ALPINE Paul Lister, Sul Ross State University professor of English and a 37-year faculty member, plans to retire at the end of spring semester.

On May 10, he will participate in spring commencement exercises as his final official university duties.

A retirement reception is scheduled from 4 to 5 p.m. Monday in the University Center's second floor foyer.

On May 31, he will be ordained as a deacon in the El Paso Catholic Diocese.

Soon after, he will serve the diocese in Alpine, Fort Davis and Marathon. Duties will include performing baptisms, witnessing marriage ceremonies, presiding at funerals, and "many and varied duties," Lister said.

"It will be a full-time job," he said, and one outside the classroom. In addition to his 37 years at Sul Ross, Lister taught for five years as a graduate assistant while earning his doctor of philosophy at Kansas State University.   

 
In April, he also earned a master's degree in theology from St. Mary's University in San Antonio. During the five-year process and for half of his courses, Lister spent six weeks taking classes on the St. Mary's campus for three consecutive summers.

In addition, he estimates he drove at least 19,000 miles between Alpine and El Paso to take monthly classes and complete internships for his diaconate work over the past four years. Online and interactive classes also occupied his spare time.

"If I count the graduate assistant teaching time (at Kansas State), I've taught English in college for 42 years. I'm ready to try something else," Lister said.

He enjoyed his Sul Ross career, adding, "one of my greatest satisfactions has been teaching first-generation college students from little towns along Highway 90 and Highway 67. I was helping them progress in life.

"Education is always a vocation filled with hope; there is always potential there for something good."

Variety was the spice of his educational career, as he taught well over 20 courses at all levels, from freshman composition to graduate.

"I enjoyed teaching the Bible as literature (for 23 years)," he said. "The good thing about that class was that I had students from varying backgrounds, of all faiths, some with no religious faith, just a cultural interest in the Bible; some who read the Bible extensively, some who had read it very little."

A native of San Antonio, Lister graduated from Central Catholic High School, then earned a bachelor of arts degree (1964) and master of arts degree (1966) from St. Mary's University.

He received his Ph.D. in English from Kansas State in 1974. He came to Sul Ross in 1971 and served as chair of the Department of Languages and Literature for five years (1986-91).

He and his wife, JoAnn, a certified nurse practitioner, have four children: Karen (Rick) Conticello, an attorney in Houston; Bonnie, Austin, an environmentalist with the Texas Department of Transportation; Mark (Becky), Fulton, Ky., a chicken grower (producing 675,000 annually); and Sharon (Will) Hatler, a science teacher at Stephenville Middle School. They have four grandchildren with another on the way.

Lister served as Sul Ross' Newman Club adviser for 22 years, has been active in Rotary for 35 years and enjoys playing the guitar and listening to his extensive music collection.