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In Memoriam: Unitarian Universalist Ministers 2002 - 2003Thomas E. Ahlburn
Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, he was educated at the University of Cincinnati, Oberlin College, Vanderbilt Divinity School, and the University of Ottawa. While in Rhode Island, Mr. Ahlburn was a religion page columnist for the Providence Journal, and was selected for inclusion in a volume honoring Rhode Island 's one hundred most remarkable people. Twenty-five of his poems have been set to music by the American composer Ron Nelson, and have been performed around the world. Active in numerous civic organizations and causes, the Rev. Ahlburn was a member of the United Nations' commission to rebuild the Buddha's birthplace and of the Rhode Island Gay and Lesbian Board. He was the first individual to receive the William McLoughlin First Amendment Award from the American Civil Liberties Union, and chaired several political campaigns. He is survived by his wife, Ruth Lawrence of Greensboro, and his daughters Heather Ahlburn of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Megan Ahlburn of Tahoe City, California. Robert W. Brockway
Born in Washington, D.C., he spent his early years in Hawaii, where his father served in the Army Air Corps. He completed his education at American University, Columbia University, and Union Theological, and started the first Unitarian fellowship in Northport, Long Island, New York, while teaching at Hofstra College. After his marriage to his wife, Catherine, he served as minister of the Wellesley Fells Universalist Church in Massachusetts. In 1954, he left the United States in reaction to the insanity of the McCarthy witch hunts to serve the First Unitarian Church of Hamilton, Ontario, before returning to his first loves, teaching and writing, in England; Lafayette, Louisiana; and finally Brandon, Manitoba. He taught at Brandon University from 1965 to 1987, and continued his involvement with the university thereafter, while publishing two books, Myth from the Ice Age to Mickey Mouse, and Young Carl Jung, with a third, A Wonderful Work of God, expected to be published in 2002, and several more in progress. His wife, Katie, survives him, as does his little Sheltie, Snickers. A memorial service was held at the University on January 8, 2002. *Death reported in December 2002 Anne Reeves Buehler
Ms. Buehler was born in Dayton, Ohio. She received a Certificate from the Bangor Theological Seminary Master of Divinity Program, and was ordained by the Lakeshore Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Beaconsfield, Quebec, on October 21, 1990. Ms. Buehler served congregations in Beaconsfield, Quebec; Southfield, Michigan; Norwich, Connecticut; South Bend, Indiana; Nashville, Tennessee; and Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Upon her retirement, the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Outer Banks, Kitty Hawk, named her Minister Emerita on June 10, 2001. Surviving Ms. Buehler are her children: Sandra McAllister of Buffalo, New York; Thomas Herendeen of Lyons, New York; and Guy Crumpley of Fredericksburg, Virginia. Also surviving are two sisters, 11 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, August 2, 2003, at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Fredericksburg, 1115 Caroline Street, Fredericksburg, VA 22401. The Reverend Jeffrey G. Jones will officiate. Nicholas C. Cardell
Born in Smith Falls, Ontario, he grew up in New York City and moved to Syracuse in 1974. He received an AB from Columbia University in 1952 and a BD and DD from Meadville Lombard Theological School. He was a recipient of the Horace N. Stevens Fellowship from Meadville in 1957. Dr. Cardell was ordained by the Point Lookout Community Church (Presbyterian), in Point Lookout, New York in 1952. In 1957 he received Preliminary Fellowship in the American Unitarian Association. He served congregations in Plainfield, New Jersey, and in Albany and Syracuse, New York. After twenty-one years of service, the May Memorial Unitarian Society of Syracuse named him Minister Emeritus. He served on the Unitarian Universalist Ministerial Fellowship Committee from 1984 to 1988, and was a member of the board of the Hemlock Society of Central New York and a member of Central New York School of the American Abolitionists since 1996. He won many awards, including the Central New York/ACLU Ralph Kharas Distinguished Service Award. He was an Army Airborne veteran of World War II and was a prisoner of war; captured during the Battle of the Bulge, he later escaped. A noted social activist, he was jailed for his protests against the School of the Americas. Survivors include his wife, the former Catherine Seeger; a daughter, Leslie Cardell of Yonkers; and a son, Scott Cardell, of Pullman, Washington. A service was held October 10, 2002 at the May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Church, 3800 E. Genesee Street, Syracuse, New York. His family and friends conducted the service. Roger A. Cowan
Roger was born in Langhorne, Pennsylvania. He received a B.A. from Maryvale College in 1950, and a Master of Divinity from Western Theological Seminary in Pittsburgh, PA, in 1954, and also did graduate study in political science at the University of Tennessee. He was ordained in 1954 by the Presbytery of Pittsburgh and served Presbyterian churches in Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Ohio. He was Director of Public Relations for the UUA from 1980 to 1981, and received Ministerial Fellowship with the Unitarian Universalist Association in 1982. He then served congregations in Saco-Biddeford, Maine, and Orlando, Miami, and North Palm Beach, Florida. Upon his retirement in 2000, the First Unitarian Church of Palm Beach County, Unitarian Universalist, named him Minister Emeritus. In 1968 and in 1976 Roger was State Chair for Senator Eugene McCarthy and in 1970 he was a nominee for the United States House of Representatives. A lifelong political activist in civil rights and numerous social causes, he served in leadership capacities on many boards during his life. In addition to his ministries, he was also a college professor, politician, fund-raiser, and orator. He was president of Roger Cowan Associates, giving fund-raising counsel, from 1972 to 1984, and president of the Florida Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association from 1991 to 1993. A celebration of Roger's life was held at the First Unitarian Church of Palm Beach on Saturday, August 31. The Rev. Harris Riordan of Boca Raton officiated. Roger is survived by his sons, Donald Cowan of Cincinnati, Ohio, and Christopher Cowan of Chelsea, Michigan, and by his four grandchildren. Roger's life touched the lives of many, and he will be greatly missed. Angela M. Davis
She was born July 4, 1961 in Cincinnati, Ohio. She lived in San Francisco before moving to Lodi, California in 1996. Ms. Davis was a chaplain and a community minister. She received a BA and a MS from the National College of Education and a Master of Divinity from the Starr King School for the Ministry. On December 13, 2002, she received fellowship in the Unitarian Universalist Association as a Community Ministry. Ms. Davis was a member of the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education. She worked for the AIDS Alliance in Concord, California from 1995 to 1997 and was the Unitarian Universalist Association AIDS Network Coordinator from 1995 to 1998. The San Joaquin Sheriff's Department recently employed her as a chaplain. She was a member of the Continental Board of the Unitarian Universalist Women's Federation from 1995 to 1998 and was on the Board of the First Unitarian Universalist Society of San Francisco from 1989 to 1991. Ms. Davis was a volunteer for the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, and for Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA). She was also a volunteer chaplain at the University of California at Davis Medical Center. She leaves her partner Kitty Chapman; her parents Ella Davis of San Francisco and Robert Davis of Cincinnati; her siblings, Robert Davis, Jr. of Ohio, Stephanie Latham of St. Louis and Christiana Davis of Cincinnati, Ohio and grandfather Robert Figgs of Lexington, Kentucky. A service was held January 27, 2003, at the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Stockton, 2737 Pacific Avenue, Stockton, California. The Reverend Joy Atkinson officiated. Barbara E. Edgecombe
