IN MEMORIAM:  Chalmer Edward Means, 84;

SUNY Professor Help Found Sheep Dog Trials

ONEONTA – Chalmer Edward Means, a retired SUNY Oneonta professor and founder of the annual Leatherstocking Sheep Dog Trials in Coopertown, passed away Sept. 11, 2014, at the state Veterans Home in Oxford.  He was 84.

He is survived by his wife, Barbara, four  children, eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

He was born May 13, 1930, on a dairy farm in Shippensburg, Pa. His love of farming, teaching and storytelling extended throughout his life.

While still at SUNY, he expanded his expertise to include shepherding and trialing with border collies. The trials he helped found are still held each August on Beaver Meadow Road, Town of Middlefield.

At SUNY Oneonta, he was a beloved teacher in the Reading Education Department and inspired many in the teaching profession. He founded the annual Catskill Whole Language Conference, which drew speakers and attendees to Oneonta from around the world.

After his retirement, he wrote his memoirs for his family and friends, entitled “As I Recall.”