Author: Duane Fickeisen
The Rev. Barbara Earl
The Rev. Barbara Earl died on December 7, 2020 at the age of 83.
Barbara is survived by her sister Jean; her daughters: Lesley, Sheila, and Laura; and her grandchildren: Kevin, Brian, Charles, Ainsley, Braedon, and MacKenzie. She was preceded in death by her mother Elizabeth MacIntyre, her father Jack Fenner, and her brother Jack.
A memorial service is being planned to be held later at the First Unitarian Congregation in Mississauga, 84 S Service Rd., Mississauga, ON L5G 2R9, Canada. There will be another one around February 2021, at the Village of Erin Meadows, 2930 Erin Centre Blvd, Mississauga, ON L5M 7M4, Canada.
UURMaPA will contribute $50 to the UUMA Endowment Fund in honor of our colleague’s ministry.
Notes of condolences may be sent to Lesley Earl, at earl.lesley@gmail.com.
A more complete obituary will be forthcoming after biographical research has been completed.
The Rev. Kenneth “Ken” Helms
The Rev. Kenneth “Ken” Helms died on December 12, 2020 at the age of 84.
Ken is survived by his wife of 49 years, Anne Adams Helms. He is also survived by three sons, Jeffrey Brian Helms, Nathan Brent Helms, and Drew Brandon Helms; three step-daughters, Virginia Mayhew, Alison Jaques, and Sylvia Desin; six grandchildren and four step grandchildren, and many friends who loved and enjoyed spending time with him. He will be missed.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Monterey Bay Area or Black Lives Matter. UURMaPA will contribute $50 to the UUMA Endowment Fund in honor of our colleague’s ministry.
Notes of condolences may be sent to Anne Helms, 25350 Camino de Chamisal, Salinas, CA. 93908-8926.
A more complete obituary will be forthcoming after biographical research has been completed.
Eva A. (Clark) Morin
Eva A Morin, the widow of the Reverend Roland E Morin, died 3 December 2020 at her home in Keene, New Hampshire. Eva was born in Carlisle, Massachusetts, on May 19, 1914, to Romey and Rose (Fadden) Clark. She married Roland E Morin in 1936 and moved to Hudson MA where they raised their two children, Paul E Morin and Suzanne I Morin.
In 1959 Eva and Roland moved to Laconia NH, where Roland was ordained and installed as the minister of the First Unitarian Society. In 1963 they moved to Chelmsford MA where Roland served as the minister of the UU church. Eva was involved in church and community affairs, acting in a local production of “The Pirates of Penzance.” They lived in Chelmsford until their retirement in 1979. In retirement they moved to Campton NH, where they enjoyed the beauty of the White Mountains.
Upon her husband’s death in 1984, Eva moved to be closer to family. She lived Nashua NH, Maynard MA, Stow MA and finally Keene NH. She enjoyed reading, painting with watercolors, gardening, her family, and friends of all ages.
She is survived by her son Paul Morin and his wife Margaret of Tinmouth VT and her daughter Suzanne Morin and her husband Joseph Staples of Keene NH, six grandchildren, eight great grandchildren and seven great great grandchildren. Due to the pandemic there will be a memorial service later in 2021.
The family asks that in lieu of flowers, contributions be made in Eva’s memory to the Monadnock Humane Society, 101 West Swanzey Road, Swanzey NH 03446 or to Keene Community Kitchen, 37 Mechanic St, Keene NH 03431.
Condolences may be sent to Suzanne Morin, 60 Skyline Drive, Keene, NH 03431 and/or Paul Morin 493 East Road, Tinmouth, VT 05773.
The Rev. Stephen “Steve” Dick
The Rev. Stephen “Steve” Dick died this past December 2020 at the age of 68.
Born October 10, 1953, Rev. Stephen “Steve” Dick was an American UU minister
who trained and served exclusively in the United Kingdom. Rev. Dick was
influential in founding the European Unitarian Universalists (EUU), a
support network and community for Unitarian Universalists and UU fellowships
in Europe. In the 1980s, Steve helped found the EUU and several UU
Fellowships throughout Europe. He also worked on the staff of the
International Association for Religious Freedom (IARF) for several years
while in Germany. In the United Kingdom, he was minister to congregations in
Croydon and Horsham followed by a decade as District Minister for London and
the South East and a brief stint as Chief Executive Officer of the British
Unitarians.
In 2009 he began his work with the International Council of Unitarians and
Universalists (ICUU), for a time serving as Executive Director until his
retirement in 2016. In 2010 Rev. Dick was accepted as an associate member in
the UU Minister’s Association and upon his retirement was granted associate
life member status. After his retirement Steve continued to travel around
the world working with Unitarian groups in other countries and cultures,
discovering we often have more to learn from them than they from us.
A former congregant writes in tribute: “We owe him a debt of gratitude for
his successful efforts to establish an English speaking UU presence in
Europe and for many years providing a safe haven for our religious growth.”
