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Sunday, June 3, 2018 Miles for Matheny #celebratechuck Save the Date! Registration Opens Soon Helping Children Reach Their Full Potential Since 1978 173 Madisonville Road Basking Ridge, NJ 07920 908-221-0797 Somersethillsmontessori.org Ages 14 months through 6 years THE PALMER SCHOOL of the United Methodist Church of Bernardsville Infant and Toddler Care • Pre-School Kindergarten • Nursery School A “Security Blanket” For Parents 22 Church Street, Bernardsville, New Jersey 07924 • 908-766-3353 www.thepalmerschool.com Director: Peggy Katzenberger Charles H. Matheny, age 76, died on December 14, 2017. A native of Min- nesota, he lived most of his life in his home on the campus of the Matheny Medical and Educational Center in Peapack, NJ. “Chuck,” was born in 1941 with cere- bral palsy and became the inspiration and the motivating force behind the founding of the Matheny School in 1946. It eventually developed into a highly sophisticated and renowned organization that currently educates and provides a wide spectrum of serv- ices for children and adults with medically complex developmental disabilities. Chuck was the older child of Mar- guerite and Walter Matheny, educators who moved around the country due to Walter’s position as an Air Force Civil- ian Consultant. They were also in search of the kind of therapeutic and educational programs that would sup- port the development of their son. They settled in New Jersey and soon after, Walter and Marguerite estab- lished their own school – for Chuck and for all children with cerebral palsy. From its start as the Burnt Mills School for Paralysis Correction with just three students and a $3,000 budg- et provided through a GI loan, the school was moved in 1949 into larger quarters in Far Hills. The need was huge, and families came from across the country and the world to access its services. In 1954, the school moved to its current location, where it has flour- ished. The Center is currently com- prised of a hospital; a school for stu- dents ages 3 to 21, providing academ- ics as well as training in functional life skills; specialized clinics; a notable fine arts program; adult day services, and five adult group homes. Not only was Chuck well educated there, and supported to reach his full potential, but he helped to create the "personality" of this compassionate community that has served so many so well. He grew up to be a warm, posi- tive person, a "storyteller," a man with a wonderful sense of humor, someone who greatly valued friendship, and a person who loved life. He became "the face" of Matheny, but beyond that he became the model of possibility for all those growing up, or newly afflicted, with limitations. He graduated from high school, learned to drive, mowed the lawns of Matheny's main campus, and actively participated in all of Matheny's events and fundraisers. Chuck will be remembered as the cat- alyst for the founding of Matheny, and as a beacon of achievement. His "story" and that of the Center that bears his name are positively and per- manently entwined in New Jersey's educational landscape and history. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in Chuck’s memo- ry to Matheny Medical and Education- al Center. About Matheny: Matheny’s mission is to provide exceptional care and an optimal quality of life for children and adults with special needs and medical- ly complex developmental disabilities. Matheny is a not-for-profit organiza- tion and its patients have a diverse range of medical conditions such as Cerebral Palsy, Spina Bifida, Lesch- Nyhan Disease (LND) and a wide range of rare diseases including Rett syndrome, Angelman syndrome, Wolf- Hirshorn syndrome and 4Q Deletion syndrome. To learn more, visit us at http://www.matheny.org o r follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram: @mathenymedical. CHARLES “CHUCK” MATHENY, MODEL OF POSSIBILITY Chuck Matheny on his Tractor Chuck as a Young Child Little Chuck Mr. Matheny’s 76th Birthday Walter & Marguerite Matheny Mr. Matheny Summer 2017 Mr. Matheny at FC17PAGE 20
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