Born Barbara Edith-Loretta Edgecombe, she grew up in Gary, Indiana, and Kalamazoo, Michigan. She studied piano at the University of Michigan and the Chicago Conservatory of Music, and taught piano in her Glen Ellyn home, which she later sold to pay for divinity school tuition. She received a Master of Divinity in 1984, and a Doctorate of Ministry in 1986, from the Chicago Theological Seminary. The Beverly Unitarian Church in Chicago, Illinois ordained her on May 19, 1985, and she served congregations in West Chester, Pennsylvania; Hobart, Indiana; East Lansing, Michigan; and Cincinnati, Ohio. She also served as chaplain in Children's Memorial Hospital and Grant Hospital in Chicago. At age 11, Edgecombe published the "American Children's Magazine." She was the reporter, copyreader, printer, pressman, ad salesperson, editor and delivery "boy." Later, she studied at the University of Michigan and the American Conservatory of Music and was both a teacher and a performer. In 2002 she was the featured pianist at a special classical concert at the Unitarian Universalist Community Church in Park Forest, Illinois. Her sons, David and John Cunat and daughters-in-law Mary Beth and Angel Cunat, all of Chicago, survive Dr. Edgecombe. She was also the loving grandmother of Aubrey and step-grandmother of Devin, the dear niece of Evora Warren and the adored owner of Aphrodite. She will be remembered for humor, compassion, and energy. The family wishes to thank Claire Karcher and her son Brian for their support during Barbara's illness. A memorial service was held at March 8, 2003 at the Beverly Unitarian Church, 10244 S. Longwood Drive, Chicago, IL. The Reverend Leonetta Bugleisi officiated. Margaret King Gooding
In addition to a BS from Wheelock College, she received an HLD from Starr King School for the Ministry and a DD from Meadville Lombard Theological School. Dr. Gooding received Preliminary Fellowship as a Minister of Religious Education November 17, 1980, and Final Fellowship September 24, 1984. On April 12, 1981 the First Unitarian Congregation of Ottawa, Ontario, ordained her as a Minister of Religious Education. After she had received two doctorates, her colleagues began calling her "Dr. Dr. Gooding." She served congregations in Phoenix, Arizona and Ottawa, Ontario, and was named Minister Emerita in 1992 by the First Unitarian Congregation of Ottawa, Ontario. She retired in 1986 but returned to work as Religious Education Consultant for the Central Midwest District from September 1, 1989 through June 30, 1990. She was also on the faculty of Meadville Lombard Theological School from September 1989 through June 1992 as a lecturer in religious education and set up the Sophia Lyon Fahs Religious Education Library there. In 1985 Dr. Gooding received the Angus H. MacLean Award for Excellence in Religious Education. In addition to her work with local congregations, she was a leader of workshops on religious education at innumerable conferences at summer institutes such as Ferry Beach and at district Religious Education conferences. A specialist in early childhood education and a friend of Dorothy T. Spoerl, Unitarian Universalist Association Curriculum Editor, she wrote curricula for the Unitarian Universalist Association including Growing Up Times, 1988; Exploring Our Roots, 1988; The Stepping Stone Year, 1989; Up, Up, and Away, Universalist Journeys for Ages Eight to Ten, 1994, and When Universalism Came to Canada, 1996. She also wrote poetry and songs for children, and the responsive reading Why Not a Star in Singing the Living Tradition. Surviving Dr. Gooding is her daughter Frances Tilgner and her husband Richard Tilgner; her sisters Olive Sutton of Studio City, California; Barbara Bessey of Claremont, New Hampshire and her brother Fred (Jim) King, Jr. of Eliot, Maine. Also surviving are her step-grandson, Daniel Tilgner, and several nieces and nephews. A memorial service was held at the Arlington Street Church in Boston, Massachusetts on June 25, 2003. The Reverend Roger Fritts officiated. Robert E. Green
He was born in San Francisco, the son of Frances and Herman Green. He received a law degree from Hastings College of Law at the University of California and was ordained to the Unitarian Universalist ministry in 1963. He served congregations in Massachusetts, Ohio, Vermont and Michigan and spent a year in Japan as the representative of the Unitarian Universalist Association. In 1974 he became minister of the First Unitarian Church in Stockton, where he served until his retirement in 1996. A Unitarian Universalist colleague, the Reverend Eugene Widrick, described him as a classic humanist. Widrick also said "he was concerned about justice and devoted to taking care of people." In Stockton he practiced probate and elder law. He also served on the Stockton Unified School District 's Desegregation Committee in 1974 and on the district's Committee to Keep Students in School in 1986. He was the attorney for those who offered support in the landmark Hernandez vs. Board of Education of SUSD desegregation lawsuit. Green was co-founder of the Stockton Shelter for the Homeless and founder of the San Joaquin Memorial Society. He served as president or coordinator of Stockton Metro Ministry, Emergency Food and Shelter Program, Affordable Housing Coalition, Funeral Consumers Alliance, and Family Resource and Referral Center. A retired executive director of the Family Resource and Referral Center described Green as "a man with a conscience" who worked tirelessly on projects, contributing his legal, financial and organizational expertise. His wife, Carole Green of Sonora; sons Christopher Green of San Antonio, Texas, and Channing Green of Susanville; daughter Kimberley Gibson of San Francisco; and two grandchildren survive him. A memorial service was held February 2, 2003 at the First Unitarian Universalist Church, 2737 Pacific Avenue, Stockton, California. Clifton G. Hoffman
He apprenticed as a homebuilder in Grosse Pointe, Michigan with his father, and then attended Adrian College and the University of Michigan where he received his AB. He attended the University of Chicago Divinity School, receiving his professional degree, and continued graduate studies in philosophy and religion at the University of Michigan and the Divinity School of the University of Chicago. He held the position of Dean of Students of the Divinity School of the University of Chicago from 1945 to 1948, and entered the Unitarian ministry and was appointed Director of Youth Education for the American Unitarian Association in 1948. He was minister to the Unitarian Memorial Church of Fairhaven, Massachusetts from 1950 to 1955. He organized and chaired the New England Unitarian Youth work committee from 1950 to 1954 and served as President of the Channing Unitarian Conference. "Clif" was Regional Director of the Southern Unitarian Council from 1955 to 1959 and the Thomas Jefferson Conference from 1960 to 1966, ministering to churches and clergy in twelve southeastern states. He provided leadership for the denomination in its merger with the Universalist Church of America, and became District Executive and Field Representative for the Southeast Region of the UUA. During his service as Regional Director and District Executive, Reverend Hoffman was the spokesman for the Denomination on civil rights issues in the South, promoting equal rights and social justice and participating in civil rights marches and sit-ins with Martin Luther King, Jr. and other civil rights leaders. He was appointed to the National Commission on Civil Rights and Religion under the administration of President John F. Kennedy and later received the "Martin Luther King Award" from the Athens Council on Human Relations in acknowledgment of his lifetime contributions to civil rights. He served as minister to the Unitarian-Universalist Fellowship of Athens, Georgia from 1970 until his retirement in 1981. He participated in the campus ministry at the University of Georgia, was a member of the Housing Authority in Athens, was active in local politics, and was a supporter of the Sandy Creek Nature Center. He was married to Katharine Virginia Zabriskie of Detroit, Michigan for over fifty loving and supportive years. He is survived by their three children, Charles C. Hoffman, residing in the Philippines, Frances E. Hoffman of Green Village, New Jersey, and John L. Hoffman, also residing in the Philippines, and six grandchildren, Charles C. Hoffman, Jr., Deborah Hoffman, Hilary H. Slama, Christopher H. Slama, and John L. Hoffman, Jr. His memorial service was held on January 19, 2003 at the Athens Unitarian– Universalist Fellowship, where he was Minister Emeritus. Duncan Howlett
