In Memoriam

Dr. Peggy Redshaw passed away on July 19, 2025. Peggy served as a Professor of Biology at Austin College from 1979 until her retirement in 2014, at which time she was named Professor Emerita of Biology. Known for her interdisciplinary work bridging biology, folklore, and regional history, she received numerous awards for her teaching, writing, and community involvement during 35 years on the faculty at Austin College.

Dr. John Elmer White III, longtime member of the Austin College community and Emeritus Professor of Education, passed away peacefully on July 4, 2025. John’s life was dedicated to educating and mentoring others, and his legacy of care and encouragement has left a lasting impact on students, colleagues, and friends.

Rev. Dr. Henry Bucher Jr. died September 18, 2025. He joined Austin College in 1985, serving as Chaplain and Associate Professor of Humanities until his retirement in 2004.

Henry was born in 1936 to Presbyterian missionary parents in South China. A few years later, his family evacuated to the Philippines to escape the escalation of World War II, but were interned there along with all other Allied citizens for nine months until their rescue by U.S. and Filipino forces. The family repatriated to the United States for a short time before returning to the island province of Hainan, China, where his father assisted with post-war relief efforts and his mother worked as a schoolteacher. In 1948, they returned to the U.S., where Henry finished school.

He went on to study at Davidson College, the American University of Beirut, University College of Ghana, and the Sorbonne in France. He earned a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary and an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Formal institutions were just a fraction of Henry’s education, however—he worked, studied, and hitchhiked across Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, and beyond.

Henry’s impactful childhood experiences molded him into an empathetic individual with a unique perspective. He spent years in West Africa, especially Gabon, where he directed Operation Crossroads Africa. He was active in the efforts to register Black voters in the Deep South during the Civil Rights Movement and other social justice causes. When he joined Austin College, he led life-changing JanTerm excursions around the world to places like Jordan, Egypt, Syria, Senegal, Mali, Timbuktu, Cuba, Haiti, and El Salvador, inspiring generations of students to truly view themselves as global citizens—much like himself.

Henry was the recipient of several awards during his tenure at Austin College, including the Faculty Community Service Award and the Excellence in Teaching Award. He was named Chaplain Emeritus and Associate Professor Emeritus of Humanities upon his retirement.