BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. (ABP) — Gardner-Webb University, a Baptist school in North Carolina, is mourning the loss of two members of its development staff who died within a week.
David Boan, the school's vice president for development, died after a car accident June 23. Bruce Rabon, GWU's assistant vice president for development in religious studies, died June 20 after a long battle with cancer.
Boan was 51 years old. Rabon was 62.
GWU president Frank Bonner said the two deaths are devastating losses for the school community. “We knew that Bruce's death was coming, though he had fought an incredible fight for four years,” Bonner said. “David's death was a total shock, completely unexpected.”
Bonner said Boan had been promoted to vice president for development a few months ago and was doing a fantastic job. “He had tremendous potential, and we had high hopes for where he was going with development,” Bonner said.
Bonner said Rabon continued to work until his death.
“Bruce was my greatest teacher,” Bonner said. “He taught through strength and courage, not by what he said but by example, by who he was and how he lived.”
Bonner said that before the deaths the school was already trying to fill two other director or assistant vice president positions in development. GWU still has development officers on staff, but none on the vice president or assistant vice president level, he said.
Boan, who came to GWU in 2002, was involved in a single-car wreck in Tennessee near Pickett State Park, the Shelby Star reported. His car went into a slide after an over-correction and flipped two to three times, according to the newspaper, which cited a Tennessee Highway Patrol report. Boan was wearing his seat belt and was not speeding, the report said.
Boan was a native of Dillon, S.C. He is survived by his wife, Nancy Digh Boan; three daughters; five sisters; one brother; and two grandchildren.
Rabon was born in Kershaw County, S.C. and has worked at Gardner-Webb since 1993.
-30-