Tributes to Chad McArver

Thank you to all who have sent kind words and tributes to celebrate the life and legacy of dear colleague, mentor, and friend, Chad McArver. Messages sent to theatre@fordham.edu will continue to be shared below.

If you would like to join us in honoring Chad, please post your memories and tributes on this page:

https://www.jamesfuneralhomelkn.com/obituaries/william-mcarver

Morgan Gould: 

To have Chad as a mentor, then later as a collaborator on four different designs after I graduated, was the greatest gift of my early career. He was the first professor to treat me as an adult artist and take me seriously…which is hilarious because if you knew Chad you know he took almost nothing seriously—except his unending commitment to his students and his desire to make good art. Non-traditional, always late, but always filled to the brim with ideas and VISION that he would regularly gift us in the back of Pope Auditorium at 1am while he made a model for an off-Broadway show and simultaneously helped you fix your own design for a studio show while looking at someone else’s research and suggesting other ways into the visual world. Chad is one of the great characters of my Fordham life, my theater life, and just life…a colorful and witty southern gentlemen who never met a rule he wouldn’t break if it would help a student or make a play better. He will be forever missed.

Barbara Samuels: 

Chad McArver was a truly singular mentor. He was a collaborator with his entire being – always encouraging you to be curious about what might be possible. Sometimes he could drive people up a wall because he wasn’t very interested in rules or the way things have been or supposedly have to be. He was a dreamer, and encouraged me to be one too at a time when so many educators stifle that impulse.

Chad was a fierce educator and friend. He treated his students as adults at a time in their lives where few do. It meant you’d stumble, but he would be there for you to learn to trust yourself as a theater maker, collaborator, and citizen of the world.

When I cross paths with Fordham alumni of all ages, Chad is our connective tissue. He was always late, and always full of insight – whether we were drafting and hanging out late into the night sharing take out from Ollie’s, or you were panicking about a project and he jumped in to help (which may have involved a storage unit), he was filled with love and care for what might be possible.

Chris D'Angelo:

The most prominent memories I have of Chad have to be the super late-night chats when I was stressing about some studio show or other such matter.  Usually on the loading dock behind the scene shop.  You want to talk about professor availability?  Because that was some availability.  Literally always there, and always able to meet us students where we were, and encourage and nurture individually. 

I also remember his IKEA obsession.  Partly because I bought my first desk in my first apartment off of his assemblage of "as-is" bits from (one of) his storage facilities.  And I still have it in my apartment to this day, thank you very much!  But also his gift of being able to see a pile of stuff, and make something gorgeous out of it.  A skill I have not mastered alas, but something to always strive towards.

Amie Cunat:

What I will remember about Chad was his kindness. No matter the topic, he would always listen to me and give me space to describe or explain my perspective. His patience, respect and incredibly warm personality were valued and will be sorely missed by Visual Arts--not to mention his rad lighting designs at our faculty holiday parties. All love to his family, friends, students and the Theatre department. 

Peter Mele:

We painted the floor of the mainstage to look like expensive marble flooring for a show Chad had designed, and the edge of the white paint near the lip of the stage was uneven. The set was all crisp angular white lines, but right at the front- an 8inch chunk was wavy and wrong. I started complaining about all the work ahead to fix this- we might have to repaint the whole floor to fix it- when Chad walks over - asks for the paint and free hand paints a perfectly straight line to fix it, matching the previous coats while making the line straight and sharp.

I was astounded at the easy and artistry of his steady hand as he quickly fixed the issue. I told him i was impressed by his talent- and he looked at me and said- no. its years and years of practice.

He showed me how to work hard and practice while also being warm, friendly and kind. Thank you Chad.

Justin Sherin:

Almost instantly I thought him one of the nicest people I ever met. Our business studies humanity, so he was always gentle, patient, curious, and humane. We all know how rare this is. 

Life is difficult—often especially so in our work. Chad never forgot it. He cared for us because he loved life, and he knew that a healthy theatre puts people at the center.

We’ve all learned from his versatile, surprising designs. But the way he taught is even more important. He was curious, exacting, good-humored, and loyal. He had excellent taste, and he never lost connection with life as it’s lived.

He carries on in us—a great artist, friend, and example.