Howlett was born in Newton, Massachusetts. He received the SB degree from Harvard in 1928, the LLB. Degree in 1931, and in the same year he was admitted to the Massachusetts Bar. Following the practice of law for two years, he returned to Harvard to study religion in 1933, and was awarded the STB degree with honors in 1936, while serving as Minister of the Second Church, Unitarian, in Salem, Massachusetts. Dr. Howlett was ordained to the Unitarian ministry in Salem, Massachusetts, November 17, 1935 and served in Salem until 1938. He served at First Unitarian Church, New Bedford, Massachusetts (1938-1946), and then moved to First Church in Boston, Unitarian, where he served for the next twelve years. In 1958, Howlett was called to All Souls Church, Unitarian, in Washington, D.C., the position from which he retired in 1968. In May of that year he was appointed to Hubert Humphrey's presidential campaign staff. In addition to his concern with public affairs during the entire range of his ministry, Howlett played an active role in Unitarian denominational affairs. Among the various committees and boards on which he served were those of Beacon Press, the Unitarian Historical Library, and the Christian Register (the denominational publication of its day). He was President of the Unitarian Historical Society; Chairman of the Washington Advisory Committee of the Unitarian Universalist Association Department of Social Responsibility; Chairman, D.C. Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights; served on the Executive Committee of the Washington Home Rule Commission; and was active with the Washington Urban Institute. Duncan Howlett was the author of the books Man Against the Church ; The Struggle Between Religion and Ecclesiasticism ; The Essenes and Christianity ; An Interpretation of the Dead Sea Scrolls ; The Fourth American Faith ; No Greater Love: The James Reeb Story ; The Critical Way in Religion ; and The Fatal Flaw at the Heart of Religious Liberalism. On retiring from the active parish ministry in 1968, Howlett became deeply involved in the environmental movement, particularly in the area of forestry. In Maine he organized and was the first President of the Small Woodland Owners Association (SWOAM). The conservation of natural resources emphasizing the responsible management of woodland on the part of citizen forest owners became for him a "second career." Howlett is survived by his wife, Carolyn Chance Howlett; his children, Susan Hasty of Portland, Maine; Albert Howlett of Falls Church, Virginia; Richard Howlett of Burke, Virginia; and Carolyn H. Korth of Center Lovell, Maine. Also surviving are 10 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren. A memorial service was held on Saturday, June 7, 2003 at the family home, Old Town Farm, Eastman Hill Road, Center Lovell, Maine. The Rev. David Fisher officiated. Lee Huebert
Mr. Huebert was born in Omaha, Nebraska. His mother died when he was a month old and four months later a German Mennonite couple from Henderson, Nebraska adopted him and his five-year-old sister, Elma. He came to Alamogordo from Socorro in 1968 to be the pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, from which he retired in 1974. Most recently he ministered to the Unitarian-Universalist Fellowship of Alamogordo. He was a graduate of Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kansas, and York College in York, Nebraska where he later taught. He also has an MA in English from the University of Nebraska and a BD from McCormick Theological Seminary. From 1962 to 1974 he did major work in a doctorate at San Francisco Seminary. Ordained in the Evangelical United Brethren Church in 1949, Lee served churches in Nebraska and Missouri. He entered the Presbyterian ministry in 1956 in Ashmore, Illinois. From there he commuted to Chicago to the McCormick Seminary. His next pastorate was in Orberlin, Kansas, and he then served in Socorro, New Mexico for eight years. In 1979 he began to serve the Unitarian-Universalist Fellowship in Alamogordo, with which he remained connected until his death. Admitted to fellowship in the Unitarian Universalist Association in 1979, he did interim ministries in Vancouver, British Columbia; Spartanburg and Clemson, South Carolina; and Lubbock and El Paso, Texas. When an interim had been completed, he would return to Alamogordo. His wife, Shirley, accompanied him on these journeys and was a valued associate. In the fall of 1974, for what he called "two glorious months," he was the sports editor at the Alamogordo Daily News. He resigned to join the NMSU-A Library staff, on which he continued until 1987. From 1976 to 1982 he also taught English at NMSU-A. Lee had been president of Los Paisanos, the local chapter of the Good Sam RV Club, in 1983 and in 1996, and had the rare distinction of having presided over two local Kiwanis Clubs: the evening club and a breakfast club of which he was the organizing president. He was proud to have had so many good friends and to have been of service to a number of churches in various denominations. But, as his family, friends and associates can attest, nothing pleased him more that to be able to make people laugh, even if at his own expense. Survivors include his wife of 26 years, Shirley Huebert; four children, Patricia Vest of Phoenix, Arizona; Michael Huebert and his wife Nena of Albuquerque, New Mexico; Marilyn McDonnell of Victorville, California; and Barry Huebert and his wife Shelle of Kailua, Hawaii; five grandchildren; seven great grandchildren; three stepchildren, Michael Henke of Albuquerque, Steven Henke and his wife Susan of Farmington, and Rhonda Jenkins and her husband Jimmy of Colorado Springs, Colorado; and seven step-grandchildren. A memorial service was conducted Saturday, April 19, 2003 at the Unitarian-Universalist Fellowship, 1010 16th St., with the Rev. Tom Richardson officiating. John Jablonski
Dr. Jablonski was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He received BS and MS Degrees from the University of Pittsburg; an MDiv from Boston University School of Theology; and a PhD from the University of Wisconsin. Dr. Jablonski was ordained June 2, 1985 by the Unitarian Church of Sharon in Sharon, Massachusetts, and served congregations in Sharon and Marblehead, Massachusetts and in Freeport, New York. He was active in both the Massachusetts Bay and Ballou-Channing Districts of the Unitarian Universalist Association. Surviving are his children, Christopher Holton Jablonski, J. Robert Jablonski and Kristine Tomlinson. Also surviving is his former wife, Dr. Susan A. Holton. A memorial service was held at the First Parish in Framingham, Massachusetts on July 10, 2002. The Reverend Jose Ballester officiated. Carol L. Jackson
