for her clients."

Georgia Metcalfe passed away in 2007, leaving a legacy of caring and dedication among all of those whose lives she touched, especially her husband, Bob Davidson. She also lives on in the Georgia Lee Metcalfe Endowed Scholarship, established by her mother in 2010 to memorialize her daughter and the spirit of her work.

"We were very close," says Vera Metcalfe, "and I thought a scholarship might be something Georgia would approve of because she liked the work so well." She adds, "I would hope that it would go to someone who was dedicated to the field of OT and needed funds to help them along."

Mary (Kugler) Reineke (1920-2002) graduated from WMU with a bachelors of science in 1949. Before enrolling at WMU, Ms. Reineke served as a member of the WAVES during World War II. She was the director of re-education for the blind for the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard at the US Naval Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, between 1943-46. One of her greatest memories from that time was when Helen Keller came to meet with newly blinded persons Mary was working with.

After graduating, her career continued at the Southwestern Michigan TB Sanitorium and the Kalamazoo State Psychiatric hospital. She was also one of very few privately practicing occupational therapists, of which she said, “I was able to help the children so they could function much better in school. This was a very rewarding thing.”

Ms. Reineke was actively involved in many community organizations, including president of the Kalamazoo Child Guidance Board, the Madhatters (an educational theatre), and active membership in the American Occupational Therapy Association, the American Association of University Women and the Kalamazoo Guiding Principles as well as a long history of service to her church.

She lived her life with this maxim: "I’ve tried to be honest in all my relationships, maintain my integrity, be loyal to my family and friends, show respect for other persons. It has been important to me to always be fair, to be caring, to maintain a sense of humor and to persevere in all situations."

The Department of Occupational Therapy honors this outstanding alumna and is grateful for the gift bestowed by her daughters, Janalee Reineke-Lyth and Martha Reineke, to celebrate their mother’s legacy by  establishing the Mary E. Reineke Occupational Therapy Scholarship.

Don Thomas (1917-1998) retired as a field accountant with the Miller-Davis Company, a post he held for 33 years. He served in the United States Navy during World War II and later received his BBA from Western Michigan University in 1948. Mr. Thomas was a member of the WMU Foundation and he and his wife, Jane, were members of the President’s Club (now President’s Circle). He was also active with the Westwood United Methodist Church in Kalamazoo and a lifetime member of Allegan Masonic Lodge #111 F. & A.M.

Jane E. (Block) Thomas (1917-1991) retired in 1971 after serving for 27 years in WMU’s occupational therapy department. She attended Beloit College for three years before graduating with a BS in occupational therapy from WMU in 1942. She also earned an MA from the University of Michigan (1945). Mrs. Thomas was an active member of the Weaver’s Guild in Kalamazoo and a charter member of Westwood United Methodist Church.

Through a bequest, the Thomases endowed the Don F. Thomas and Jane E. Thomas Scholarship in WMU’s Occupational Therapy Department.