Paul Maxwell Suerken ’60

Paul Maxwell Suerken ’60 of Erie, Pennsylvania, died March 1 following a prolonged illness after suffering a spinal injury in a fall at his home in 2008, from which he had been recovering in an assisted living facility thereafter. A native of Erie, Paul was born March 31, 1938, the son of the late Maxwell and Alice Suerken. Paul was a graduate of McDowell High School and Dartmouth. He then earned a masters from Dartmouth in 1981. For 31 years Paul taught at the Mercersburg Academy, a residential school near his hometown. Paul taught English, was a fixture in the music department and led several musical groups both vocal and instrumental. He also was a cross-country coach. He was in charge of two different dormitories, chaired the English department and was a college counselor. He retired from the faculty in 1996. A lifelong bachelor, Paul considered his students to be his family. Paul was an avid runner and ran 13 marathons, including two Boston marathons. During the school year of 1981-82 Paul taught in England at Cranleigh School in the county of Surrey. Paul loved his job (and there is evidence to show that his students loved him back) and to travel. He is survived by many cousins and his “family” of former students, whose lives he deeply touched and enriched through his tireless good counsel. The Paul Suerken Scholarship fund has been established at Mercersburg Academy to keep his memory alive. See more at www.legacy.com/guestbook/erietimesnews/guestbook.aspx?n=paul-suerken&pid....