The Rev. James E. Grant

The Reverend Jim Grant, whose religious journey led him from a Southern Baptist upbringing, through many years of American Baptist ministry, and finally to UU ministry at age 61, died on 6 January 2024, aged 88 (1935-2024). 

Jim Grant was one of the gentlest souls ever to enter UU ministry. His deep pastoral presence, insightful preaching, self-effacing humor, lovely singing voice, twinkling eyes and ready smile made him a beloved joy to colleagues and congregations alike. His commitment to interim ministry was guided by a clear vision for the needs of transitional service; congregations appreciated his unpretentious integrity and generosity of spirit. 

James Edward Grant was born on 20 June 1935 in Asheville NC, the third of four children, and raised in a large Southern Baptist church with an active, multi-age religious education program. He sang in church choirs from the time he was a young child and participated in the church’s drama group. 

Supporting himself after high school with part-time religious education positions in small churches, Jim earned an associate degree from Mars Hill College, a B.A. from the University of Richmond VA in 1957, and an M.Div. from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (Louisville KY) in 1960. Back in Richmond, he completed an M.A. in history in 1962, and then served in the Southern Baptist ministry for 10 years.  

As his own theology matured in a more liberal direction along with growing commitment to racial equality, Mr. Grant transferred his ministerial standing to the American Baptist Church. Serving ABC congregations in Massachusetts led Jim to ecumenical work with many UU clergy and to increasing appreciation of, and comfort with the UU tradition. When not on duty with the American Baptists, he often worshipped in UU spaces, including Kings Chapel and First Parish in Weston. Impressed by the UUA’s inclusive language and embrace of multiculturalism, he realized that UU ministry beckoned as the next “home” for his interests and professional abilities. Thus, in the summer of 1996, at age 61, he left 25+ years of professional ministry with the American Baptists, sought standing with the UUA, and relocated to Southern California. 

The Rev’d Mr. Grant began his UU service with interim ministry (1996–98) at the UU Inland North County Fellowship (now merged since 2000 to form the Chalice UU Congregation in Escondido CA), during which the congregation’s life was greatly healed and stabilized. Moving on to the Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara CA (1999–2001), his ministry again had a healing and energizing effect that grew the congregation’s numbers and helped it move toward a stronger future. Staff members felt a part of a positive, cooperative team and served as a model for the congregation. 

Over the next decade, Jim Grant served interim and contract ministries in Southern California at the UU Fellowship of Laguna Beach (2001–03), the Coronado UU Church (2003–04), Pacific Unitarian Church in Rancho Palos Verdes (2004–05), the First UU Church of San Diego (2006), and the UU Fellowship of San Dieguito in Solana Beach (2007). Ranging farther afield, he extended his ministry to the UU Congregation of Las Vegas NV (2009) and finally to the UU Congregation of Santa Fe NM (2009–10). 

In retirement, Jim continued his affiliate status with the First UU Church of San Diego, which he had joined in 1999, and over the years he offered strong pastoral assistance, occasional preaching, and much valued collegial friendship to that congregation’s succession of lead ministers—Tom and Carolyn Owen-Towle, Arvid Straube, Kathleen Owens, and Justine Sullivan—all of whom (except Carolyn) spoke at Jim’s memorial service. “He was the embodiment of Marge Piercy’s poem, ‘To Be of Use,’” said Kathleen Owens. 

Throughout his career the Rev’d Mr. Grant was actively engaged in work outside the parish. He served on the board and finance committee of the Massachusetts Council of Churches and as president of the Massachusetts Commission of the United Ministries in Higher Education. In his UU years, he was a consultant for the UUA’s Pacific Southwest District and was active in the UUMA chapter. He worked with various community, civic, and non-profit organizations, and served as an officer and board member of the United Nations Association’s local chapter. 

He enjoyed singing all his life and sang with various church choirs and choral groups. In his leisure time, he loved cooking, birdwatching, reading, and art. 

At his death, Jim was survived by his spouse of 66 years, Betty Wyatt Grant, siblings Athol Grant and Mary Carolyn Kominowski, children Martha Grant Fuller and James Edward Grant Jr., grandchildren Elizabeth Fuller and Mikhael Fuller, three great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews. 