She received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Mary Baldwin College and later went on to Duke University where she earned a Master of Divinity. She received Preliminary Fellowship in Community Ministry in May of 1998, and was ordained October 11, 1998 by the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Raleigh, North Carolina, where she served briefly in a transitional capacity. Ms. Jackson was an employee of the South Carolina Department of Corrections and served as Chaplain for the Lee Correctional Institute. Because the Department of Corrections perceived its primary mission to be the protection of the community, there was little in the way of rehabilitation offered to inmates. Along with the other chaplains, she tried to fill that void. They wore various hats – worship leader, religious educator, counselor, spiritual advisor, program manager, volunteer coordinator, teacher, even social worker – as they tried to help the inmates find after-care programs in the community upon their release. Her parents, Jo and Earnest Jackson, Jr., a brother, Earnest Jackson, III, and her aunts, uncles and cousins survive the Rev. Jackson. Services were held at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Columbia, South Carolina on February 8, 2003 and at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Raleigh, North Carolina on April 27, 2003. The Reverend Patrick D. Price officiated at the Columbia service and the Reverend Julie Denny-Hughes officiated in Raleigh Gerry Krick
A civil rights activist, Dr. Krick said his drive to work for social justice came from a "life-changing experience" that left his friend and fellow Unitarian Universalist minister James Reeb dead. Both had joined King in a march for voting rights in Selma, and shortly after they had lunch together at a local black restaurant, four white men clubbed Reeb to death. Dr. Krick was born in Wauseon, Ohio, and received his bachelor's degree from Ohio Wesleyan University in 1955. He completed a one-year program at Cambridge University in England in 1957, and earned a Bachelor of Sacred Theology in 1959 and a doctorate in 1970 from Boston University. He was ordained by the Ohio Conference of the Methodist Church in 1956 and was accepted into Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in 1962. He served congregations in Boston, Plymouth and Newton, Massachusetts, and Oak Park, Illinois. In addition, he was Minister to Students for the Benevolent Fraternity (Unitarian Universalist). Dr. Krick joined the First Unitarian Society in Newton in 1979, where he served as minister for 19 years and was named Minister Emeritus in 1999. In addition to his wife, Paula, he leaves two daughters, Keldra and Kaley, both of Newton; a brother, Gene, of Toledo, Ohio; and a sister, Ann Pomeroy of Spring Valley, New York. A memorial service was held October 6, 2002, in the First Unitarian Society in Newton, Massachusetts. Rudolph W. Nemser
He was born in New York, New York. He received an AB, STB and STM from Harvard University, a CAS and MS from State University of New York and a Doctor of Divinity from Meadville Lombard Theological School. Dr. Nemser was ordained June 15, 1952 by the First Unitarian Society of Whitman, Massachusetts, and served congregations in Harvard, Massachusetts, Fairfax, Virginia, Schenectady, New York, and Cherry Hill, New Jersey. On January 1, 2001, he was named Minister Emeritus by the Unitarian Universalist Church of Cherry Hill, New Jersey. In 1968 the Unitarian Unversalist Ministers Association adopted the set of guidelines he drafted for the Association. He was the recipient of the Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association Meritorious Service Award in 1982. F or many years he was Scribe of the Berry Street Conference of Unitarian Universalist Ministers and a member of the Fraters of the Wayside Inn, a group of Unitarian Universalist ministers which has met in retreat annually since 1901. He was also a past president of the Joseph Priestley District of the Unitarian Universalist Association. In addition to his parish work, in his early years he worked with young people throughout New England. Later in his ministries he was active in social concerns. He was arrested in Virginia for leading a protest of a newly enacted law banning protests of the state's segregation laws, and soon after was a founder of the National Capital Area chapter of the ACLU. In 1965 he joined Dr. Martin Luther King in the March to Selma, and he was at virtually all of the Washington marches for peace and against segregation and racism in those years. During the Vietnam War he counseled Conscientious Objectors. In 1993 the church he was serving in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, burned to the ground. His retirement coincided with the completion of a sizeable new church. That was the third major church building program of his career. Dr. Nemser is survived by his wife, the Reverend Dr. Judith Wright, and by his children, Sarah Holt of New Jersey, Katherine Kelly of Idaho and Tobey Nemser of Massachusetts. Also surviving are his nine grandchildren, his brother William Nemser of Austria, his nephew William Nemser of Florida and his four stepchildren. A service was held October 26, 2002 at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. John Papandrew
John graduated from the University of New Hampshire and Harvard Divinity School. Later in life he received his Masters from Goddard College in Vermont. He enlisted in the US Army Air Force from 1942-1945 and was a member of the 15th Air Force Squadron based in Italy. John was a tail-gunner in a B17 and flew 50 combat missions over Eastern Europe. Of the friends he enlisted with, he was one of the few who came home. John's squadron was protected by black fighter pilots, known as the Tuskegee Airman. He was later invited to address a reunion of the Tuskegee Airman in Washington DC, and this was one of the most special moments in his life. He was a lifelong member of The American Legion and the VFW. John was ordained as a Unitarian Minister in 1955. He served congregations in Portsmouth, New Hampshire; New York, New York; South Miami, Florida; Washington, DC; Provincetown, Massachusetts; Smithton, Pennsylvania; Leominster, Massachusetts; and North Hatley, Quebec. When he was at South Church he, along with Robert Shaines and others, helped to found the Seacoast Mental Health Center. John was an outspoken critic of social injustice and was a member of the ACLU and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. He marched in the Selma to Montgomery walk in Alabama, and proudly attended the March on Washington. John had just had dinner with Jim Reeb and others the night Jim was brutally attacked and murdered. Never one to back down, John went to jail with Martin Luther King Jr. and others and helped to break down the color barrier from the barbershops of Portsmouth, New Hampshire to the dining room at the Wentworth By the Sea Hotel. John was very active not only in civil rights, but also in the plight of Native Americans and in abortion rights. John leaves his son Jonathan and dughter-in-law Jody and their three sons, Joshua, Zachary and Jordan of Rye New Hampshire; and his daughter Dawn D'Andrea and her three children, Amanda, Ashley and Nicholas of Rhode Island. He was pre-deceased by his daughter Jane and his wife Betty. Richard Andrew Perry
