Our Ringers

Kerry W. Dietz, Artistic Director, began his formal music training at the age of seven (piano) and his church music career (organist) at the age of fourteen. A graduate of the University of Delaware and Westminster Choir College, Kerry is Minister of Worship & Music at Ebenezer United Methodist Church in Newark, DE, where he has served since 1994. He has been involved with handbells as a ringer and a conductor for over 25 years and has been a conductor and clinician for handbell festivals in Newark, DE and Ocean City, MD.

Barb Carey joined St. Paul's United Methodist Church in Wilmington,
Delaware, as a mom-to-be in 1990. She remembered playing handbells as a teen
in her hometown church, and checked to see if St. Paul's had such a choir. It
did, she joined immediately and has been there ever since. As a once active
flute player, she finds ringing bells perfect for keeping up with musical
endeavors. Barb lives with husband Jay, teenagers Kevin and Brenda, and cats
Zippy and Zoey. "Between jobs", she currently spends her free time volunteering with several organizations.

Mark Clausing is a member of Cornerstone Church in Bear, DE. In addition to playing handbells with WHE, Mark plays bells with Ebenezer United Methodist Church's Good Chimes handbell choir. Mark started playing handbells in our nation's bicentennial year when his home church in Tiffin, Ohio purchased two octaves of bells. Musically, he also has enjoyed singing, playing trumpet, baritone, tuba, and piano. Mark was brought to Delaware in the 1980's by the DuPont Company and currently works for Computer Sciences Corporation as an operations manager. Mark also enjoys nurturing his 8 year old son and is Cubmaster of his son's Pack.

Beth Dietz is a manufacturing engineer project planner at Boeing Rotorcraft in Philadelphia. She grew up in the Newark, Delaware area and has a Bachelor degree in Instrumental Music Education and an associate degree in Mechanical Engineering. Her interests are many types of music, various forms of needlework, and cats. She has been playing bells for 22 1/2 years at St. Paul's UMC and with the Wilmington Handbell Ensemble.

Maggie Montgomery began ringing handbells in 1987 with the Exultate Ringers of Aldan Union Church. She was instrumental in developing the children's music program which included an elementary age chimes choir and directed a beginner adult choir at Glenolden Congregational Church. Now adding a little "yankee" influence to the group, Maggie served as PA State Representative for AGEHR and is currently a member of the handbell choir at Ardmore Presbyterian Church in Ardmore PA. Maggie lives in Bryn Mawr PA with her chihuahua, Zeke. A graduate of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, she works as an Oncology nurse at Delaware County Memorial Hospital in Drexel Hill, PA. When not ringing, her interests are biking, fishing, baking and playing flute and french horn.

Beth Jackson grew up in Baltimore, MD, but school (University of Delaware) and work (DuPont Co. ) brought her to Delaware years ago. She is a member of St Paul's United Methodist church and began ringing handbells in 1996 when WHE's founder, Michael Helman, was Music Director there. She has loved ringing bells ever since and is thrilled to be playing with the Wilmington Handbell Ensemble. Besides music, Beth enjoys reading, traveling and boating. She and her husband are avid fishermen and when the weather is warm, can usually be found out on the water.

Shirl Lord has had a passion for handbells since 1973. She began ringing in that same year at Newark (DE) United Methodist Church. A Music Vocal Major from the University of Delaware, Shirl found handbells to be an additional way to express her love for music. Shirl has rung with, directed and formed new handbell choirs in both Delaware and Ohio, and is an original member of the Wilmington Handbell Ensemble currently serving as Vice President on its Board of Directors. Shirl's church home is Cornerstone Church in Bear, Delaware where she sings on the Praise Team. Shirl is the owner of Body/Mind & Spirit Massage Therapy, and has been in private practice as a licensed massage therapist since 2002. She and her husband, Dirk, have three grown children, 2 sons and a stepson. Her other interests include gardening and trying out new recipes for her family.

Susan Rippin began ringing bells in the summer of 1994. She has rung with the St. Paul Ringers and Chancel Ringers from St Paul's United Methodist Church in Wilmington, DE. She has also done small ensemble ringing in a handbell quartet. When she is not ringing, Sue is a Research Chemist at TetraLogic Pharmaceuticals in Malvern, PA where she is working on anti-cancer therapies.

Anita Rush is a life-long resident of Newark, DE and life-long member of the Newark United Methodist Church. Her first experience with ringing handbells took place in the mid 1970's for a few years when the Newark United Methodist Church received their first set of handbells. She rejoined the handbell choir from church (The First State Ringers) in January 1992 and continues to ring with that choir. In 2000 Anita auditioned for and became a founding member of the Wilmington Handbell Ensemble.

Sue Spilecki lives in Wilmington with her husband, Jerry, and "kids" Buster, Addie, and Pounce. She loves her job as a high school health teacher at The Charter School of Wilmington, and has been ringing handbells for 25 years. Sue also rings with the Reverberations at Westminster Presbyterian Church. Her other spare time interests include officiating for girls' field hockey and lacrosse, knitting, competing in triathlons, and cheering on the Penn State Nittany Lions!

Ruthie Toole has been ringing handbells for 39 years and is a charter member of Wilmington Handbell Ensemble. She has lived and performed in the Newark area for 25 years. Ruthie is a member of the Newark United Methodist Church Son Spirit band, a member of the University of Delaware college/community choir, Schola Cantorum, and also rings handbells with NUMC's First State Ringers. Employed at the University of Delaware as a staff assistant in the Center for International Studies, Ruthie and her husband, Tim, reside in Newark and have four grown children.

Lois Torgerson of Wilmington, DE, has been ringing for 15 years. She got her start with the Memorial Handbell Ringers of The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, and has been hooked ever since. Music being one of life's essentials, she also sings with The Delaware Women's Chorus, at the Wilmington School of Music and enjoys the occasional solo performance. Besides working as a freelance healthcare writer, she finds joy in the companionship of her 90-year-old mother, her husband, Bob, of 29 years, her daughter, Jenny, her dog, Linus, Jenny's cat, Hazel, and always, the garden.

Beth Zupan comes from a family of bell-ringers. Beth's mom, Mary Browne, was one of the founding ringers of the Wilmington Handbell Ensemble. Starting at age 10, she has rung in various bell choirs, including three Choirs for St. Paul's UMC of Wilmington and currently with Newark UMC's First State Ringers. Beth is pleased to be able to continue her love for handbell ringing with the Wilmington Handbell Ensemble. Beth is a Child Protective Services case worker for Delaware's Division of Family Services. She received her Master's Degree in Community Counseling from Villanova University in May 2009, which is the next step in pursuing her dream of becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor.

Lydia Oliver Hazeltine is delighted to return to the Wilmington Handbell Ensemble after a ten year hiatus. She is a graduate of Susquehanna University (Selinsgrove, PA) where she received a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education, piano emphasis. Since her junior year of high school she has been a Director of Music, Organist, and Handbell Choir Director at numerous churches in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Delaware. Lydia is currently the Organist and Director of Handbell Choirs at Limestone Presbyterian Church in Wilmington. She is also the accompanist for the Chancel Choir and Joyful Noise Singers at Limestone and the University of Delaware Children’s Choir. Lydia is current Delaware State Chair for the AGEHR. She lives in the Pike Creek area with her two long-haired miniature dachshunds, Riesling and Beethoven. When not working or making music she can be found with a pair of knitting needles or the latest quilt endeavor in hand.