Students and faculty pay tribute to Ron Hafer

Ron Hafer, Biola University's Chaplain for the past 42 years, was honored during Monday's Ron Hafer Farewell Chapel.

Kelsey Heng

“Thanks Ron Hafer for making every chapel rad, for giving us high-fives to cheer us up when we felt sad. The sweater vest—well it’s the best,” went the lyrics of a song performed in Ron Hafer’s farewell chapel this morning. The Biola men’s a cappella group, The King’s Men, sang this song, Greased Hafer, as a tribute to Hafer, who has been Biola’s chaplain for 42 years.

The King’s Men were followed by comedian Adam Christing, founder of Clean Comedians, who started his speech with a succession of good-humored jokes about Hafer. He teased Hafer about everything from his height, to his sweater-vest wardrobe, to his perpetual tan: “Nobody really knows what ethnicity Ron is,” he said. Hafer received these jokes with good humor, but was ready with a comeback.

“Hey Ron, I’ll do the jokes this time, okay?” Christing said.

“When do they start?” Hafer shouted from the audience and received uproarious cheers of approval from students.

“You don’t mess with Ron Hafer in chapel,” said Christing.

While the entire chapel was conducted with humorous undertones appropriate for a man of Hafer’s wit, it was clear that Biola is sad to see this man leave. Christing’s speech soon turned heartfelt and serious.

Christing said Hafer was one of the reasons he had founded his company, as well as an indirect reason for his Christian faith.

“I wouldn’t know Christ if it weren’t for Biola, and I wouldn’t know Biola if it weren’t for Ron.”

Christing went on to say that it wasn’t only his life that Hafer had affected.

“Ron has touched literally hundreds and thousands of lives.”

He concluded by asking Hafer to sign his Bible, a request that Hafer obligingly fulfilled as they joked about whether he should sign under Billy Graham’s signature; Christing said he should sign above it.

Hafer himself addressed the students after Christing finished. He started his speech with a tongue-twisting story of the prodigal son completely alliterated with the letter ‘f’.

“Father’s forgiveness formed the foundation for the former fugitive’s future fortitude,” he concluded, and then admitted that he didn’t actually have a reason for telling that story.

He introduced his wife Hilda, his daughters Heidi and Heather and their husbands, both named Jeff, and finally his two granddaughters, Megan and Ashtyn. Hafer then gave a brief speech, thanking Biola for the kind farewell. “I know I’ve lost virtually all of my reward in heaven,” he said, admitting that he had been thoroughly enjoying the send off.

Hafer concluded on a serious note.

“Thank you for the morning and for 42 years. I will not soon forget it.” He received a standing ovation.

Following Hafer’s speech was a slideshow of his life, from the early years to the grand-parenting years.

President Barry Corey concluded the chapel with a brief speech of thanks.

“Countless lives, Ron Hafer, will never be the same because they have seen Christ through you, and we just want to say ‘thank you’.”

Corey then presented Hafer with a basketball signed by Corey and several past Biola presidents and admonished him not to slam-dunk it on a trampoline and scruff up the signatures.

Many students wore “Ron Hafer rocks my socks” T-shirts today, and those who weren’t could purchase them at a table outside of the cafeteria.

Deannah Baesel and Kim Wise, two staffers from the alumni relations’ office, were selling the T-shirts for five dollars apiece. Wise said they had ordered approximately 1,200 and sold about half of them. They will continue to sell them at their office in Metzger until they’re sold out. Besides T-shirts, students have been able to express their appreciation of Hafer by writing him a letter.

Katie Tuttle, Director of Commuter Life, presented Hafer with a mailbox filled with letters during chapel this morning. At the T-shirt table this afternoon, there was a stack of cards for students who hadn’t had a chance to write him.

Rachael Murphy, a sophomore math major, was among those who bought a Hafer t-shirt.

“I first heard him on the radio when I was five years old, so his name has a lot of good memories for me,” said Murphy.

Hafer’s name evokes good memories for many at Biola. As Greased Hafer put it:

“We wanna thank you Buster for your 42 years, for serving Biola with your blood, sweat and tears.”