Dr. Mark J. M. Myers, former faculty member, dies

Dr. Mark J. M. Myers, ‘80, who taught in the Department of Government and Public Affairs from 2013 to 2019, died on August 30 at home in Jessup, Maryland. He was 68 years old.

The cause of death was Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease.

Mark Joseph Matthew Myers was born on December 12, 1954 in Schenectady, New York to Lucille L. Frescatore Myers and the late Burton J. Myers. He became deaf at the age of 11 months from spinal meningitis. Mark attended St. Mary’s School for the Deaf in Buffalo, New York, graduating in 1974. He earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology at Gallaudet in 1980, a master’s degree in deafness rehabilitation from New York University in 1982, and a doctorate in adult learning from the University of Connecticut in 2009.

At St. Mary’s, Mark played basketball and was on the cross country and track teams. At Gallaudet, he played basketball and was on the track and field team. He appeared in the Deaflympics twice, in 1977 and 1981, finishing fourth in the shot put in 1981. He coached track and field at Gallaudet in the spring of 2013.

Dr. Myers’ early professional career led him to Winston-Salem and Charlotte, North Carolina; Denver, Colorado; and Schenectady, Cohoes, Rochester, and Albany, New York. At Northwestern Connecticut Community College in Winsted, Connecticut, he served as Director of the National Interpreter Education Project; Site Director for the Northeast Technical Assistance Center; and Director of the Collegiate Education for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Persons Department. 

From 2008 to 2012, Dr. Myers served as Provost at what is now Southwest College for the Deaf in Big Spring, Texas. During a brief tenure as the school’s Development Officer, he raised over one quarter-million dollars to expand on-campus housing. 

In 2013, an opportunity arose for Dr. Myers to return to Gallaudet University as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Government and Public Affairs. Mark relished the direct interaction with his students in the classroom, and his impact was eloquently summarized by a former student’s heartfelt Facebook post: “dedicated,” “amazing,” “inspirational.”

Dr. Myers’ scholarly pursuits led to the research and authorship of numerous articles, manuscripts, and presentations, primarily focused on individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing. He founded Learning Transfer Associates, a private consulting firm dedicated to advancing best practices for measuring and enhancing training outcomes in the workplace.

In 2019, after an unexpected workforce reduction, he wrote a book, Overcoming the Grief of Involuntary Job Loss: Road to Recovery Finding Purpose and Happiness.

Dr. Myers was an avid sports fan and fitness enthusiast, even as his health worsened. He loved travel, adventure, home improvement, woodworking, and Italian cuisine, especially his mother’s. He also had a penchant for sampling new wines, IPAs, and indulging in ice cream and cookies. 

He took great pride and pleasure in the homes he designed and had built in Canton, Connecticut; Big Spring, Texas; Jessup, Maryland; and Palm Coast, Florida.

Dr. Myers is survived by his wife of 25 years, Alyssa Beth Chandler Myers of Jessup, Maryland; son Zachary J. Myers (Victoria Jimenez) of Los Angeles, California; and mother Lucy of New Smyrna Beach, Florida. He also leaves brothers Jeffory J. (Kerry), Latham, New York; Christopher J. (Marca), Niskayuna, New York; Timothy J. (Christina), Schuylerville, New York; Brian J. Seypura (Leilanie), Manchester, Connecticut; sister Lisa M. Seypura (Bill Carr), Altamonte, New York; father-in-law Ernest A. Chandler, Marshfield, Massachusetts; sisters-in-law Bonnie (Ward) Myers, Ormond Beach, Florida; Robin Roberts (Bill Staples), Pensacola, Florida; Bonnie Chandler Conant (Lewis), Marshfield, Massachusetts; brothers-in-law Christian J. Chandler (Cara), Ashfield, Massachusetts, Drew W. Chandler (Corrine), Marshfield, Massachusetts; T. Blakely Winston III (Janet), Box Springs, Georgia; Peter J. Brown, Cromwell, Connecticut; and numerous aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. Mark was predeceased by his father Burton J. Myers; brother Bradley J. Myers; and mother-in-law Alice (Crawford) Chandler.

A celebration of Mark’s life and legacy will be held on October 7 at 1 p.m. at the Jessup Community Hall, 2920 Jessup Road, Jessup, Maryland, followed by visitation until 4 p.m. A funeral mass and inurnment in the family mausoleum in Albany, New York will be private.