May-Ellen Netten Colon's Obituary
May-Ellen Marian Netten was born in Hartford, Connecticut on June 14, 1949, to Marian Delice Norton Netten and Reginald Wallace Netten. She, her mother, and brother (Victor Netten) attended the Hartford Seventh-day Adventist church. May-Ellen and Victor attended the Hartford Seventh-day Adventist church school for all 8 grades. May-Ellen went on to graduate from Pioneer Valley Academy in New Braintree, Massachusetts (1968) and Atlantic Union College in South Lancaster, Massachusetts (1972). In the fall of 1969, May-Ellen met Gaspar Colón at Atlantic Union College, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education. They spent the summer of 1971 working together as student missionaries in urban ministry in Times Square in Manhattan, New York City. They courted for two years and seven months and married three weeks after graduation on June 4, 1972.
May-Ellen the Educator
May-Ellen began her employment with the Seventh-day Adventist Church shortly after their wedding, Gaspar as Associate Pastor and May-Ellen as 5th and 6th grade teacher at the Jackson Heights Seventh-day Adventist Church & Church School in Woodside, Queens in New York City.
In the fall of 1973 May-Ellen and Gaspar moved to Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan to continue their education. As a master’s degree student, May-Ellen taught GED English courses at Galen High School and tutored learning-disabled children in reading. May-Ellen completed her Master of Arts degree in Elementary Curriculum and Instruction with emphasis in reading in June 1975 and moved with Gaspar to Loma Linda, California for Gaspar to complete conjoint master’s degrees in divinity and Public Health. During their time in California, May-Ellen taught 1st grade at La Sierra Elementary School in Riverside, California.
Since then, May-Ellen taught 5th and 6th grades at the Jackson Heights Seventh-day Adventist School; served as principal & taught grades 1-3—all subjects at the Whispering Pines Elementary School in Old Westbury, NY; taught grades 1-3—all subjects at the Connecticut Valley Adventist School in South Windsor, CT; taught grades 4-5—all subjects at South Bend Junior Academy in South Bend, IN; and served as adjunct professor for Religious Education at Columbia Union
College. Until her death in August, May-Ellen also served as Doctor of Ministry Advisor, Andrews University Theological Seminary.
May-Ellen the Musician
May-Ellen grew up in the Hartford, Connecticut Seventh-day Adventist Church where she received piano lessons from the pastor’s wife. At Pioneer Valley Academy she expanded her musical interests by taking organ lessons. She continued organ lessons in college and became one of the organists for college programs. Throughout her career, May-Ellen served as organist, minister of music, and choir director in Adventist, Methodist, Congregational, and Lutheran Churches. She also founded the Noteworthy Music School in Abidjan, Côte D’Ivoire West Africa and directed the “Messengers of Hope” Choir at the Africa-Indian Ocean Division headquarters.
May-Ellen the Scholar
May-Ellen graduated from Atlantic Union College with a major in Elementary Education in 1972. Three years later she completed a Master of Ats degree in Curriculum & Instruction with emphasis in reading. Her Master’s project: A Handbook of Supplementary Reading Methods and Job Sheets for Children with Learning Disabilities was later published as ABCs of Reading, and became the text for the reading lab at Andrews University.
She was involved in writing various articles in Adventist Review, Adventist World, Elder’s Digest, Shabbat Shalom, Sabbath School Leadership, LEAD, Adventistski Vestnik (Russian publication), AdventEcho (German publication); Family Ministries Planbook (in several issues of this annually published General Conference resource for Family Ministries leaders); Kid’s Ministry Ideas; Association of Adventist Family Life Professionals (AAFLP) Newsletter; Biblical Research Institute (BRI) Reflections; Journal of Health and Healing; writer for GraceLink; Editor: Sabbath School Publications; Personal Ministries Leaflet Series; “International Institute of Christian Ministries (IICM) (now “International Institute of Christian Discipleship [IICD]) Community Services & Urban Ministry Certification Program” (now in video format on Adventist Learning Community) and other IICD courses produced by the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists Sabbath School & Personal Ministries Department.
In December 2003 May-Ellen completed her Ph.D. in Religious Education at Andrews University School of Education. Her dissertation was titled: Sabbath-Keeping Practices and Factors Related to These Practices Among Seventh-day Adventists in 51 Countries. In 2008, May-Ellen published the book, From Sundown to Sundown: How to Keep the Sabbath. . . and Enjoy It! (Pacific Press, 2008), which has been translated into German and Spanish. She co-authored the 3rd Quarter 2016 Adult Bible Study Guide – The Role of the Church in the Community, and its companion book – Adventist Churches That Make a Difference.” She also presented scholarly papers at the Adventist Association of Family Life Professionals Research Forum (2008), the Adventist Society for Religious Studies (2010), and the Society of Biblical Literature (2013).
May-Ellen’s Global Service
In 1990 (to 1992) May-Ellen was appointed Director, Family Ministries and Associate Director, Church Ministries Department in the Africa-Indian Ocean Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. This was followed by four years as Founding Director of Family Ministries Department of the newly formed Euro-Asia Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. On July 18, 2009 May-Ellen was honored with the Family Ministries Distinguished Service Award by the North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists.
In 1999, after settling in back in the United States, May-Ellen was appointed to serve as Assistant Director, Sabbath School and Personal Ministries Department as well as Assistant Editor of Sabbath School/Personal Ministries Publications. In the World Headquarters of the Adventist Church. In 2015 her role was expanded to include serving as Director of Adventist Community Services International and Special Liaison for Community Services to the Adventist Development & Relief Agency (ADRA) International. May-Ellen was concurrently appointed by ADRA International to serve as Special Liaison to the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists Community Services International and Director of Church & Community Engagement.
May-Ellen in Retirement
May-Ellen retired in April 2021 after moving to Kaneohe, Hawaii with Gaspar to live close to Ivan and family and Sara-May. She spent much of her time wrapping up loose ends from her work at the General Conference. She focused on serving their local church and community, making friends in their new
neighborhood, and making their home a centerpiece of family gatherings. May-Ellen and Gaspar traveled to St. Louis, Missouri to volunteer with the General Conference Session Music Committee. On June 11, while happily accompanying a musical group to the Session platform, May-Ellen collapsed from ventricular fibrillation and never woke from a coma. She passed away on August 3, 2022. Her remains will be inurned in the Valley of the Temples Cemetery in Kaneohe, Hawaii. She is survived by her husband Gaspar; her son Ivan and his wife Crystal, and their three daughters Ava, Zoe, and London; her daughter Sara-May; her brother Victor Netten and his wife and children (Ashley and Jason); Gaspar’s stepmom Fiordaliza, stepsisters Julissa and Julia, and stepbrother Luis.
"Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way." (2 Thessalonians 3:16)
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