A celebration of life (video link here) was held on 24 February 2024 at the First UU Church of San Diego. Donations to that church in Jim’s memory are encouraged. Notes of condolence may be sent to Jim’s daughter, Martha Fuller, at mfullerpnp@yahoo.com or 4842 Hart Dr., San Diego CA 92116. 

The Rev. Patience Jane Gardner

The Rev. Patience Jane Gardner died on January 3, 2024, at the age of 77 (1946-2024). Patience is survived by her son Bryant (Kate); granddaughters: Katherine and Margaret; niece Kirsten; and nephew Chris. She was preceded in death by her brother Bryant, mother Leticia, and father Edward. A memorial service was held on January 20, 2024, at the First Parish UU Church, 842 Tremont St, Duxbury MA 02332.

 

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the charity of one’s own choosing. UURMaPA will contribute to the UUMA Endowment Fund in honor of our colleague’s ministry. Notes of condolence may be written here.

 

A more complete obituary will be forthcoming after biographical research has been completed. It will be published in an upcoming issue of Elderberries and posted on the UURMaPA website.If any readers would wish to contribute information or reminiscences, we would welcome them. Please send them to UURMaPA’s clergy obituary editor, Jay Atkinson – jayatk40@gmail.com

The Rev. Joan R. Gelbein

The Rev. Joan R. Gelbein died on May 27, 2023, at the age of 87 (1935-2023).

Joan is survived by her husband of 65 years, Abe Gelbein; daughters Eve (Robert) Zuber and Martha (Craig) Woodard; as well as her grandchildren Samantha Zuber and Matthew and Benjamin Woodard.

A celebration of Joan’s life will be held at 3 pm on September 9, 2023, at the Unitarian Universalist Peace Fellowship, 4104 Watkins Rd, Raleigh NC 27616. (Please call or text Abe at 919-608-1182 if you are planning to attend.)

Memorial donations may be made to Cooley Dickinson VNA & Hospice, 168 Industrial Drive, Northampton MA 01060. UURMaPA will contribute to the UUMA Endowment Fund in honor of our colleague’s ministry.

Notes of condolence can be sent to Abe Gelbein, 6 Cranberry Ln, Easthampton MA 01027.

A more complete obituary will be forthcoming after biographical research has been completed. If any readers would wish to contribute information or reminiscences, we would welcome them. Please send them to UURMaPA’s clergy obituary editor, Jay Atkinson – jayatk40@gmail.com

The Rev. Glenda Ruth Gray

The Board of the UU Retired Ministers and Partners Association offers our condolences to the family and colleagues of the Rev. Glenda Ruth Gray, who died on December 27, 2022, at the age of 80 (1942-2022).

Glenda is survived by her nieces: Shaila Ordaz and Marcy Weinberg; nephews: David Ordaz, Robert Ordaz, Rafael Herazo and Carlos Herazo; as well as six great nieces and nephews. She also leaves behind her beloved cat Chauncy.

A memorial service will be held in the spring of 2023.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the Animal Humane Society of New Mexico, 615 Virginia St, SE, Albuquerque, NM 87108, or The First Unitarian Church of Albuquerque, 3701 Carlisle Blvd. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87110. UURMaPA will contribute to the UUMA Endowment Fund in honor of our colleague’s ministry.

Notes of condolence can be written here.

A more complete obituary will be forthcoming after biographical research has been completed. If any readers would wish to contribute information or reminiscences, we would welcome them. Please send them to UURMaPA’s clergy obituary editor, Jay Atkinson – jayatk40@gmail.com

The Rev. John Patrick Gaffney

The Rev. John Patrick Gaffney died on May 16, 2022, at the age of 86.

John is survived by his wife, Beverly Gaffney nee Mitchell; two daughters, Juliette Dame nee Gaffney of Ohio and Rachel Bragg of Longwood, Florida; along with five grandchildren, Adam, Ryan, Patrick, Madeline, and Lauren, who enjoyed playing at the beach and just hanging out with their Pop. He is preceded in death by his parents, Mary Ruth and Joseph Gaffney, by his brother, Joseph Gaffney, and by his sister, Margaret Kelly nee Gaffney.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Sierra Club, your local public broadcasting station, the National Association for Mental Illness (NAMI) or John would encourage everyone to travel and enjoy the great outdoors. 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. Roger “Rog” E. Greeley

The Rev. Roger “Rog” E. Greeley died on October 28, 2021, at the age of 98.

