Byron Shenk | Leaving a Legacy | Summer 2018 George Fox Journal

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fter working continuously for 67 years 鈥� including the last 28 as an assistant athletic trainer and health and human performance professor at George Fox 鈥� Byron Shenk believes he鈥檚 finally ready to settle down. 鈥淎s I鈥檒l be 80 on my next birthday, I think I鈥檝e earned a break from daily work,鈥� he says. 鈥淏ut I鈥檇 like to get involved in service in my community, perhaps start a Bible study, and travel to visit children and grandchildren.鈥�

Shenk may be leaving George Fox, but his imprint remains on countless students who took his classes or were served by his caring hand as an athletic trainer. He was also head coach of the women鈥檚 soccer team from 1991 to 2002 and was inducted into the university鈥檚 Sports Hall of Fame for his success with that program. It was during his tenure as a coach that Shenk experienced one of his most memorable George Fox moments. 鈥淚 shared the gospel with an opposing coach who was dying of cancer, praying with him briefly before the game. He died 10 days later, and at his memorial service his wife and one of his assistant coaches told me he had accepted Christ. To God be the glory.鈥�

Shenk will also remember the divine encounters he had with students. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 tell you how many times I felt led to pray, or to say something in class, and had no expectation of anything significant happening 鈥� only to have someone come up later and say, 鈥楾hat was just for me鈥� or 鈥業 needed that,鈥� often with tears in their eyes.鈥�

Shenk says he鈥檒l miss teaching his favorite subjects 鈥� kinesiology, principles of conditioning, and gymnastics and tumbling 鈥� and the 鈥渓ove, support, respect and friendship鈥� he received from students. Reflecting on his colleagues, he chuckles. 鈥淭here were always others who were more gifted as professors, brighter, smarter, wittier and better looking. But they always accepted me and made me feel that I was a person of value and worth.鈥