Obituary of Phyllis L. Mable

WASHINGTON DC Phyllis L. Mable, 78, died on May 9, 2012 in Washington, DC, her residence since 2001. Ms. Mable was born February 13, 1934 in Delhi, NY. She completed her B.S. in Home Economics, Child Development, and Family Relationships at Cornell University in 1956. She went on to earn her M.S. in College Student Personnel Administration from Indiana University in 1959, and attended the Institute for Education Management at Harvard University in 1985. Ms. Mable spent her entire career in education. Her first job was teaching nursery school in Winnetka, Illinois. From there, she worked as a Resident Assistant in graduate school and spent the first twenty years of her career in college residential life, holding various positions at the University of Florida and Virginia Commonwealth University. In 1982, she accepted the position of Vice President of Student Affairs at Longwood University, a position she held until her retirement in 2001. Ms. Mable was not only dedicated to students, but also to the profession of student affairs. She served as President of the American College Personnel Association from 1979-1980 and President of the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) from 1989-2001. Ms. Mable was the first Executive Director of CAS, a position she held from 2001 until her death in 2012. She is the co-editor of three professional books on the educational role of college residence halls. ACPA honored Ms. Mable with the Annuit Coeptis Award (1981), as a Senior Scholar Diplomate (1987), the Esther Lloyd-Jones Professional Service Award (1983), and in 2003 she was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award. Ms. Mable was recognized as an ACPA Foundation Diamond Honoree Recipient and as a Pillar of the Profession by the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) Foundation. In addition to Ms. Mable's many professional accomplishments, she was a dedicated friend, enjoying nightly dinner dates, visits to the Kennedy Center, Broadway shows, and travels to friends around the globe. She spread her message of "living, loving, learning, and leaving a legacy." Ms. Mable is survived by her cousins: Robert Mable (Nancy) of Delhi, NY; Jean Iker of Chevy Chase, MD; John Schwille (Sharon) of East Lansing, MI; Helen Fiore (Tony) of Harvard, MA, many other close relatives, beloved friends, and countless admiring colleagues. She was "Aunt Phyllis" to many generations of the children of her dear friends. A graveside memorial service will be held in Delhi, NY Saturday, July 21, 2012. In lieu of flowers, friends may send memorial donations to the Phyllis Mable Citizen Leadership Award Fund at Longwood University or the ACPA Phyllis L. Mable New Professionals Institute Fund. Donations for the Phyllis Mable Citizen Leadership Award may be sent to: University Advancement, Longwood University, 201 High St., Farmville, VA 23909. Checks should be made to "Longwood University Foundation." Donations for the ACPA Phyllis L. Mable New Professionals Institute may be sent to: ACPA - College Student Educators International, One DuPont Circle NW, Suite 300?Washington, DC 20036. Check should be made to the "ACPA Mable Institute." Condolences can be left for the family online at www.macarthurfh.com. Local arrangements are by the MacArthur Funeral Home of Delhi.