Volunteer Spotlight - Appalachian Trail Conservancy

Steve Abell

hmdev — Sun, 19 Oct 2025 17:21:20 +0000

Stephen W. Abell, age 91, passed away at his home on Feb 18, 2010, after a long battle with Parkinson’s. Steve was a long time volunteer with the Massachusetts Appalachian Trail Management Committee. Steve started volunteering on the A.T. with the Mt Greylock Ski Club in the 1950’s. He served as a trail maintainer, shelter builder, and performed as a leader of shelter maintenance, trail maintenance, mowing coordinator as well as serving on the A.T. Committee for many, many years. Steve always loved the outdoors and reveled in the challenges of building bog bridges, privies, and shelters along the A.T. in the Berkshires.
Steve received his 50 year service award in 2003. He was a very modest volunteer, and avoided blowing his own horn or seeking the spotlight. Once, when honored for his volunteer work, he protested, saying such honors “embarrassed” him. Steve also was a committed blood donor to the American Red Cross, and loved to travel with his wife both in the US and abroad.

If you have a memory of Steve you would like to share, you may add your comments below. Please include your name with your comments.

Comments:
Anonymous @ 2/28/2010 12:38:23 PM

Steve was perhaps the epitome of the AT volunteer. Knowing Steve from our days together as GE draftsman, over 60 years ago, he kept up his efforts it seems forever. He was not only a trail person, but other wise also a most fervent outdoorsman. He had many stories to tell, and he could keep us entertained whenever we were out on a work party. He will be missed. Losing two people like Steve and Kay Wood, both in their 90’s, within a few days of each other, is a very sad time for all AT volunteers.

Simeon Wood, AMC and ATC member
Anonymous @ 3/11/2010 6:11:49 AM

I worked with Steve moving a privy at the Mark Nopel Shelter. After several members made comments on naming the shelter after Steve the stories started. Steve says he wanted to have the trail on the Taconic range which would of made Massachusetts a long stretch of going though no towns. He ended up leaving the working party via the “road” that brought parts of the shelter to where it sits today. He bushwacked his way to his car at the Jones Nose parking lot. Myself and fellow ridge runner Ryan wanted to have the same vigor that he displayed and couldn’t stop talking about him that summer.

Scott Mc Ginnis

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John Fletcher

hmdev — Sun, 19 Oct 2025 17:21:20 +0000

ohn Fletcher, a former ATC employee who continued to volunteer after he left ATC in 2010, passed away unexpectedly this past weekend. He was just 38.
John began his career with ATC as an information center volunteer in 2002. In 2003, he was hired as ATC’s information assistant, and served very capably in that role for seven years. He became quite knowledgeable about the A.T. and went to great lengths to research answers to inquiries received from the general public. As one hiker who visited ATC frequently noted on her TrailJournals site, “John knows everything.” He was also very handy, envisioning and realizing the renovations downstairs that now serve as our “hiker lounge” off the back of the visitor center space.

In 2005, John took a leave of absence so that he could help GPS the A.T. in Maine and New Hampshire. Throughout his tenure at ATC, he served as an A.T. volunteer with the local club here, PATC. He was an overseer of an A.T. Shelter in Maryland and maintained a section of the A.T. just south of Harpers Ferry. He continued to give back to the Trail right up until his final days. One of John’s more unique contributions was the conversion into digital media of old historic video footage of Myron Avery and his PATC work trips retrieved from the ATC archives. Most recently, he filmed speakers and the parade during the 75th Anniversary festival in Harpers Ferry.
John had a lifelong love of the A.T. that started with day hiking trips as a youngster. His first backpacking trip on the A.T. was with his father when he was 13. John and his father Bob continued to backpack together, both working on their goal of section-hiking the A.T. John also recruited his father to volunteer on numerous fix-it projects here at the Harpers Ferry building, in some cases, quite literally “keeping the lights on.”

John is a life member of ATC.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, P.O. Box 807, Harpers Ferry, WV 25425.

The post John Fletcher first appeared on Appalachian Trail Conservancy.

Jean Cashin

hmdev — Sun, 19 Oct 2025 17:21:20 +0000

Mrs. M. Jean (Van Gilder) Cashin, 83, of Waynesboro, PA, gently passed away on August 18, surrounded by family at her home on Blue Rock Farm. She was a sincere, kind, and loving person who touched the hearts of many during her lifetime. A celebration of her life was held on August 24. Her obituary can be found here.

Born in Allentown, PA, Jean grew up at the Good Shepherd Home for persons with special needs, where her parents were caretakers and stewards for many years. Jean graduated from Allentown High School in 1948 and attended East Stroudsburg University, majoring in physical education.

In 1972, Jean began a career with the Appalachian Trail Conference (now Conservancy) in Harpers Ferry, WV. During her 24 years as information specialist, she helped shape and personalize ATC’s hiker services, earning a well-deserved Trail-wide reputation as the universal Trail mom. Among her many contributions, Jean started the tradition of taking a photo of each A.T. hiker intending to complete the entire Trail who stopped in at the ATC headquarters. After retirement, she continued to support the Appalachian Trail Conservancy in many capacities.

Jean was a founding member of the Appalachian Trail Long Distance Hikers Association and will be honored at its annual “Gathering” the weekend of October 11–13. She was honored in 2012 by the Appalachian Trail Museum for her lifetime of service to the Appalachian Trail and for befriending generations of hikers.

In addition to her husband, George J. Cashin, of Waynesboro, PA, Jean is survived by four children: William R. Van Gilder and partner Kristy Hansen of Gapland, MD; Diana Lee Keilholtz-Gunder and husband Paul of Waynesboro, PA: Judith Ann Dittmann and husband Wayne of Stafford, VA, and Jill Louise Colaluca and husband John of Frederick, MD, as well as twelve grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.

Contributions in memory of Jean may be made to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, P.O. Box 807, Harpers Ferry, WV 25425.

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