Dr. Bernard Shaw Proctor

Dr. Bernard Shaw Proctor of West Chester Original Tuskegee Airman Dr. Bernard Shaw Proctor passed away peacefully on Sept. 30, 2013. He was the loving husband of the late Phyllis E. Proctor. Dr. Proctor was born on Feb. 8, 1921 to loving parents George R. Proctor and Sylvia (Grobes) Proctor in Oakeola (Darby Township, Pa.) and attended primary and secondary school in the Darby School System. Dr. Proctor is of West Indian and African-American Ancestry. After the death of his mother at age 8 and the sudden death of his father during his freshman year, the late Isaac Sappe and Dr. Lenora Carrington Lane filled the void. He was deeply devoted to them both until their passing. While completing his degree at Wilberforce University, he was the quarterback of the feared "Green Wave" and led the Bulldogs to participate in two Black National Football Championships in 1940-42. He was inducted into Omega Psi Phi Fraternity in 1938. While at Wilberforce, he was a member of the ROTC. Following his graduation from Wilberforce, he coached football and basketball. Shortly after accepting the head coaching duties at Campbell College in Mississippi he was selected to go to Tuskegee Institute in Alabama and became an officer in the Original 99th Fighter Squadron, Tuskegee Airmen. He fought n the Theaters of North Africa, Italy and France during WWII. Upon his discharge from the military, he married in Denver, Colo. He then enrolled in the Ohio State University and earned his Master's degree in industrial arts education and his Doctoral degree in philosophy. Dr. Proctor taught Industrial Arts at Hampton Institute (University), Florida A&M and served as Dean of Industrial Arts and Technology at Central State University in Ohio before coming to Cheyney University in Pennsylvania where he held the position of vice-president of Academic Affairs at Cheyney University for over 12 years. From 1957-1964 he spent summers teaching in the College of Education at Florida A&M. Following his retirement as Professor Emeritus at Cheyney University in 1991, he was actively involved with the Philadelphia Chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen. In 2007, he along with the remaining Tuskegee Airmen was a recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor for their extraordinary service in WWII that helped to break the back of segregation in the United States. He is survived by one son, Karl; two granddaughters; one sister, Alda Mathis; and a host of other family and friends. Service will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, Oct. 7th, at Church of the Holy Trinity, 212 S. High St., West Chester. Visitation with the family begins at 10:30 a.m. DeBaptiste Funeral Homes, Inc. of West Chester and Bryn Mawr. Visit www.DeBaptiste.com; 610-696-4812.