Mr. Edward Stofko

Ed Stofko grew up in a small steel town in Southwestern PA called Donora. He was the eldest of four children. His mother was a Methodist and this father a roman catholic. Grandmother Stofko had 13 children. Ed recalls that his early religious background gave him the best insights into both worlds of Protestantism and Catholicism. Since she had so many children, it was difficult for grandmother to keep track of them all. But Uncle George was always the center of the Stofko family. Because he “never met an evangelist that he didn’t like” he was baptized 8 times in the Sewanee River in Florida. Ed delights in telling the story of why he was raised Methodist instead of catholic. His mother often related the story of her first and only venture to the Donora Catholic Church prior to her marriage to his father. Her intent was to “do the right thing” in marrying into a catholic family and convert. But the old doddering priest thought that Ed’s father was George instead of Edward, as was the case, and as his mother often related to him that if a Methodist minister talked to their parishioners like that priest talked to them (mom and dad), “they (Methodists) would simply fire the minister. So, Ed became a Methodist and his father Edward became separated from the Catholic Church. As a Methodist, Ed was active in the church. He was a member of the choir and the Methodist Youth Fellowship holding offices in the fellowship at both the local and regional level. Ed’s father worked in the steel mill and during his early years the workers were always on strike. Although the family was poor, they didn’t suffer. While still in middle school, Ed began to work at a local shoe store as a stock boy. Each day after school he would walk to the store and wash the windows, straighten the stock, and work the weekends 9a.m. to 9p.m... The job continued through high school and on into college, growing in scope from sales to management. At high school graduation, Ed was awarded a four year academic scholarship to Waynesburg College, now Waynesburg University. He planned to become a Methodist Minister. In college, Ed was able to cover additional costs like books, and room and board, by washing dishes in the cafeteria during the day; breakfast, lunch and dinner. In the summer, there were the dorms to clean and paint and general repairs to be done on the campus. His major was history and theatre arts became a minor. Ed was always involved in the drama department. He says he is especially proud of his production and direction of one of the old favorites “I Remember Mama.” He was able to utilize two rotating stages on either side of the proscenium to change scenes. During his senior year he played the lead in Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman.” “In Who’s Who Among Students In Colleges and Universities – 1961,” Ed is noted for holding offices in three Greek organizations and membership in two others. He graduated with a Bachelors degree in History in 1962. Ed continued his academic studies which led to a Masters in Reading from the University of Maryland at College Park in 1975 and an advanced degree certificate at Bowie State. After college graduation, Ed began his teaching career at Southern Jr. Sr. High School in Anne Arundel County, Lothian, Maryland. The starting salary was $3,800. Ed said that he worried about “not having enough background knowledge to teach 6th graders.” He soon got over that fear. In two years, he was assigned as a reading teacher for the school to work with disadvantaged youngsters (i.e. Title I) and to do teacher demonstrations, as well as, purchase appropriate instructional materials for these students. In 1965, the Board of Education promoted Ed to the central office to coordinate the new federal funding source called Title I of The Elementary and Secondary Education Program. This program still exists in the public schools today. By 1970, the program had expanded to 23 elementary and secondary schools, leaving Ed responsible for securing and administering over 9 million dollars annually. While assigned to the Central Office, Ed’s father passed away. Since Ed had converted to Catholicism during college, he felt strongly that his father, who had been deprived of any “catholic ritual” during his married life, should have some benefit at his death. Ed is delighted to tell the story, which brings tears to his eyes, of how he challenged the ridged Catholic Church of Donora and won his case. “After all,” said Ed, “who would know Catholicism better than the new convert.” “And don’t forget he adds, the Catholics at the time after Pope John 23 were so busy pulling the alters away from the walls, turning to the face the congregation, and having to speak English that they could hardly be concerned with one lonely plea for a priest.” And a priest they gave. He spoke all of the formal blessings and all the necessary words of the liturgy, and that was all that was required. With the holy water dispensed dad was “sent on with his favorite cowboy hat in his hands. Ed said, in the end he just couldn’t believe the Stofko Family reaction. They were speechless, never expecting the priest. And his Aunt Nita was heard to later remark that the “priest sure had his nerve and would probably burn in hell.” Ed smiles and says, “some people never change.” In 1976, the Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Edward J. Anderson, assigned Ed to develop an original desegregation proposal for Anne Arundel County. The project, call the Emergency School Assistance Act (ESSA), was ranked number one in the state for the 1979-80 school year and it was the only project recommended for a three-year funding cycle. This project initially started the careers of some of the finest reading and school personnel in the Country Schools. Ed was named the Coordinator of Federal Programs for Anne Arundel Country Public Schools. At the national level he handled the funding and communications for the National Federation of Urban-Suburban School Systems. He organized their major committee conferences and worked closely with the Maryland State Legislature to develop legislation for education. As the flow of federal funding became less competitive and more of an automatic allocation of money was given to the state, Ed decided on a major career focus. In 1978, he requested to be transferred to a school as an Assistant Principal. Old Mill Middle School South became the first of three assignments during the last half of his career. Ed indicates that school administration allows for a greater opportunity to influence student success. Results are quickly evident and failures more apparent. He developed programs for parents, teachers, cafeteria workers and even bus drivers. Ed developed programs that could have an influence on the daily success for students. Working with teachers, parents, cafeteria workers and even bus drivers, insured that as many “teams” of people who came in contact with youngsters during the day and were made sensitive to their needs, could influence the daily success of students. In addition to Old Mill, Ed spent time at Severna Park Middle and Chesapeake Bay Middle. He always relished the opportunity to be a “team member” with the faculty and to see the results of efforts to make students successful. The daily contact with students and the ability to follow their progress through the middle school years gave him the greatest pleasure. In 1994, after 42 years in the field of education, Ed retired. It was Martha Odel who was responsible for Ed’s membership at St. Luke’s. He was visiting her in the hospital and serendipitously met his closest friend of many years who was making a pastoral visit: The Reverend Charles E. Wilkerson, Deacon of St. Luke’s Deacon Charles and Ed often laugh about the incident because like the proverbial Christ on the shore, Charles said, “Ed come to the Church, I have a mission for you.” And what a mission it was. Charles taught Ed all about food pantries and how to stock them with food; Charles became more available to address the spiritual needs of what both of them now referred to as clients. On the first thanksgiving of their “teaming” they distributed 15 bags of food; the rest is now church history. Charles encouraged Ed to use his background to write projects for funds and by the end of 2009 St. Luke’s Pantry had filled over 4,000 bags and had acquired some $18,000 in grant funds. Ed’s prior experience with federal programs meant that he was ideally prepared to develop accounting and tracking procedures to manage the administrative side of this program. While each of the hundreds of clients served today are treated as individuals, their participation in the program is recorded in business like fashion. County registration is required and duplication is not permitted. In addition to serving St. Luke’s a Food Pantry Coordinator, Ed is a Lector and Greeter on a regular basis. Furthermore, he is continuing to study through the Education for Ministry Program (EFM). Hi is in the third year of the program now, learning about the history of Christianity. Ed loves to travel and delights in reading fiction, but most of all, Ed is committed to people.