Rev. Dick is survived by his wife, Jenneke Dick-Schol and daughter Esther.
Oct 21, 2020
The Rev. William Chester McCall III
The Rev. William Chester McCall III died on November 16, 2020 at the age of 72.
Chester is survived by his partner Kraig Jones; his sister, Bonnie Duplessis; his brother, Joseph A. McCall; and Darryl Matkins, his longtime chosen family.
A Celebration of Life for Chester is tentatively scheduled for January 16, 2021.
Condolences may be sent to Bonnie Duplessis, 4932 Norwich Pl., Newark, CA 94560 or to Darryl Matkins, 247 Daphne Way, East Palo Alto, CA, 94303.
UURMaPA will contribute $50 to the UUMA Endowment Fund in honor of our colleague’s ministry.
A more complete obituary will be forthcoming after biographical research has been completed.
The Rev. William “Bill” Welch
The Rev. William “Bill” Welch died on November 15, 2020 at the age of 74.
He is survived by his sister Janet Beasley, his nephew Tarry Beasley IV, and his nieces Nina Wildes and Janet Lee McDowell. He was preceded in death by his sister Gwen McNeese and his nephew David (Skip) McNeese.
A celebration of Bill’s life is being planned (sometime after the first of the year).
In lieu of flowers donations in his memory may be made to the Thistle Farms or you may support Thistle Farms by shopping at their online store of products made by survivor artisans. UURMaPA will contribute $50 to the UUMA Endowment Fund in honor of our colleague’s ministry.
Notes of condolences may be sent to Nina Wildes at njwildes@gmail.com.
A more complete obituary will be forthcoming after biographical research has been completed.
The Rev. Dr. William “Bill” J Gnagey
The Rev. Dr. William J. Gnagey, spouse of Reverend Dr. Ruth Jacquot Gnagey, died peacefully on 14 November 2020 at his home in Normal, Illinois, with loved ones nearby.
He was born on 16 August 1927 in Milledgeville, Illinois, the son of Leelo and Virginia Gnagey. He was educated at Manchester College, in Indiana, and Wayne State University, in Detroit, Michigan where he received his BS, M.Ed., and Ph. D in Psychology. He taught in the public schools of Detroit for four years. At the same time, he was ordained by the Church of the Brethren and was Associate Pastor of the Church of the Brethren of Detroit. In 1953, Bill began a career as a professor of Psychology at Manchester College, then at Butler State University and Illinois State University where he was a professor for 38 years. At Illinois State he also served as Director of Educational Research Services and Assistant Dean of the Graduate School. He received many honors at ISU: Distinguished Teacher, 1969, Outstanding University Teacher of the Year, 1985, among others. He loved being an educator. He retired as Emeritus Professor in 1999.
He was an active member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington Normal from 1961, serving as President of the Board for two years and in many other capacities. His sense of humor was refreshing, and he kept it to the end of his life.
Bill married Marilyn Macey in 1948, but she died in 1973. He married Rev. Dr. Ruth Jacquot on 19 May 2003, and they spent many years as co-ministers during the winter months at Unitarian Universalist churches in Texas.
Beside Ruth, he is survived by three of his children: Leslie Roberts, of Bloomington, Timothy Gnagey (Vickie) of Leroy, IL and Jeffery Gnagey (Janice) of Northfield, MI; two step-children: Bruce Praul (Kelly) of Sunbury, Ohio and Kyle McCullough of Apopka, Florida; two brothers: Larry Gnagey (Regina) of Jonesboro, Arkansas and Thomas Gnagey of Fayettville, Arkansas; by seven grandchildren, five step-grandchildren, eleven great grandchildren and four great great grandchildren.
The family expresses deep appreciation to the staff of the Carle Hospice program for their faithful and loving care of our dear Bill during his illness. Bill’s body was donated to science with support from the Carmody-Flynn Funeral home. A virtual memorial service will be scheduled by Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington Normal.
Fall Conference 2020 — Breakdown/Breakthrough
Our Fall 2020 Conference was held virtually in six separate sessions on October 12-14. The Rev. Fred Small was our theme presenter on the topic Breakdown/Breakthrough that inspired actions to heal the world. There’s more on his presentation in our newsletter, Elderberries (“Climate Activism,” pgs. 8-9). Sessions included a welcome and virtual gathering and opening worship, a memorial service led by the Revs. Tom and Carolyn Owen Towle, an odyssey delivered by the Revs. Rose Edington and Mel Hoover, and a business session as well as the theme presentation and a variety of thematic workshop sessions.
Over 140 people participated in the virtual conference, reaching more than our typical in-person gatherings. This very successful event was organized by a planning team led by the Rev. Barbro Hansson with the Rev. Charles Stephens and Allison Stephens assisting. The music and worship provided much healing in these very challenging times and the workshops were insightful and enriching.