Rog is survived by his three children: Bethany Greeley, Timothy (Janet) Greeley, and Will (Mary) Greeley; his six grandchildren: Elliot (Ali) Kaiman, Emily (Brandon) Haugh, Theodore (Erika) Greeley, Patrick (Amy) Greeley, Nathan (Emily) Greeley, and Matthew (Alyssa) Greeley; as well as his seven great-grandchildren: Malcolm and Otto Kaiman, Lucy and Grady Haugh, Virginia and Finton Greeley, and Adalind Greeley. He was preceded in death by his wife of seventy years, Katherine Purcell.

A private family ceremony is being planned.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Marine Corps Veterans Association https://marinevets.org/. UURMaPA will contribute $50 to the  UUMA Endowment Fund in honor of our colleague’s ministry.

Notes of condolences may be expressed online https://www.fassbenderswansonhansen.com/obituaries/Roger-Elting-Greeley?obId=22822465#/obituaryInfo.

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

The Rev. Dr. William “Bill” J Gnagey

Bill 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.

Johanna Margaretha “Greta” Godbey

Johanna Godbey

Johanna Margaretha “Greta” Godbey, widow of the Reverend Dr. John Godbey, died June 30, 2020. She was born Feb 4, 1932, on the island of Java, Indonesia, to Bernard and Elisabeth Gratama. When the Japanese invaded the country in 1942, the family was separated for three years in Japanese concentration camps. At the end of the war, they were reunited and returned to The Netherlands.

Johanna, known as Greta, planned to become an air hostess for KLM. To improve her French language skills, she worked at a laundry near a United States airbase outside of Casablanca, Morocco. It was there that she met John Godbey, and after a whirlwind courtship, they were married on May 26, 1954, in Casablanca. In 1955 they moved to the United States, where Greta took up life as the wife of a graduate student. While John finished his doctorate at the University of Chicago Divinity School, she raised three sons and a daughter. She was a loving and involved mother who was active in her children’s lives, sewing unique Halloween costumes, and serving as a Cub Scout Den Mother and a Camp Fire Girls group leader.

Greta earned a B.S. and completed all course-work for an M.A. in Mathematics from Chicago State University. She taught math in the Chicago public high schools for several years and then became Assistant to the Graduate Dean of Humanities at the University of Chicago. She excelled in guiding students through the required paperwork. She also became a self-taught medievalist focused on Viking sagas and the writings of medieval women.

Greta and John were active members of the First Unitarian Church in Hyde Park for over forty years. Greta regularly opened their home to members of the faculty, staff, and graduate students of Meadville Lombard Theological School, where John served. As a couple, they celebrated forty-five years of marriage and never lacked for stimulating and invigorating conversations. She spoke her mind; he listened, valued, and challenged her opinions.

They enjoyed camping, tennis, and travel throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia. Greta was an avid naturalist, a bird-watcher, and a friend to all dogs. Music was an important part of her life. She enjoyed concerts and operas, chamber music and recitals, vocal and orchestral music of all kinds. No matter where she was, Greta sought a choir to join. Over the years she sang with several church choirs, university-affiliated choirs, and Renaissance choirs.

Following John’s death from Parkinson’s in 1999, Greta moved to Ardmore, PA to be near her daughter Margaret. She enjoyed the proximity to musical events in Philadelphia and the fellowship of the Main Line Unitarian Church in Devon, PA, where she served in a variety of capacities including choir-member and book store manager. She again followed Margaret to Hartsville, SC in 2015, making new friends in her remaining years.

Greta is survived by her sister, Mrs. Lucie Alberti of Colombier, Switzerland; son Charles (Helenna) of Chicago, IL; son Nicholas (Alice) of Grapevine, TX; daughter Margaret (David Hellen) of Hartsville, SC; five grandchildren:and seven great-grandchildren. Greta’s ashes will be interred with John’s at the First Unitarian Church in Chicago, IL.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to organizations Greta supported: Best Friends Animal Society, Kanab, Utah, https://bestfriends.org/; Darlington County Humane Society, Darlington, SC, https://darlingtonhumane.org/; or The Nature Conservancy, https://www.nature.org/en-us/.

