Beta Eta alumna Valerie Mecutchen passed away April 24, 2010. She initiated Alpha Chi Omega in 1935 at Florida State College for Women, just six years after Beta Eta chapter was installed on campus.
Valerie lived a full, rich life and in many ways was a woman ahead of her time. She will be greatly missed by Alpha Chi Omega alumnae all over the country but especially by those in Alpha Epsilon Alpha alumnae chapter in Washington, D.C. and Gamma Phi Gamma in Tampa, FL. Condolences can be shared on the Blount & Curry website: http://www.blountcurrymacdill.com/obituaries/tribute.html?url=http://stei-23784.tributes.com/show/Valerie-Mecutchen-88459033
MECUTCHEN, Valerie Kathryn Stubbs, 94, of Tampa, died April 24, 2010. She was born June 17, 1915, to Rose Dombrowsky Stubbs and William Oscar Stubbs in their Hyde Park neighborhood home. Mrs. Mecutchen attended Gorrie Elementary and Wilson Junior High, and graduated as valedictorian from Plant High School in 1923. She continued her studies at the University of Tampa, then transferred to the Florida State College for Women, where she received a bachelor’ s degree. She began her career teaching school in Williston, Fla., before teaching five years in Tampa at Memorial and Wilson Junior High Schools. During World War II, she worked in the Office of Censorship in Miami before transferring to the office in Washington, D.C., in 1943. Mrs. Mecutchen retired in 1970, after working for Military Intelligence, Department of the Army, The Industrial College of Armed Forces, the office of Chief of Military History, Department of the Army and earning a master’ s degree from American University.
Mrs. Mecutchen returned to Tampa in 2003 to reside at Canterbury Tower, after living 60 years in Washington, D.C., and Silver Spring, Md. She was a 75-year member of Alpha Chi Omega Sorority, The Women’ s Club of Chevy Chase, Md., Woodside United Methodist Church in Silver Spring, and Hyde Park Methodist Church in Tampa. Her hobbies were oil painting, travel and playing bridge. She was predeceased by her husband, Edward Taylor Mecutchen, who was a budget analyst with NASA and its predecessors; her sister, Daisy Stubbs Mickler Dickerson of Tampa; her brother, William O. Stubbs Jr. of Dade City; and her nephew, Brian Ellis Mickler of San Antonio, Texas. She is survived by her sister, Smithy Raeburn Stubbs Ingley of Vidalia, Ga.; her nieces and nephews, Martha Tillman Stubbs Vasquez (Ernesto), Martha Jan Mickler (Peter Temko), Karen Alison Mickler (Bruce DeGroot), Lindsay Rae Mickler (John Elbare), Dennis Ingley (Therisa), Paul Ingley (Susan) and Alan Ingley; and 17 great-nieces and nephews. A graveside service will take place at 2 p.m. May 7 at Myrtle Hill Memorial Park in Tampa. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions go to the University of South Florida Suncoast Alzheimer’ s & Gerontology Center, 4001 E. Fletcher Ave., Tampa, FL 33613 or to the Alphi Chi Omega Foundation,www.alphichiomega.org
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While at Headquarters, Vicky and I discussed what to do with these discoveries. From our conversations, I was inspired to create a Founders Room in the chapter house. Vicky shared pictures from other chapters who had created such a space in their home and I began to visualize how the Alpha Chi house at Butler could has its own “historic” space also.
After tapping into the talents of a local alumna who was an interior decorator and soliciting additional items from the alumnae using the chapter newsletter, the project began to take shape. Getting chapter “buy-in” was critical because the house corporation was converting the “Bum Room” into a more formal area. The buy-in was easy as the chapter members began learning about their heritage. One of our local alumnae, Katie Mathis donated a glass block from our original chapter house. She came to the house during a Founders Day event and presented it to the chapter with many stories to share. My husband’s boss (the son of one of our national past presidents, Rose Mary Hittle) donated everything and anything he had from his mother which included her initiation certificate, diploma, a watch, many pictures, and other articles. The chapter members were thrilled to be able to have these cherished items in their home.The house corporation and the chapter have found incorporating the past into the chapter facility can be beneficial in several ways! The collegians benefit from seeing the longevity of the chapter’s home and the wonderful items reflecting the history of the chapter and its members. The alumnae gain a real connection to the facility and the knowledge and recognition the chapter values all its members. And, hopefully, the connection will grow causing collegians and alumnae to monetarily support other future housing projects!
FSU Alpha Chi Omega 