Down by the sea

Although she was born in Philadelphia, her roots are in the sands of the New Jersey shore. And at age 90, by the sea is where Elizabeth Penn Custer, retired professor of English is spending her days.

Elizabeth came to Shippensburg after teaching for twenty-two years at Chambersburg’s Penn Hall, a junior college next to Wilson College. In 1964 she joined the faculty in the English Department with her specialty in drama, including English and American, and film. It was this love of film that led to her creating a course that is still one of the more popular classes offered by the English Department, Art of the Film.

Thousands of students took her class and became familiar with the patrician features and the throaty voice of its instructor. Elizabeth recalls those days with fond memories and smiles. It was something she truly loved, sharing her passion for film with others.

For years she spent vacations, holidays, and breaks, either studying or traveling in pursuit of knowledge about film and cinema. She was the guest editor for a special issue of the university’s journal, Proteus, on John Houston, the famous film director, which included panel discussions with leading film critics of the day.

English professor emerita, Elizabeth Penn Custer, enjoys quiet pursuits including the beach in Ventnor, New Jersey where she has maintained a home for years.

After her retirement at age 74, in 1992 (and 50+ years teaching!), Elizabeth continued her tradition of holding parties, often theme-related, entertaining, and traveling. Over the years she visited Cuba, Thailand, Egypt, Japan, the Philippines, as well as repeat visits to Mexico, Bermuda, and Europe. Not to mention she traveled all over the United States including Hawaii.

Her Sundays were spent devouring the New York Times from the first page to the last. She split her time between her home in Shippensburg and the family home in Ventnor, New Jersey. After a while the home in Shippensburg became too restrictive and Elizabeth wanted to spend her days “at the shore.”

The move has proved to be a good one. Now confined to a wheelchair, weather and health permitting, Elizabeth can enjoy the sights and sounds from her large, shady front porch or be wheeled across the street and right up onto the Boardwalk, where she can enjoy shops and casino offerings. The more social environment has an added advantage of putting her next to neighbors of many, many years and hours closer to her great nephew who spends most weekends looking after his aunt.

In her quiet pursuits, Elizabeth has returned to film as she enjoys the classic film offerings of her DVD collection and cable television.