 Alice Baumbach is sharing information about Jim Baumbach’s death last Friday, November 14. His obituary (https://www.wichmannfuneralhomes.com/obituaries/james-baumbach-phd) reminds us of the work he and Alice did with the Ecumenical Institute/Institute of Cultural Affairs: He met his wife, Alice (née DesJardins), at Michigan State University and they were married in Warren, MI in 1962. In 1969 they joined the Order Ecumenical and the Institute of Cultural Affairs in Chicago, IL, whose mission was to teach religious and cultural courses across the country and build models of community reformulation that could be replicated around the world. Except for one year on the north side of Chicago, they lived on the west side in a ghetto community. While Jim worked at Nalco, Alice worked in-house with the preschool and the community center. One member of each family was assigned to work out so that the project could be funded. All of those who worked out donated their salaries. Both Jim and Alice felt this was the most empowering work of their life.
