A beloved member of the Stoa community, Pascal Belloncle, has gone to the Lord. He passed away on Sunday, September 4, 2022, after a fight with cancer. Pascal is survived by his wife, Yvonne, twin sons, Mattis and Jean-Luc, and his daughter, Thais.

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Pascal was a special man and the Belloncle family blessed Stoa abundantly.  His family joined their club, Clash, in 2015 and Pascal faithfully served our community.  He regularly attended tournaments with his sons and daughter.  He was a father who believed in the mission of Stoa and invested his time and heart in its ministry.

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Pascal quickly distinguished himself as one of the greatest contributors to the Stoa tab community.  He became a tab director extraordinaire: the type of tab director that other tournament leaders from around the country would seek out for advice and help.  He became a key leader in his club, directed many tournaments, and gave his time selflessly.

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As an accomplished programmer, he single-handedly developed StoaTraX software to keep track of ballots during a tournament. The software was first used at his local club tournaments, but it quickly spread to other tournaments nationwide, including NITOC. Pascal served sacrificially. He spent long hours refining the program, working at tournaments, serving on Stoa technology and tab committees and supporting Stoa tournament leaders everywhere. He gave his program and time to Stoa without charge and generously.  Our Lord blessed us often through Pascal.

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His journey through Stoa with his family bore much fruit.  All his children participated in Stoa. Mattis and Jean-Luc debated together and finished their third season as the highest-ranked team in the nation for Team Policy, winning four tournaments and taking second place at NITOC 2018.  Mattis took first place in Parli at the same tournament. But even after they and Thais graduated from Stoa, Pascal remained an integral part of our community.  He continued to volunteer serving on the Tools and Tabulation committee, working on StoaTraX and helping other tab directors.

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Many of the parents who worked with Pascal in the Tab room expressed their admiration for his patience and humility. 

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“Stoa tournaments can be chaotic places at times, but I watched him consistently bring peace and a sense of calm.  Like a seasoned captain with his hand confidently and firmly on the wheel of a ship guiding it through a fierce and turbulent storm, Pascal seemed unflappable. He seemed to instinctively model the peace of God.”

– Wayne Johnson

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“He was for sure one of the most calm and gentle people I have ever known or worked with.”

– Lynda Sloneker

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“Pascal was one of the most generous and patient men that I’ve ever met. I remember one tournament where an adjudication was underway. The director was upset with the late schedule. Pascal offered several options and patiently awaited the decision. He kept his own opinion to himself, despite the fact that one of the options would involve a significant revamp of the rankings and a lot of work for himself. He gave a Christ-like example to everyone in the room.”

– Tony Weber

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"I am heartbroken over the news of Pascal’s passing. It was a joy to know and work with Pascal. Pascal was a faithful Christian servant in the truest sense of the word. He served tirelessly behind the scenes to the benefit of the entire Stoa community. Very few of us will probably ever appreciate the number of hours and the amount of time and effort he poured into the lives of our families and students. Pascal used his professional skills to design and implement tools used by tournaments around the country. Pascal was actively involved in the next generation of Stoa software development. Pascal’s passing will be deeply felt throughout all of Stoa."

– Van A. Schalin, M.D.

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“Pascal was always willing to serve and help with whatever was needed. Although he was one of the most intelligent and knowledgeable people we knew, he was always patient and quick to assist and answer any questions we had. Pascal was gracious, humble and wise. It was a joy and privilege to work with him and learn from him.”  

– Tim and Liz Kuhlmann

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"Pascal represented Christ-like service in all he did. It was a privilege to work with him as we rolled out StoaTraX for the first time at NITOC in 2017. His calmness, kindness, and sense of humor kept all of us confident that this would work. His tenacity and commitment to excellence encouraged everyone. He will be greatly missed.”

– Angela Childress

 

 

 

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