Originally from Pearl River, New York, he earned his Batchelor of Arts Degree from Union College in 1955. After spending nine years in the world of early day computers he attended Starr King School for the Ministry where he received his Batchelor of Divinity Degree in 1967. He served as Associate Minister of the First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis from 1967 to1970; Minister of the UU Church of the Restoration from 1970 to 1978; and Minister of the UU Church of Halifax from 1978 to 1981. He found his final ministerial home with the UU Society of Grafton and Upton, where he joyfully served the congregation from 1981 to 1996. Mr. Perry was involved in many community activities and was a board member of several organizations including the Minnesota Council for the Termination of Pregnancy, Northwest Interfaith Movement, Deane House for Runaways, Voyage House for Youth Services, Philadelphia Hearing Society, Mt. Airy Neighbors for Juvenile Justice, Interfaith Housing Corporation, and Greater Halifax Memorial Society. He was also an elected member of the Upton Library Board. In serving the denomination he was Secretary-Treasurer of the Liberal Ministers of Delaware Valley, Chairman of the Nominating Committee for Murray Grove, a board member of UU House in Philadelphia and the Joseph Priestly District, a representative to the Council on Church Finances, and President of the Central Mass UUMA. He wrote and published "400 Years", commemorating the 400 th anniversary of Unitarianism. In serving his congregations he brought: A style of informality—he wore a blue blazer, stepped down from the pulpit to be closer to the people and preferred to be called Dick. A dedication to freedom of the pulpit—he spoke to issues of the day that were often controversial. A commitment to community, and a strong belief that peace was the responsibility of every individual—he practiced what he preached and even when his views were at odds with some parishioners he never used guilt trips or coercion but appealed to their finer selves to discover their own path. He preached from the heart and personal experience. His wife, children and friends were often included in his sermons. He adored children and welcomed them into the church community with a small boat bearing their name. He loved to work with his hands: In his retirement he expanded his hobby in the field of miniatures and created over 100 pieces including architectural models of family homes and shadow boxes, many of which depicted life in England (one of his many loves). He was a family man, dedicated to his wife, children and grandchildren and taking pride in their accomplishments – but of even greater import, he ministered to them as well. Louise Adams Robeck
She took a diversion into art and spent years preparing for an artistic career before coming back to the ministry. Although the ministry was her true vocation, she continued to paint, sculpt, create jewelry, sing, drum and embellish her ministry with art. She graduated from Golden High School in 1972 and received a BA in the technology of traditional art materials in 1979 from the University of California, Santa Cruz. She received a Master of Divinity from Starr King School for the Ministry in 1985 and also attended Goddard College in Vermont, Metropolitan State College, and Community College in Denver. Louise was ordained September 21, 1986 by the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Newark, Delaware, where she served from 1989-1996. During her ministry she served as coordinator of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Santa Cruz County in Aptos, California from 1979-1981; as Extension Minister for the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Pocatello, Idaho from 1996-1998; and as Metro Community Minister in Fresno, California, from 1998-2000. She also served as a representative of the Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association on the Ministerial Fellowship Committee. She was: Inclusive, sharing and caring; her wedding, performed by the Reverend Betty Pingel, was a fellowship affair with home hospitality, a potluck wedding cake and music written for the occasion. Empowering, encouraging and facilitating; some of the first Gay oriented worship services in the Unitarian Universalist Association were under her tutelage, as well as the first Unitarian Universalist labyrinth. Gentle and sensitive; frogs and fish would voluntarily sit in her hand. Fate's dice in guise of bi-polarity rolled her more pain than joy, our culture gave her more bad treatment than fair, yet fearlessly she sought the joy and bravely proceeded as if all people were good. She is survived by her husband, Don Wade; her son, Thaddeus Robeck; her parents Judy and Ray Robeck; and her sister, Susan Robeck. George A. Robinson
Mr. Robinson was born in Mahnomen, Minnesota, on the White Earth Indian Reservation. He moved to Marion, Massachusetts at the age of four, when his father was called to serve the First Congregational Church in Marion. He graduated from Tabor Academy in Marion. He received an Associate Degree from Bristol Community College, a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Massachusetts, North Dartmouth, and a Master of Divinity from Andover Newton Theological School. He was ordained June 20, 1982 by the Congregation of the Theodore Parker Unitarian Church in West Roxbury, Massachusetts and served congregations in East Rochester (Congregational) and Ashby (First Parish), Massachusetts and Flushing (Unitarian Universalist), New York. He was the Interim Executive Director of Murray Grove Camp in 1990. Prior to being fellowshipped he worked as a counselor, a youth worker, a longshoreman, a house painter and a maintenance worker. In addition to his ministerial duties he was a Resident Psychologist for Vinfen, Walk Hill Staffed Apartments, and a substitute teacher for the New York City Board of Education. His avocations were many. He loved the arts, especially sketching, and often had his sketchbook in hand, quickly capturing the scene before him and later filling in the details with many fine lines. He loved geology and rock collecting. A goodly portion of his rock collection turned into a chimney he built in the house in Ashby where his wife Tracey lives. He loved bicycle riding, hiking and camping. He had completed hikes of 15 of the 50 highest peaks in the U.S. and had his sights on Ranier and Denali. In August, about six weeks before his death, he and a hiking buddy from Flushing climbed to the glaciers atop Granite Peak in Montana, accompanied part way by a herd of mountain goats. He was a lover of nature, of wildness, of Gandhi and Thoreau. His wife, the Reverend Dr. Tracey Robinson-Harris, and his daughters, Jennifer Leigh Robinson of Haverhill, Massachusetts, and Leonora Gene Robinson of Ashby, Massachusetts, survive Reverend Robinson. He also leaves his mother, Marjory Robinson of Marion, Massachusetts, sisters Gene, Lynn, Pepper and Foxy and brother John. His father, the Rev. George A Robinson, died in mid-October 2002. Anita Rowson
Anita Rowson was born in London, England. She received a BA from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1984; a MA from the University of Oregon in 1998; and a Master of Divinity from Starr King School for the Ministry in 1995. She received Preliminary Fellowship in 1995 and was ordained March 24, 1996 by the Unitarian Church of Eugene and Lane County in Eugene, Oregon. She served congregations in San Diego and Poway, California; El Paso, Texas; and Las Cruces, New Mexico. Surviving are her children, Stacey J. Bedard of Escondido and Richard (Rick) Rowson of Santa Barbara, as well as two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. A service was held Sunday, October 13, 2002 at the Chalice Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 16315 Pomerado Road, Poway, California. The Reverends Carol C. Hilton and Margo R. McKenna officiated. Harold E. Schmidt Harold E. Schmidt passed away at the Vienna Convalescent Home in Lodi, California, on Sunday, April 13, 2003 at the age of 95. He was minister of the First Unitarian Church of Stockton from 1958 to his retirement in 1974. Mr. Schmidt was born in Tripp, South Dakota. He attended high school in Scotland, South Dakota and in 1929 received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Yankton College, South Dakota. He did theological studies from 1935 - 1937 at the Chicago Theological Seminary of the University of Chicago. The ministry was his primary career. He served at the Chapel of the Dunes, a Congregational church in Gary, Indiana, from 1935 to 1943, and at the Unitarian-Universalist People's Church of San Fernando Valley, California, from 1948 to 1958 when he moved to Stockton. A major highlight of his life was the