 

Richard Lansing Geer

Richard Geer

Richard Lansing Geer, rocket scientist and spouse of the Reverend Nan Geer, died April 17, 2019. He was born September 29, 1933 in Portland, Oregon to Willard and Mary Geer. After attending both Willamette University and the University of Southern California and graduating with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, Richard was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Air Force. He was a member of two Engineering honorary societies, and earned master’s degrees both in Aeronautical Engineering and Systems Engineering.

During his Air Force career, he worked on a classified Defense Meteorological Satellite Program, which greatly improved reconnaissance/surveillance of the Soviet Union and was invaluable during the Cuban Missile Crisis. He was pleased when this project was finally declassified, and he could tell his family about that work. The story of this program is now documented in a video, “The Satellite Men”.

Richard was an expert in moon dust research before the first Moon landing. He designed a gondola, now on display in the Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson Air Force base, to research high altitude/velocity aircraft escape. For this research he was himself often a test subject for seat ejection evaluations. He worked on some of the first Air Force man-in-space programs, including military spacecraft. He also served on an inspector general team and later as part of the USAF Foreign Technology Division. He retired from the Air Force as a Lt. Colonel in 1981 and came to work for Boeing, in its space programs.

He married Alice Elizabeth Jackson in 1955, and they had two daughters, Marilyn and Elizabeth. That marriage eventually ended in divorce. In 1992 he met and married Nan, who was serving three congregations part time. They retired to Blaine. Washington, where she continued to serve Free Church Unitarian, and Richard became a devoted member.

Richard was a brilliant man of absolute integrity, great generosity and a wicked sense of humor, dearly loved by many. He is survived by his wife, Nan Geer, his brother and sister-in-law Charles and Lynne Geer, his daughter Marilyn Geer Vancil, her husband Travis Vancil, his grandchildren Andi and Megan, and Nan’s children Rob B., Tim, Moira, Heather, and Nan’s grandchildren Pierre, Inès, Zach, Eli and Henry.

Messages of condolence can be sent to Nan Geer, 4704 Sagebrush Lane, Blaine WA 98230.

The Rev. Dr. Max D. Gaebler

Max Gaebler
Max Gaebler

The Reverend Dr. Max Gaebler—beloved pastor, community activist, and international advocate for liberal religion, whose snappy bow ties and cherubic smile made him instantly charming and recognizable—died on 7 September 2018, aged 97. His long-time friend and colleague, Rabbi Manfred Swarzensky, called Max “the most brilliant clergyman in Madison (WI).”

Max David Gaebler was born on 26 May 1921 in Watertown, Wisconsin, to Hans and Hele Gaebler, and grew up among German-American free thinkers. He earned an A.B. from Harvard College in 1941 and then an S.T.B. from Harvard Divinity School in 1944. Later he would receive two doctorates honoris causa—an S.T.D. from Starr King in 1968 and a D.D. from Meadville/Lombard in 1975.

Max Gaebler
Max Gaebler

Mr. Gaebler was ordained on 5 March 1944 by the First Parish in Cambridge, MA, and then served for a year as the American Unitarian Association’s Minister to Students in the Greater Boston Area. During that year, Carolyn Farr, then a graduate student at Harvard University, visited the First Parish in Cambridge and heard him preach. They were married in February, 1945.

After settlements at the First Parish Church United in Westford, MA (1945–48) and then the Unitarian Church of Davenport, IA (1948–52), the Rev’d Mr. Gaebler was called to the First Unitarian Society of Madison, WI, and 35 years later was named Minister Emeritus there on retirement in 1987.

His service to our national liberal religious movement was extensive and varied. Early on, Max served as president of the Unitarian Ministers’ Association and, in the late 1950s, as secretary for one of the joint interim committees leading to Unitarian and Universalist consolidation in 1961.

Max Gaebler
Max Gaebler

To the Rev’d Michael Schuler, his long-time successor in the Madison pulpit, Max was the ideal emeritus colleague, almost a co-minister, and “quite the gentleman…unfailingly courteous in speech and in his correspondence… He and I bonded very early over the Chicago White Sox.” Indeed, Max wrote an ode to Comiskey Park when it was torn down in 1991 for a new stadium.

At his death, Max was survived by five children (David, Mary, John, Ralph, Helen), a sister-in- law, three nephews, and his domestic partner Nancy Townsend and her family. His wife and a younger brother had died earlier.