The Chapel of Cypress Cove

Ted Althouse, Pastor

Ted Althouse, is the pastor and founder of The Chapel of Cypress Cove which began in 2004 and continues to serve the community of Cypress Cove Retirement Community and surrounding communities as a spiritual pastor and advisor.  He was previously pastor at Central United Methodist Church-Fort Myers Florida, Estero United Methodist Church-Estero Florida and Cypress Lake United Methodist Church-Fort Myers-Florida.

His ministry has also included owning a Holy Land travel company to introduce, over the years, hundreds of individuals to the many blessings of the Holy Land experience. 

Rev. Althouse had also served as a hospice chaplain in Fort Myers Florida where he demonstrated his love and compassion for individuals nearing their end of life. 

He has also been involved with mission projects in various parts of the world and once owned a not-for-profit organization helping the Haitian people expand their arts and crafts skills and sales in the USA. He continues working with the Haitian communities.

Prior to his commitment to serving the Lord and His church full time, Rev. Althouse came from a background of owning various successful businesses. He attributes that part of his life as a learning experience to help understand the many problems that face individuals in their own personal struggles of life. He is also a learned counselor.

He is a husband, a father, a grandfather and great-grandfather as well as a friend to many people around the world. He is devoted to the Holy Trinity (Almighty God, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit). He is dedicated to preaching the Word and to further the ministry of Jesus Christ through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. He possesses much love and passion for the church and all people.

Jim Wert, Pianist

Jim Wert, started taking piano lessons when he was eight years of age, from the director of the Southwest Florida Symphony Orchestra, Dr. Arlo Diebler in 1961. He began playing piano at First Baptist Church, Fort Myers. During the next almost four decades Jim played for many different choirs and worked under eleven Ministers of Music and choir directors during that time. He was part of a youth choir road tour in 1970, to Washington DC, where he performed for many different venues between Fort Myers and Washington. Jim came to The Chapel of Cypress Cove in April of 2004, when our church first began. It has been our pleasure have Jim play our baby grand piano for The Chapel of Cypress Cove for the last fourteen years.  He has also accompanied many well-known guest vocalists during his musical career.

Bill Dawson, Organist

WILLIAM DAWSON JR is an alumnus of the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia where he studied with world renowned concert pianist, Rudolf Serkin. He went on to earn his Graduate Degree in Music at Yale University. Dawson has appeared as soloist with major symphony orchestras including Boston Pops. He has played recitals and given master classes all over the United States, Switzerland, Japan, Republic of China and Latin America. Gian Carlo Menotti invited Dawson to perform at the Spoleto Festival in Italy.

He is Professor Emeritus at Miami Dade College and is a founder of the New World School of the Arts in Miami.. Dawson was co-founder of the Escuela de Música J.S. Bach in Mérida, Yucatán and has served as Visiting Professor at the Universidad del Valle in Guatemala City and the Conservatorio Victoriano Lopez in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. In 1995 the BiNational Symphony Orchestra premiered Dawson’s composition Suite Chichen Itza which was performed at that archaeological zone in Yucatan, Mexico. In recognition of his bi-national cultural achievements Dawson received various official honors and awards from the University of Yucatan, the State of Yucatan, Mexico and the U.S. State Department.

The Florida State Music Teachers Association named Dawson Commissioned Composer of the Year 2007. The Southwest Florida Symphony commissioned Dawson to compose choral music in 2008. At the invitation of Metropolitan Opera conductor, Maestro Paul Nadler, Dawson’s songs were performed in a New York concert in 2017 at the at the International Vocal Arts Institute.  Dawson’s latest project is the setting of poetry by Peter Meinke, Florida Poet Laureate and C.S. Lewis, performances scheduled in Florida & NYC. 

One of the things Bill is most proud of is that his young piano student and protege in Miami, Alex Lacamoire, has risen to the top of his musical profession as Musical Director of Broadway’s hit show  Hamilton!

Preston Lightsey, Lay Leader Posthumous Emeritus

Preston Lightsey is a retired architect who moved from Boston MA many years ago and resides in the community of Brandywine in Fort Myers. He has earned many prestigious awards for his artist talents as well-known acclaimed architect. He was introduced to Rev. Ted Althouse while working as a volunteer at Hope Hospice in Fort Myers (Rev. Althouse was a chaplain). He assisted in forming The Chapel of Cypress Cove in 2004 and became its lay leader and Treasurer of the Board of Directors. He has been a vital part of the operation of our church and continues to provide leadership and devotion to everyone. NOTE: Preston went to be with the Lord on December 03, 2020 and is still helping our church from Heaven.

Roy St. Onge, Director of Music Posthumous Emeritus

Roy was born and brought up in the Boston, Massachusetts area.  He was fortunate enough to be able to attend some of the best schools in our country, where he received both his vocal training as well as instruction in brass instruments.  Primarily cornet and trumpet.  He performed his first vocal solo at the age of 8.  From that point on, with the assistance of his music teachers, he became a vocal soloist throughout his school years. Through the years he became a member of several local theater production companies, located in Marblehead, Saugus, Wakefield, and Stoneham, Massachusetts.

He was a member of several United Methodist Churches, during his residence in Massachusetts, and was always a soloist in their choirs. He was a "Charter" member of the North Shore Concert Singers, which was comprised of soloists, music teachers, and choir directors and based in Lynn, Massachusetts. They performed mainly "Classical" pieces, many of which were performed in the language, they were originally written, whether it was Latin, German, or French.  They performed

mainly on the North Shore of Boston.  Roy also had the privilege of singing with the Boston Lyric Opera Company.

During his residence in Massachusetts Roy received a calling to become "Local Lay Preacher", for the North of Boston District of the United Methodist Church, which allowed him to preach in churches.  After receiving further theological training he became a "Certified Lay Preacher". He has been called upon many times to

fill in for pastors who were either ill, or on vacation.

After moving to Florida, Roy became the director of the Lake Fairways Men's Choral, and lead them for several years.  He also has directed the Tara Woods Chorus, in North Fort Myers. Roy also became a member of the Cultural Park Theater, in Cape Coral, in 2008.  He has been an actor, singer, director, and also has served on their Board of Directors. Now Roy has the honor to be the Director of Music for The Chapel of Cypress Cove, and looks forward to leading its' choir and musical program to new heights

with the assistance of our talented musical staff.

Peter Fancovic, On-Call Pianist & Organist

Peter Fancovic was born in Slovakia to a musical family. He performed at an early age as a soloist with the conservatory’s symphonic orchestra and Bratislava chamber orchestra, winning first prize in the national conservatory competition. He received his bachelors and master’s degree in piano performance at the prestigious Manhattan School of Music in New York city. He has been awarded prizes in the j. N. Hummel competition held in Slovakia (the best representative from his country) and, in the Czech Republic, the Marianka Lazne International Chopin competition and the Hradec International Beethoven competition, where he received first prize and a special prize as the best interpreter of Beethoven. He was selected to participate in the “new virtuosi on tour” concert series in various concert halls in Holland, including the prestigious Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. Peter performed his own jazz transcriptions and renditions of early jazz piano music in the “tribute to stride piano” at Manhattan School of Music. He has recently performed in Korea and previously other world countries. In a few weeks Peter will return to NYC to continue his career and begin studying for his Doctorate in Music. He is one of the upcoming pianists to watch. Peter is presently living in New York City but is retained as our off-campus musical advisor for various musical endeavors.