ghost writing of a book titled "The Syrian Yankee", published by Doubleday and Company in 1943. This was the true story of a boy named Salom Rizk, born in an obscure village in Syria. His mother died giving birth and after his grandmother's death Salom became a waif, sleeping in earthen bread ovens at night and scavenging for food during the day. At the age of 12 Salom learned that his mother had come from America and that he was actually an American citizen with a father and brothers in Ohio. He arrived in the United States at the age of 14, learned English, and went on to become a famous lecturer on International Relations. The Reverend Schmidt worked with Salom Rizk for two years, booking him for lectures under contract with the Reader's Digest from 1935 to 1937 at the beginning of Salom's lecturing career. Mr. Schmidt is survived by his three sons, Harold in Lodi, David in Benicia, and Donald of Stockton, California; his wife, Elizabeth Spafford-Schmidt, a former Stockton educator now retired in Pleasant Hill; his stepson Alden in Oakland and stepdaughter Edith in Berkeley; and 5 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren. Mr. Schmidt desired not to have a memorial service and requests that those desiring make contributions to the First Unitarian Church of Stockton, 2737 Pacific Avenue, Stockton, CA, 95204. Harry Barron Scholefield
Dr. Scholefield served as senior minister of the San Francisco Unitarian Universalist Church from 1957 to 1975 and was named Minister Emeritus by the congregation upon his retirement. After serving as an Army Chaplain during World War II, he spent ten years as senior minister of the First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia. Born in Methuen, Massachusetts, he was orphaned, along with his two brothers, at an early age. He went on to graduate from Hinckley School in Maine, Bowdoin College and the Harvard Divinity School. He also graduated from the Philadelphia Psychoanalytic Institute. His ministry in San Francisco at the time of the Vietnam War and during an era of profound social change was marked by spiritual vigor and intellectual depth. He aligned the insights of Freud and Jung, the humanistic psychology of Abraham Maslow and the theology of Martin Buber with the wisdom of the world's scriptures and the poetry of Whitman, Rilke, Tagore, and William Blake to produce what he named "The Singing River" of the religious life. During his pastorate the San Francisco Church grew dramatically and underwent building expansion and sanctuary renovation. The new Unitarian-Universalist Center was created in response to Scholefield's central message of "hope". A vigorous advocate of peace and justice, he pressed the congregation to active engagement in social causes resulting in the church's influential presence in the city and nation. In addition to honorary degrees from Meadville Theological School and Starr King School for the Ministry, he received the Adin Ballou Grassroots Award and in 1990 the prestigious Unitarian-Universalist Annual Award for Distinguished Service. Among his publications in widespread use in the denomination are "A Walk On The Beach", "By Heart" (a video on meditation) and the Unitarian-Universalist Pocket Guide that he edited. His first wife of many years, Sarah Ellen Glass, who shared his work, preceded him in death. He is survived by his wife, Diene Bull Scholefield; by his three children, Sarah Ellen Scholefield of Sebastapol, Anne Thomas of West Gloucester, Massachusetts, and Joel Scholefield of San Rafael; and by his five grandchildren and one great grandchild. Also surviving are his two stepchildren, their children and two great grandchildren, and his nephew, John Scholefield, and his two children. All of the grandchildren brought much joy to the Rev. Sholefield's life. Jody Shipley
Her first job was as the administrator at the Unitarian Universalist Association's Pacific Central District office in the Starr King School for the Ministry building on LeConte Street in Berkeley. Before long her passion compelled her to enroll as a student. She did her parish internship in Brewster, Massachusetts and, in 1976 she was ordained by three congregations: the Starr King Unitarian Church of Hayward, the First Unitarian Church of Oakland, and the Mt. Diablo Unitarian Church of Walnut Creek. She went on to serve congregations in Midland, Michigan, and in Berkeley, San Mateo and Modesto, California. She was named Minister Emerita in September of 2002 by the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Stanislaus County, in Modesto. Both the Pacific Central District and the UUA recently honored Jody's accomplishments. In 2001, she received the PCD's Distinguished Service Award and in June 2002, she was honored at the General Assembly in Quebec with the Distinguished Service Award as a founding member of the Society for the Larger Ministry. In July of 2002, just as she was preparing for a well-deserved sabbatical to spend focused time with family and friends, she was diagnosed with lymphoma. She is survived by her life partner, Marilyn Gentile of Berkeley; her children, Eric Schilling of Orlando, Florida; Lisa Pardon of Madison, Wisconsin; Mia Reiser of Hercules, California; and Ann Schilling and Julie Habiger, both of Oakland, California; her sister Mariann Hendrickson; and 13 grandchildren. Services were held October 12, 2002, at the Mt. Diablo Unitarian Universalist Church in Walnut Creek and October 26, 2002, at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Stanislaus County in Modesto. The Reverend Ben Kocs-Meyers officiated in Walnut Creek and the Reverend Grace Simon officiated in Modesto. Fern Cowan Stanley
Fern was an Accredited Interim Minister of the Unitarian Universalist Association. Her most recent church assignment was with Unity Temple in Oak Park, IL. She was ordained in 1986 and has served as an interim minister in 14 congregations in the U.S. and Canada. Fern loved serving as an interim minister. She saw her role as one of enabler and servant. Included in her ordination, at her request, was the phrase, "The act of ordination confers no special power, but is the recognition of a commitment to leadership in a religious community." Such leadership, for her, was always to be carried out jointly with the congregation. She emphasized that ministers may come and go, but the church as a whole remains and is its members. Therefore, she sought to discover what a congregation needed and wanted for their church, and then did what she could to assist them in achieving their goals. Fern was the third of seven daughters and is survived by a large and loving family who will miss her dearly. She was predeceased by her father, Nelson Cowan and a nephew, Jimmy Eldridge. Surviving are her son Donald Keith, daughter Kay Ellen and son-in-law Rick Shores, and daughter Sharon Fern, all of Austin, Texas. Other survivors include her mother, Maxie Cowan of KY, her six sisters and brothers-in-law, Lucille and Earl Freeman of TN, Nell and Jim Hollon of KY, Jean and Roy Walker of CA, Mary Ruth and Truman Frye of OH, Pat and Gene Johnston of KY, and Ginny and David Binning of KY. She is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews. Finally, she is survived by her dear companion, Alex Lemski of NJ. William Hollis Tegarden
Known as Hollis, he grew up in Hopedale, Massachusetts, where his father held the Unitarian Universalist pulpit. He attended Brown University, where he met his wife, Lois Armington Thornton of Providence, Rhode Island. His college career was interrupted by World War II, in which he served as a chaplain in the Naval ROTC, and he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1946. He went on to graduate in 1949 from Harvard Divinity School, and served in several Unitarian pulpits in New England, notably in Marblehead, Massachusetts and in Portland, Maine. He retired from the Unitarian ministry to work in market research, joined George Gallup Research Associates of Princeton in 1958, and lived there until his retirement. In 1997, he published The Bible Nobody Knows, an introduction for laymen to modern biblical scholarship and the many profound effects that recent discoveries have had on our understanding of traditional biblical narratives. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Lois, of Princeton; three children, Deborah Armington Tegarden Bass of Princeton; William Hollis Tegarden Jr. of Princeton, and Pamela Adams Tegarden Allen of Jamestown, Rhode Island; and by three grandchildren, Cameron, Virginia, and Victoria Allen, all of Jamestown. A memorial service was held in Providence, Rhode Island. William George Wagner
