Kent Bruce Mecum

Kent Bruce Mecum, 87, of Greencastle, died Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2017 at St. Vincent Hospice in Indianapolis after a rapid decline in health.

He was born in Chicago, Ill., on June 22, 1930. His wife Maria de los Angeles Orozco-Galvez preceded him in death.

Kent was the third child born to Ernest James Mecum and Sarah Catharine Crayton of Indianapolis, who were married June 19, 1922 in Chapel Hill, N.C. His brother Craig Mecum preceded him in death. His sister, Ernestine Wittig of Bellingham, Wash., survives him.

Kent married Maria de los Angeles of Mexico on Dec. 10, 1955 in the Canal Zone of Panama. Kent and Maria had four children: George who died at birth, Linda (Sam) Manci of Tampa, Robert (Jessica) Mecum of Los Angeles and Fred (Julie) Mecum of Indianapolis. They have six grandchildren; Aaron Creamer of Riverview Fla., Angela Porter of Riverside, Calif., Lillian Mecum of Denver, Colo., Andrew Mecum of Atlanta, Ga., Ella Rose Mecum and Arielle Mecum of Indianapolis, and one great-grandchild Summer Creamer.

His highest callings in life were to be a good husband, a good father and a good teacher. He enjoyed traveling and camping with his family. He chose toys and activities for his children that developed their initiative and creativity. Kent and Maria shared both Mexican and American cultures with their children.

Near the end of his life he stayed active reading, but found the greatest satisfaction in spending time with his grandchildren.

During the Great Depression, from the age of six, he sold newspapers before dawn. He learned to sell papers while avoiding the dangers of being on the street alone. He slept on a back porch enclosed with just a screen so his family could rent his bedroom out to boarders. He kept warm with layers of newspapers and put pieces of cardboard in hand-me-down shoes to cover up the holes in the soles.

He traveled to New York by himself at the age of 10 after winning a trip from selling magazines. He worked his way through college selling shoes. He was hard-working and resourceful.

He was an Eagle Scout, a Sea Scout, a member of the Order of Hi-Bark in Firecrafters, and later Scout Leader of Troop 43 at Gobin Memorial UMC in Greencastle.

He graduated from Shortridge High School in Indianapolis in 1948 and Butler University in 1952 where he was a member of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity.

He served in Army counterintelligence. While stationed in the Canal Zone he met and married his wife, Maria, who was a nurse in Panama.

He worked for Indiana Bell as a traffic engineer before returning to school at Indiana University, where he received his master and doctoral degrees and was a Fulbright fellow.

In 1968, Kent and Maria settled in Greencastle. At DePauw University, Kent was a professor of romance languages and Maria taught medical Spanish. It was his passion to increase intercultural understanding and a love of Spanish. For over 20 years, he led DePauw students on a winter term Spanish language immersion program in Mexico where students lived with families who had a matched peer family member. John F. Kennedy University in Argentina honored him with a medal for fostering student exchanges.

His book "Vicente Rocafuerte, el procer andante," a Spanish version of his doctoral dissertation "The Practical Idealism of Vicente Rocafuerte," was the official gift of the United States to Latin America during the Bicentennial.

As president of the Midwest Association of Latin American Studies (MALAS), he greatly expanded membership and involvement. He retired in 1992 to care for his wife, Maria. When Maria was hospitalized for weeks at a time, he spent many hours by her side holding her hand.

Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 19 in the Gothic Chapel at Crown Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis. Interment will follow. The family will receive friends from 2 p.m. until time of service at the funeral on Sunday.

In lieu of flowers, please make a contribution to your favorite charity.

Memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared with the family at Crown Hill website, http://www.crownhill.org.