Category: Obituary: E

The Rev. Robert “Rob” L. Eller-Isaacs died on July 23, 2022, at the age of 70.

Rob is survived by his spouse, the Rev. Janne Eller-Isaacs; children and their spouses: Jonah A. Eller-Isaacs; Jessie Eller-Isaacs, spouse Andy Anderson-Furgeson; Hannah and Tim Franco-Isaacs; and grandchildren: Lewis Eller-Furgeson, Mira Eller-Furgeson, and Levi Franco-Isaacs. He is also survived by his sister and brother-in-law: Jane and Alan Fantel. Equally important is his chosen family within the Unitarian Universalist faith community.  

A memorial service will be held in the fall. Memorial gifts can be made to the Unity-Church Unitarian, 733 Portland Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55104; the UUMA, 24 Farnsworth Street, Boston, MA 02210-1409; the Chicago’s Children’s Choir, 78 East Washington Street, 5th Floor Chicago, IL 60602; and The First Unitarian Church of Oakland, 685 14th Street Oakland, CA 94612.

Notes of condolences can be sent to Janne Eller-Isaacs, 4770 NE Going Street, Portland, Oregon, 97218.

A more complete obituary will be forthcoming after biographical research has been completed.

The Rev. Linda K. Eppert died on November 18, 2021, at the age of 67.

Linda is survived by her husband, Steven Eppert; her sister, Cynthia (Dapper) Trimbell (spouse Derwood Trimbell); two children, Joshua Eppert (spouse Marcie Wahba) and Erinn (Eppert) Tucker (spouse Christopher Tucker); three grandchildren; and several other family members, including a great nephew. She was preceded in death by her parents, John W. Dapper and Mary (Yeager) Dapper.

A memorial service was held at St. John’s Unitarian Universalist Church, 320 Resor Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio, 45220 on December 28, 2021.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Cincinnati Public Radio. UURMaPA will contribute $50 to the UUMA Endowment Fund in honor of our colleague’s ministry.

Notes of condolence can be sent to Steven Eppert, 3102 Cove View Blvd, Apt D108, Galveston, Texas 77554.

A more complete obituary will be forthcoming after biographical research has been completed.

The Rev. Dr. Charles W. Eddis died on May 22, 2021 at the age of 94.

Charles is survived by his wife Nancy Eddis, his daughter Sandie and son Tim and their partners, and grandchildren.

His family would like you to know that a celebration of his life will happen sometime down the road when we can share stories, hugs, and butter tart.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations honoring Rev. Eddis may be made to the charity of one’s choice. UURMaPA will contribute $50 to the UUMA Endowment Fund in honor of our colleague’s ministry.

Notes of condolences may be written to Nancy Eddis at 4646 Sherbrooke St. West #425, Montreal, QU H3Z 2Z8, Canada.

A more complete obituary will be forthcoming after biographical research has been completed.

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 Reverend Dr. Dorothy Emerson—parish minister, scholar, writer and editor for women’s heritage and ministry, activist in race and class issues, and LGBTQ+ historian, who once called herself “kind of an out-there person”—died suddenly on 13 May 2019, aged 75-1⁄2.

Most widely acclaimed for her devotion to the role of women in UU circles and wider social movements, the Rev’d Ms. Emerson founded the UU Women’s Heritage Society. As a board member of UU Class Conversations, she led workshops on class issues for many congregations and ministers. At Collegium’s fall gathering in 2018, a full session was dedicated to Dorothy reading from her memoir, Sea Change (see below). In the last year of her life, Dorothy gave devoted leadership to the UU Rainbow History Project, documenting the personal stories and changing consciousness of gay and straight clergy around LGBTQ+ concerns.

Dorothy May Emerson was born on 20 November 1943 in Long Beach CA to Howard Douglas Emerson and Eloise Clark Emerson. She graduated from Pomona College (Claremont CA) in 1965 with a B.A. in German literature. After an M.A. in psychology and education from the Humanistic Psychology Institute (San Francisco) in 1974, she worked as a consultant. But eventually drawn to ministry, Dorothy earned her M.Div. at Harvard Divinity School in 1988.

Ms. Emerson began parish ministry with the First Universalist Society of Wakefield (MA) and was ordained there on 25 September 1988. After two interim positions, she accepted a call to the UU Church of Medford MA. During that six-year pastorate (1992–98) she earned a D.Min. at Andover Newton Theological School in 1997.