A native of Bellefonte, PA, he came to Buffalo in 1953, where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in vocal performance from the University of Buffalo. Mr. Wagner, who served in the Army Reserves for 3 years, was the baritone soloist at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Buffalo and also at Temple Beth Am. He often appeared as a soloist with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, including once at Lincoln Center in New York City. He sang with Young Audiences of Western New York, at Melody Fair, and in numerous opera and musical theater productions. At the age of 45, the Rev. Wagner began studies at the Starr King School for the Ministry in Berkeley, California. He received a Master of Divinity degree in 1984. Ordained later that year, he served Unitarian Universalist churches in Caribou, Maine and Taunton, Massachusetts, before retiring in 2000. In retirement, he wrote a book of meditations, as well as several children's stories. He was an avid history buff, with special interest in the Civil War. Survivors include his wife of 46 years, the former Barbara McCarthy of Buffalo; 2 daughters, Molly Heller-Wagner of Sydney, Australia; and Carrie Wagner of Orchard Park, NY; 6 grandchildren, Jay, Cheri, Evan, Erica, Rachel and Gideon; 2 sisters, Margaret Seiler of Mechanicsburg and Susan Dull of State College; a brother, Curtis Wagner of Hecla Park; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. A Memorial Service was held at 6:30 on Wednesday evening, April 30 in the Unitarian Universalist Church of Buffalo. If desired, memorial gifts may be sent to the Music Committee of the Unitarian Universalist Church in Buffalo, 695 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14222. Gerald Fabrique Weary William Gayle Wetzel
He was born in Clearfield, Pennsylvania, graduated from Port Leyden High School in upstate New York, and briefly attended Bangor Theological Seminary in Maine before enlisting in the army in 1942. He served during World War II in North Africa, Corsica, Italy, France, and Germany with the Headquarters Battery 409th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Gun Battalion. He was honorably discharged in December, 1945. He received Bachelor of Arts and Master of Divinity Degrees from St. Lawrence University and Theological School. He married Christine McKenney of Auburn, Maine on February 13,1947 while they were both students at St Lawrence. He served student Congregational Churches in Deer River, Copenagen and Norwood, New York. He was ordained in 1950 and served Unitarian Universalist Churches in Claremont, New Hampshire, and Attleboro, Massachusetts until he retired from ministry in 1971. The couple then moved to Port Washington, New York where they lived for 22 years. During that time he worked briefly for Family Service of Long Island and as a volunteer with the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, traveling to Jamaica on a fact-finding visit. He also learned bartending and enjoyed his work at "the Creek," a golf club in Glen Cove, New York. He delighted his family and friends with his gourmet cuisine; Martini Chicken and a "secret" Caesar Salad Dressing were his specialties. His greatest passion during the New York years was the purchase of his RV, in which he traveled twice across the United States and all up and down the East Coast, Midwest and Canada visiting his brothers and sisters and their families. In 1993, when his wife retired from the ministry of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock in Manhasset, New York, they relocated to San Diego, California to be near their family. While he missed his Eastern family and his RV, he loved his California home and took great pride in his garden. He spent many happy hours with his roses and flowers, discovering how many new plants he could coax from a single one. He also loved the daily "Happy Hour" with his wife in their patio garden, and his greatest joy was the frequent visits from old friends and family, especially his sons and his grandchildren. Gayle was devoted to his family. His many interests included boating on Narraganset Bay, camping on Cape Cod and at Cleardew, Pennsylvania, fishing in the Adirondaks, woodworking, playing the chromonica and guitar, reading about the Civil War, and most recently playing the slots at the Indian Casinos around San Diego and tracking the stock market on his computer. Days before he died, he won $55 playing poker at the Viejas Casino and with his winnings took his family to a Mexican restaurant for lunch. Gayle was a liberal democrat/independent who was ardently opposed to the Radical Christian Right and all that they espouse and stand for. He was equally outspoken against the present Republican Administration. Besides Christine Wetzel, his wife of 55 years, he is survived by two sons; Dr. Gayle D. (Monte) Wetzel of Martinez, California, and Peter Andrew Wetzel of San Diego, California; and by his daughter-in-law, Esther Spirgi Wetzel, and three grandchildren. Gayle will be remembered most as a kind and generous man who was always sensitive to the needs and feelings of others, putting them before his own. He was an ever-ready caregiver who seemed to know just the right thing to say or do to comfort those in distress. Robert P. Wheatly
Mr. Wheatly was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and raised in Jacksonville, Florida. He received a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Stetson University and a Master of Divinity from the Crane School of Religion at Tufts University. Originally ordained by the Disciples of Christ in 1941, he became a Unitarian in 1945. On May 15, 1979, he received Preliminary Fellowship with the Unitarian Universalist Association. He served as Director for the Office on Gay and Lesbian Concerns; Executive Secretary for the Committee on Aging; and Associate Director for the Office on Social Responsibility at the Unitarian Universalist Association from 1977 to 1986. He also served the Unitarian Universalist Church of Medford, Massachusetts. Mr. Wheatly was a pioneer in recognizing the issues of gay, lesbian and bisexual concerns, and was instrumental in the founding of several gay and lesbian organizations. In 1978 he started Gays and Lesbians Affirmed (GALA), the first weeklong religious conference for gays and lesbians. GALA celebrated its 25 th anniversary this spring and he was to have been its honored guest. He was one of the founders of Prime Timers, a group for older gay men in 1987, and also started BUUGL, the Boston Unitarian Universalist Gays and Lesbians. He lobbied the Massachusetts State House in the 1980's seeking votes on gay rights. An advocate for gay marriage, he performed dozens of gay weddings, and compiled "A Planning Guide for a Same-Sex Holy Union Ceremony" in 1978. Retiring from the UUA in 1987, Wheatly remained active with advocacy work, performing weddings both straight and gay, gardening, cooking, and listening to his favorite jazz artist, Louis Armstrong. Wheatly was well loved for his good humor, interest in "you," grit, and the happiness he projected. The Reverend Wheatly leaves his life partner of 45 years, Kenneth J. English. A memorial service was held at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 24, 2002 at the Arlington Street Church in Boston, Massachusetts. The Reverends Kim Crawford Harvie and Eugene B. Navias officiated.
