Charlene Frances Gaspar

Charlene Frances Gaspar (Leopold), 68. Beloved wife, devoted mother, pastor and nurse. Memorial Service will be held on Saturday June 23rd at Wayne United Methodist Church. 10 am with luncheon to follow. Charlene Frances Gaspar passed away peacefully at home on June 17, 2012 after a recent illness. Daughter of the late Charles Francis and Dora Virginia Leopold, she grew up in Cheltenham Village in the northeast suburbs of Philadelphia. She lived in St. Davids, PA for the last 40 years of her life. The Reverend Charlene Gaspar was a retired Elder with the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church. She faithfully served as the Pastor of Gladwyne United Methodist Church from 2001-2005. She also served as the Pastor of the congregations of Narberth United Methodist Church and Radnor United Methodist Church and was the Director of Narberth Adult Day Care. Before entering the Ministry, Reverend Gaspar was a registered nurse with the Family Medicine Unit of Bryn Mawr Hospital and worked in the obstetrics unit at Presbyterian Hospital in Philadelphia. She was also known as the resident camp nurse for several summers at Camp Innabah. Charlene received her Master's degree in Divinity from Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary (Now Palmer Seminary) in 1992 and Bachelor of Science in Health Administration from Eastern University in 1988. She graduated as a registered nurse from the Presbyterian Hospital School of Nursing in 1965 and graduated from Cheltenham High School in Cheltenham PA in 1962. Charlene was well-known and much loved in her community and around the world. Her passions were international travel, hosting students from around the world in her home, collecting postcards and the Church. Her travels took her to the Middle East, Europe, Asia, North and South America. To this day there are hundreds of people from around the globe who refer to her as "Mom". She never tired of speaking fondly of her global family which spans the seven continents. Charlene was an avid postcard collector from childhood. Several years ago, she discovered eBay and immediately registered herself as "Postcard Pastor". All of Charlene's eBay income from her postcard auctions was fittingly donated to the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), a global organization dedicated to eradicating poverty and suffering around the world. This organization combined her love of the world and people with her love for the Christian Church. In her retirement, Charlene was an active member of Wayne United Methodist Church and helped coordinate their communication through the social media networks. Charlene was a beloved wife, mother of three and "adopted" mother to countless exchange students from around the world and many others who had the good fortune to cross paths with her. Charlene is survived by her husband of 47 years, Ruben C. Gaspar, her three children: Ruben (Ben) Gaspar, Jr., Rebecca Gaspar, Jennifer Gaspar and four grandchildren. She is also survived by her sister Carol Wagner. She was preceded in death by her sister, Barbara Rockenbach Donations in lieu of flowers to UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief), P.O. Box 9068, New York, NY, 10087 or donate online at www.umcor.org.