Over the next 12 years, the Rev’d Dr. Emerson intermittently served parish and community ministries while intensively pursuing her passions in a range of scholarly and writing projects. From this period came voluminous manuscripts and several edited volumes. Her final work was a memoir: Sea Change: The Unfinished Agenda of the 1960s. Just days before her death, she delivered 44 boxes of professional papers to the Harvard Divinity School archives.

At her death, Dorothy was survived by her wife Donna E. Clifford, son Damian Elrod, grandson Zade Elrod, sister Mary Lou, brothers Howard and Clark, and other nieces and nephews. Memorial donations are encouraged to the UU Rainbow History Project (via UURMaPA) or to a charity of one’s own choosing.

A green burial took place on 18 May 2019 at Cedar Grove Burial Ground, Limington ME. Dorothy’s life was celebrated on 8 June 2019 at the Melrose (MA) UU Church. Notes of condolence may be sent to Donna Clifford at 51 Cedar St., Apt #4101, Woburn MA 01801.

The Rev. Dr. Cynthia J. Edson died on October 6, 2018 at the age of 73.

Cynthia was born on July 26, 1945 in Weymouth, MA to William Gordon Edson and Catherine Jane (Wishart) Edson. She graduated from the University of Connecticut, CT in 1967 with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications, following which she earned her Master of Theology from the Boston University, MA in 1970. In 1972, Cynthia received her Doctor of Ministry from the Andover Newton Theological School, MA.

The Rev. Dr. Edson was ordained on May 24, 1970 by the First Parish UU Church at Saugus, MA where she carried out her ministry from 1969 to 1971. She was then called to the UU Church of Berks County in Reading, PA where she would serve from 1973 until 1977. On September of 1977, the Rev. Dr. Edson accepted a call from the Unitarian Church of Bangor, ME and ministered to the Bangor congregation for two years. Over the next decade, the Rev. Dr. Edson carried out series of interim and called ministries at the following congregations: the First Parish Church in Beverly UU, Beverly, MA (1983-1985); the First Parish Church of the Presidents, Quincy MA (1986); the Anchorage UU Fellowship Inc., Anchorage, AK (1987-1988); the UU Fellowship of Fayetteville, Fayetteville, NC (1988-1989); the Unitarian Coastal Fellowship, Morehead City, NC (1988-1991); the UU Congregation of Greenville, Greenville, NC (1988-1991); the UU Church of Weymouth, Weymouth, MA (1991-1992); and finally at the Emerson UU Church, Canoga Park, CA (1993).

The Rev. Dr. Edson carried out a great deal of service on behalf of the denomination. She served the UU World as a Managing Editor from 1970 to 1972 and as President for the Joseph Priestley District from 1973 to 1976. She was a member of the Unitarian Universalist Women’s Federation; co-editor for the UUMA’s newsletter during 1977 to 1979; and secretary for the Ferry Beach Park Association beginning 1981 to 1982.

Outside her denominational work, Cynthia belonged to several community organizations. She functioned as an environmental chair for the League of Women Voters, and as a steering committee member for the Ministerium (Ecumenical) Social Action Cabinet. She was advisor for People Against Rape, as well as clergy advisor to Planned Parenthood, Maternal Health Service of NE PA, and School Health Education Advisor for the Bangor city, ME. Furthermore, she served as a delegate to the White House Conference on Libraries. Cynthia was also a dedicated writer. Her writings appeared in the Journal of Pastoral Care; the Journal of Psychical Research; and the Haiku Foundation. She showed a lifelong interest in antiques, art and architecture, bibliomania, folklore, and enjoyed tennis.

Cynthia is survived by her longtime friends, Nancy and Ross Edwards, Rosemary Jenkes, Mary Lou Rogers, Carol X (PA), Barry and Kenneth Glover.

UURMaPA will contribute $50 to the UUMA Endowment Fund in honor of our colleague’s ministry.

A memorial service is being planned for the spring.

The Rev. Robert Miles “Bob” Eddy died on April 22, 2018, at the age of 89.

Bob is survived by his three children: Lee Eddy (Seattle,WA), Pam Eddy (Bloomington, IN), Miles Eddy (Bloomington, IN), son-in-law Shawn Reynolds (Bloomington, IN), his grandchild, McCarry Reynolds (Santa Cruz, CA) his brother’s family, his wife’s family and many great nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to Unitarian Universalist Church of Pensacola, 9888 Pensacola Blvd, Pensacola, FL, 32534-1244.

A memorial service was held at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Pensacola.

The UURMaPA will contribute $50 to the UUMA Endowment Fund in honor of our colleague’s ministry.

A more informed obituary will be forthcoming.

