John McDowell Caughey

Obituary for John M. Caughey John McDowell Caughey, beloved husband of the late Mary (Polly) Caughey (nee Pennell), devoted father, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle and brother, died October 1, 2014 after succumbing to a head injury from a fall at his home at Medford Leas. He was 91 years of age. As the son of a Presbyterian minister, John developed strong values early which enabled him to live a life of love and service, giving of himself in diverse ways to many people. John graduated Allegheny College, then went on to receive a master’s degree from the University of Illinois. During World War II, John served in the Quartermaster Corp with the US Navy. Following his military discharge, John took a teaching job in Egypt, where he met the love of his life, Mary “Polly” Pennell, a birthright Quaker, who was a teacher at a girls school in Cairo. John and Polly were married at Middletown Meeting in 1950. During this period, John joined the Society of Friends. Over the years, he served as Clerk for Moorestown Monthly Meeting where he also assisted on several committees. In addition, he was active in Haddonfield Quarterly Meeting. He was involved with Philadelphia Yearly Meeting and in the operation of the Burlington Meetinghouse as well. He remained an ardent and effective Quaker the rest of his days. John taught at Olney Friends School in Barnesville, Ohio and Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio. In the 1950s, he and Polly moved to Kenya where John taught at Kamusinga Secondary School near Kimilili. In 1963, the family moved to Moorestown, NJ. Both John and Polly taught at Moorestown Friends School. In 1986, at the time he retired, John was Chair of the Science Department. It has been noted that John and Polly were considered “treasured exemplars of Friends values.” In 2005, John was the recipient of the Moorestown Friends School Alumni Association’s Service Award. John is survived by his children, John P Caughey, Patricia J Caughey, Margaret C. Hawkins and Robert A Caughey; five grandchildren, two great grandchildren, as well as his sister, Joan Brewer. (His sister, Elizabeth Rose predeceased him.) John is also survived by the many, many people whose lives he enriched through his gentle presence, his quiet strength, his caring and his love. A memorial service will be held at 2 PM, Saturday, October 11th, at the Moorestown Friends Meetinghouse, Main Street, Moorestown, New Jersey. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Moorestown Monthly Meeting would be greatly appreciated.