NEVIN G. FAHS 

“Sometimes you fall in love with an instrument as you’re building it,” Nevin Fahs wrote in a 2012 blog post. “In fact, I usually do, which can make it difficult to be objective when it’s all done. So I’ll leave others to judge it.”

After a career in construction and restoration – including renovation of the Woodbury train station in 1996 and historic projects in the Philadelphia area – Nevin used woodworking and craft skills honed over decades to create mandolins and mandocellos, the former’s much larger cousin.

His son Travis estimated that once he taught himself how, his father took a couple of months to make each one.

“It didn’t matter,” Travis noted. “It was the process he liked … He was always like that, building on his knowledge by taking on new projects. It took some trial and error finding what really worked.”

One new project came at just 17 years old, when Nevin made a dulcimer that so intrigued his father, an engineer, he made one, too. Nevin’s mandolin enterprise would go on to impress friends and musicians alike, including songwriter and producer RY Cooder. 

Most of the instruments Nevin sold were identified with his signature, Redhead, a reference to the hand-carved, scroll top redwood head stocks he used.  

“He wasn’t cranking them out and making a ton of money,” Travis recalled of Nevin, who also made music with the instruments he built. “He sold some, but he was a craftsman. He put a lot of effort into it.”

Nevin, the father of three, was a guy who always needed some kind of project to work on, even simple ones like gardening or making his own ketchup and hot sauce.

“He had no ability to be idle,” Travis added. “If he liked something, he would build it.” 

While Nevin dropped out of Temple University, a curious intellect helped him acquire an education in life. 

“He knew a lot about the world,” Travis observed. “And he was a guy who was always learning.”

Nevin’s other passionate hobby was surf fishing, which once came up when he solicited work in a cheeky blog post.

“I encourage would-be employers … or those with a large fast fishing boat, to please get in touch,” he wrote.

That kind of humor wasn’t unusual for Nevin – who eventually made his own boat. 

Nevin wrote songs, but kept them mostly private, his son said. And when it came to the instruments he built, Nevin was careful about letting them go public.  

“They’re done after I’ve played them for a month or so and am satisfied that I won’t regret sending one out into the world with my name on it,” he wrote in his blog. “No two of mine will ever be identical, which rules out mass production. 

“But the karma is included free of charge.” 

Nevin was 74.

Source: Legacy.com 

EILEEN M. EGAN

The impression that Eileen M. Egan made on her math students over decades of teaching lasted long after she retired to Florida.

In an education career that first took her to Pennsauken schools – where she taught at all grade levels – Eileen became a mathematics administrator who advocated for the subject in the state and had a leading role with the Association of Mathematics Teachers of New Jersey, according to her obituary.

She cared deeply for her students – and others.

“Eileen was generous of her time, of her encouragement and of her empathy,” the obituary adds.

She was also a woman of deep faith.

“I admired Eileen’s deep devotion to God and the Catholic Church,” wrote Bob Saunder in an online tribute. “She helped me to rekindle my own desire to deepen my faith and love for our beautiful religion.”

Eileen aspired to be an astronaut as a kid, and while she didn’t get into space, she did get a “star” turn on “American Bandstand” in Philadelphia, an accomplishment sought by many teens her age in the 1950s. She also escorted Elton John to a stage at then-Glassboro State College when she was an undergrad and he was virtually unknown, her obituary notes.

It also says this: “When Eileen took something on, she took it on fully.”

She was 75. 

Sources: Falco, Caruso, and Leonard Funeral Home, Legacy.com

Inside the obits
Honor roles

While we’re on the subject of teachers, here are others who once graced area classrooms and made their mark on students.

Dorothy Womble Wyatt is described as a visionary educator in her obituary. A churchgoer in Collingswood, the woman known as Dot had a career in the Camden schools. She was “the community principal” who served in several capacities of leadership, including principal at what was then the Riletta Twyne Cream Family School. Dorothy, the obituary adds, “was a sweet and caring person who looked out for everyone.” She was 84. 

It’s likely that Wayne Walter Johnson brought his hobby as a Civil War reenactor into the classroom in Winslow Township, where he taught elementary school after graduating from then-Glassboro State College and attaining a master’s, according to his obituary. He taught Sunday school at his Methodist church – where he was also the historian – excelled at woodwork and visited most U.S. states, seeking out high points for hiking. He was 84. 

Emily Taylor Prather impacted not only the children she cared for at Tutor Time daycare in Washington Township and other locations, but their families, too. A Triton High grad, Emily “truly loved her work, especially with children,” her obit notes. “She had a special gift for making every child feel loved, safe, and understood … Every child she met became a part of her extended family.” Emily was 29.

Martha Scull majored in elementary education and music at then-Trenton State. She first taught at Marlton’s Beeler School, according to her obituary, and later Wiley Christian School, where she impressed Kim and Ed Beaver, parents of one of her students. “She understood the heart of children,” they wrote in an online tribute. Outside of school, Martha raised Shetland ponies and frequented South Jersey landmarks like Clementon Lake Park, Cow Tail Bar and the Hawaiian Cottage. She was 77.

The Good Life appears twice a month. To suggest someone who recently passed away for a tribute, email Christina Mitchell at cmitchell@donnelly.media. Please describe in a few words something about the person’s life.

Sources: Legacy.com, Echovita.com, May Funeral Homes, Gardner Funeral Home-Runnemede, Farnelli Funeral Home, Bradley and Stow Funeral Home.