The Reverend Dr. Til Evans—wise and compassionate counselor, consummate teacher and religious educator, professor, and sometime parish minister—died at age 95 in the early hours of 19 April 2018.

Til’s death announcement brought forth a stream of tributes, steadily praising her wisdom and recalling moments of deep personal connection, especially from Starr King School graduates. She was poetically described by Mark Belletini as one “who lives a teaching life with laughter, love and rage, [and] proclaims incarnate soul within this soulless age.”

Myrtle Joan Ferryman was born on 5 February 1923 in Bristol, England. She never liked “Myrtle” and shortened it to “Til” early on. On her 17th birthday, Til began training as a nurse, later specializing in midwifery, during which short career she proudly delivered 105 healthy babies. At a USO dance in 1944 she met Bill Evans, a US Army Air Force GI. They were married in 1945 and settled in Bill’s home area of Los Angeles, eventually adding five children to their family.

Seeking religious grounding for her children, Til was invited to a local UU church. Her involvement grew over time, directing religious education programs at nearby churches and eventually taking a part-time faculty position at Starr King School in the 1970s plus religious education positions in the UUA district and then at the Walnut Creek, CA, Mt. Diablo UU Church.

Her marriage to Bill Evans having ended by extended separation and then divorce, Til and the Rev’d Bob Forbes were wedded in 1982, but the marriage was sadly cut short by Bob’s untimely death from cancer in 1984. Continuing her service on the Starr King faculty, she eventually guided the school as acting president (1988-90), and in 1992 was awarded an S.T.D. honoris causa on retirement from her professorship.

At the time of her death, Til Evans was survived by sons Chris (later deceased in the fall of 2018) and Marc, daughter Rebecca, four grandchildren, one great grandchild, sister Jasmine in Great Britain, numerous nieces and nephews, and not least, by her beloved cat Gigi. She outlived also a sister, a brother, and two other children, Jane and David.

Geraldine Dixon Eddy, 84, the wife of the Reverend Robert M. Eddy, passed away April 22, 2017. Though she had survived many life-threatening medical emergencies, she always found a way to regain her vitality, and remained active all her life.

Born October 9, 1932 in Montgomery, Alabama, Gerry had earned a BA in 1952 from Wesleyan College, with a double major in Theatre and English Literature. She later earned an MA in library science from the University of Michigan. She was a school librarian until 1993 serving schools in Detroit, Michigan; Bought Hills, NY; and for 20 years in Aurora, Colorado.

In 1954 Gerry married Robert Miles Eddy, who was a student at Drew Seminary. In 1956, they moved to North Creek, New York, where Bob served the Methodist Church, and their first child, Lee, was born. In 1958 they moved to Dayton, Ohio where Bob worked for the American Friends Service Committee, on special assignment. Their second daughter Pam and their son Miles were born in Dayton. Bob became a Unitarian Universalist minister in 1963 and their family moved as he served churches in Farmington, MI; Schenectady, NY; and Denver, CO.

Gerry retired in 1993 and traveled with Bob as he served interim ministries in Indianapolis, Indiana; Adelaide, Australia; Denver, CO; and Pensacola, FL. In 2001 they returned to Pensacola, where he served as part time minister until 2005.

They traveled extensively, including one 14-month trip around the world and four years living full-time in an RV. Her curiosity led her to explore many subjects including fossils, geology, flowers, birds, Spanish, and cosmology. She loved assembling crossword puzzles, reading mystery novels, skiing, and music. Biking had a special place in Gerry’s heart. She once said that she felt most truly herself on her bike. Gerry and Bob rode around 49 of the 50 United States, Canada, Europe, and even a couple days in Tibet. They had completed a 13-mile route just two days before her death.

In her later years Gerry immersed herself in Buddhism, attending a number of silent retreats around the country. In Pensacola, she attended the weekly English language meditation services at the Dieu De Vietnamese Temple.

Gerry is survived by husband Robert M. Eddy of Pensacola, FL; daughter Lee Eddy of Seattle, WA; daughter Pam Eddy and son-in-law Shawn Reynolds of Bloomington, IN; son Miles Eddy of Bloomington, IN and grandchild McCarry Reynolds of Santa Cruz, CA.

Additional biographical information and images can be found at a memorial website.

Remembrances can be made in Gerry’s memory to the following organizations – American Civil Liberties Union, Unitarian Universalist Church of Pensacola, FL, Wesleylan College, Macon GA, Dieu De Temple (9602 Nims Lane, Pensacola, Florida 32534), or Doctors Without Borders. 

Her husband, the Rev. Bob Eddy, can be reached at 850-206-7168.