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Thomas Ahlburn of Greensboro, Vermont, died August 13, 2002, in Burlington, Vermont. He was the Minister Emeritus of the First Unitarian Church of Providence, Rhode Island, where he served for 25 years before retiring on January 1, 2000. Mr. Ahlburn also ministered to Unitarian Universalist congregations in Springfield, Massachusetts, and Ottawa, Ontario. 
Dr. Robert W. Brockway of Brandon, Manitoba, died on December 10, 2001 at the Brandon Regional Health Centre. 
The Reverend Anne Reeves Buehler, 71, died Saturday, March 1, 2003, in Fredericksburg, Virginia.
Nicholas C. Cardell of Syracuse, New York, died October 7, 2002. He was 77 years old.
The Reverend Roger A. Cowan, Minister Emeritus of the First Unitarian Church of Palm Beach, died on Tuesday, August 27, 2002 after suffering multiple heart attacks. 
Angela Marie Davis died Friday, January 10, 2003, at the age of 41. 
The Reverend Dr. Barbara E. Edgecombe, a Glen Ellyn piano teacher who at the midpoint of her life became a Unitarian Universalist minister, died of breast cancer Wednesday, February 26, 2003 at the age of 65. 
Margaret King Gooding was born in Claremont, New Hampshire, the daughter of Marion Ainsworth and Fred King. Peg was a 5 th generation Universalist. She graduated from Stevens High School in Claremont in 1939 and then moved to Boston to attend Wheelock College where she majored in Early Childhood Education.. 
The Reverend Robert E. Green, retired minister of the First Unitarian Church in Stockton, California, died at his home in Sonora, California at the age of 68. 
The Reverend Clifton George Hoffman was born in Detroit, Michigan. He had a long, full, and vibrant life. He was clearly called to the ministry - a leader with a classically trained, open and keen mind, a compassionate heart, and a commitment to help better the lives of people around him and to address social injustice. He wrote poetry, relished nature, was an avid birder, enjoyed the arts, played a mean game of tennis, read voraciously, and took pride in chopping his own firewood. He had an incredible love for and partnership with his wife, Katherine V. Zabriskie, adored his children and grandchildren, and cherished his friends. 
The Rev. Dr. Duncan Howlett, minister, author, and more recently, forester, died on Monday, May 19, 2003. He was 97 years of age. 
The Reverend Lee Huebert, 85, died Tuesday, April 15, 2003, in Alamogordo, New Mexico. 
The Reverend Dr. John Robert Jablonski died of cardiac arrest, July 4, 2002, three days after bypass surgery. He was 77 years of age. 
The Reverend Carol Jackson was born in Hinton, West Virginia, the daughter of Jo and Earnest J. Jackson, Jr. 
The Reverend Dr. Gerry Krick, a minister who marched in Selma, Alabama, with the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., and led demonstrations for prisoners' rights in Boston, died September 3, 2003 of colon cancer at his Newton home. He was 68. 
The Reverend Dr. Rudolph Nemser, 74, died of pancreatic cancer at his home in Arlington, Massachusetts. 
The Reverend John Papandrew, Unitarian Universalist Minister and Minister Emeritus at South Church in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, died Friday, June 13, 2003. He was 82. The son of Greek immigrants, Evangelia and Vassileos (William), John was born in Manchester, New Hampshire. His father sold bleach door to door, and at age 12 John drove the truck on the delivery route. His mother worked at the mill in Exeter and never learned to speak English. He attended Exeter High School, where he was the center on the football team and where he met his future wife, Betty Hilliard, who attended Robinson Female Seminary. 
The Reverend Richard A. Perry, Minister Emeritus of the Unitarian Universalist Society of Grafton and Upton, died at his home in San Jose, California on January 16, 2003. He was 72 years old. He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Wana Perry, and four children: John Perry of Minneapolis, Tara Perry of Las Vegas, Richard Perry of San Jose, and Mina (Perry) Saunders of Toronto; plus 7 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild. 
A true child of the Fellowship movement, Louise Adams Robeck was born to parents who were founding members of a 50's fellowship and grew up in the Jefferson Unitarian Church in Golden, Colorado. Inspired by Director of Religious Education Betty Pingel and by the Reverend Leon Hopper, she vowed to pursue the ministry while a Unitarian Universalist youth. 
Reverend George A. (Hoppy) Robinson died on Saturday, September 21, 2002 in Flushing, New York. He was 51 years of age. 
The Reverend Anita Rowson died Friday, September 27, 2002, peacefully, with her family at her side. She was 63 years of age. 
Harry Barron Scholefield, distinguished and honored Unitarian Universalist Minister, died after a long illness on March 3 rd, 2003, in Marin County, California. 
Jody Shipley was born in Glendale California, to Gladys Blain, a nurse from Indianapolis, Indiana, and Jack Hendrickson, an army Sergeant and airplane mechanic from Holiday, Texas. 
Fern Cowan Stanley, 68, died May 23, 2003 after a brief battle with lung cancer. She was born in Bell County, Kentucky. 
William Hollis Tegarden, 78, was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, the son of the Reverend JB Hollis Tegarden and Alma Whittle Tegarden. 
William George Wagner, 67, a former professional singer and retired Unitarian Universalist minister, died at home in Buffalo, NY on April 17, 2003. 
Gerald Fabrique Weary died June 4 at his home in North Newcastle at the age of 91. He was born in Chester, Nebraska, and his childhood was spent in the state's small towns situated along rivers, and in the sand hills of western Nebraska. In those years he learned to love the out-of-doors, where he spent many hours hunting, fishing, swimming, and hiking. 
The Reverend William Gayle Wetzel died July 2, 2002 in San Diego, California, following a long battle with cancer. 
The Reverend Robert P. Wheatly died Thursday, October 31, 2002 after suffering a massive heart attack. He was 83 years of age. 
